Cellular telecommunications use mobile technologies for voice and data transmission. Telecommunications companies provide cellular service through different standards, with CDMA and GSM being the most widespread. Digital transformation has improved security and compatibility, but phones and systems operating on different standards cannot communicate. The final choice of service provider may not be based on technology standards, but rather on service and value.
Cellular telecommunications represent a wide range of technologies that provide mobile communications to users, both in the form of voice and data transmission. Originally, these technologies were developed by the military, but have since become more available to large parts of the general population in many parts of the world. Telecommunications companies provide cellular service through a number of different standards. A standard is typically not compatible with that of other telecommunications networks.
At the most basic level, cellular communications are conducted with a device that is not plugged into a permanent power source. Cellular means that the device has a fuel cell on board, most likely in the form of an ordinary battery. While this could theoretically apply to cordless phones as well, cell phones are different in that they don’t need a permanent base to transmit and receive signals.
In the beginning, cellular telecommunications were largely conducted on analog systems. These systems recorded waveforms and transmitted those waves without substantially altering the original condition. The waveform may be unintentionally affected by signal degradation, especially over long distances. Furthermore, these signals could also be easily intercepted, making transmission security a paramount concern among those who had sensitive information to share.
Digital cellular telecommunications technologies changed this, converting signals into groups of numbers that could not be broken down by time or distance. As a result of this digital transformation, cellular telecommunications are based on many different standards. If a cellular network uses one system and a particular phone uses a different system, the two will not be able to communicate. Phones and systems operating on the same standard can usually work with each other, even if the system is not owned by the customer’s specific service provider.
The most widespread digital standards are Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM). GSM is the standard used in most parts of the world. In the US, it shares market share with CDMA. Phones that work with a CDMA standard will likely be useless in European countries and other places where GSM is the only standard used. In the United States, both standards are often used within the same geographic area.
Where more than one standard is available, individuals may have a choice in cellular telecommunications, but this is not guaranteed. Those who have questions about service or compatibility should check with the different cellular telecommunications companies that serve their area. In the end, the final choice may not be a matter of cellular technology standards, but rather which companies provide the best service and value.
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