GSM - What is it?

We often keep hearing about the two prevailing technologies in Telecom domain, viz. GSM & CDMA. However, most people who use the services are unaware of these technologies. I will try to explain a little bit about GSM in the current post. Description of CDMA would follow.

Global System for Mobile Communication which was originally known as Groupe Spécial Mobile is very commonly known as GSM to one and all. GSM is the world's most popular mobile system prevalent and according to GSM Association GSMA around 80% of the population uses this technology across the globe. In 212 countries, more than 3 billion subscribers avail the services of GSM.

If we talk about the history of GSM, it all started in Europe way back in 1982. European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations CEPT which was established in 1959, founded GSM in 1982 to create a standard for mobile telephone system which could be used across Europe. European Telecommunications Standards Institute ETSI took over the responsibility of GSM in 1989 and it was in 1991 when the first GSM network was rolled out in Finland by Radiolinja, collaborating with Ericsson for Infrastructure deployment. Within a very short duration, the networks expanded beyond boundaries and by 1993, more than 48 countries had 70 mobile carriers operating their mobile networks.

Moving on to the benefits of using GSM technology, I would like to enlist the following:

• Subscribers dont need to change mobile handsets if they opt for another network
• Seamless roaming
• Operators can opt for instruments from any equipment manufacturer
• GSM technology pioneered the SMS or Text Messaging services, which is now widely used on all kinds of mobile instruments
• It facilitates a worldwide standard feature of Emergency Telephone Number (eg: 911 or 112)

In India, we are all aware of the ongoing wait for implementation of 3G services. For starters, let me explain in brief what does 2G and 3G mean. Unlike the technologies that preceded GSM, both Singnalling and Speech Channels are digital in this case, thus the nomenclature Second Generation or 2G Mobile Phone System. Earlier the telephone system worked in analog fashion. Human race has come to be known as insatiable and we did not want to get satisfied with just voice connectivity. To enable data connectivity in the system, Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (GSM EDGE) is used. GSM EDGE is considered 3G or Third Generation version of the GSM services. This will enable Indians to effectively use Internet and other data services with much ease and at greater transfer rates.