Mobile phones are by far the most commonly used electronic gadgets today. In fact, the use of mobile phones is so prevalent all over the world that it is hard to think of the times when we could get by without them. Advances in technology and reduction in prices have resulted in mobile phones constantly getting cheaper and better with helpful features for business and personal uses.
GSM Phones
GSM mobile phones are cell phones which use GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) technology. GSM technology enables communication by allocating a fixed frequency to each user in the network. Most GSM phones have the ability to receive and process voicemails, data transfer and text messages. Some mobile phones can also be used to send documents and pages as faxes.
The main benefit of GSM phones is that they can be used anywhere around the world due to widespread adoption of the GSM technology. Tie-ups and partnerships between mobile service providers from various countries ensure that you are able to communicate with your mobile phone even when you are travelling to other countries. Calling an international number requires preceding the number with the (+) sign which is the international access code. This is followed by the country code and the phone number to complete the call.
GSM Frequencies
Even though GSM technology has been adopted the world over, there are some differences in the frequencies used for communication in various regions. For example, while Europe, Australia and Asia use the 900 MHz to 1800 MHz frequency band, North America uses1900 MHz for its GSM networks.
Most GSM phones can be classified as dual band, tri band or quad band phones. Dual band phones can work in regions of Africa, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Asia and parts of South America where the GSM networks use 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequencies for communication. Tri-band GSM phones work in all the regions that dual band phones work in. In addition, they work in regions like North America where the frequency of 1900 MHz is used by GSM networks. Quad band phones work with all the above frequencies along with a frequency of 850 MHz making them truly international phones that can be used anywhere.
The main characteristic that separates new GSM phones from CDMA phones is that GSM phones use a SIM card. The SIM card is a small postage stamp sized electronic card that contains your phone number and network specific information. The SIM card is inserted into a GSM handset and the handset immediately starts using the SIM card’s cellular network for communication purposes. The SIM card can be transferred to any other unlocked GSM cell phone and be used without any problems and without changing the phone number.
Benefits of GSM Phones
GSM phones have several advantages some of which are as follows:
1. Less disturbance from static and background noises
2. Clear sound
3. Can be used while travelling internationally
4. Greater call privacy
5. Extends the life of the cell phone battery
6. Reduces the probability of cross connections
7. Deters fraud
8. Ability to support heavy call traffic
These advantages coupled with the widespread adoption of the GSM technology have made new GSM phones extremely popular all over the world.
