6/4/2016

GSMOverview

GSMOverview
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WhatisGSM?
IfyouareinEuropeorAsiaandusingamobilephone,thenmostprobablyyouare
usingGSMtechnologyinyourmobilephone.
GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communication. It is a digital
cellulartechnologyusedfortransmittingmobilevoiceanddataservices.
TheconceptofGSMemergedfromacellbasedmobileradiosystematBell
Laboratoriesintheearly1970s.
GSMisthenameofastandardizationgroupestablishedin1982tocreatea
commonEuropeanmobiletelephonestandard.
GSMisthemostwidelyacceptedstandardintelecommunicationsanditis
implementedglobally.
GSM is a circuitswitched system that divides each 200 kHz channel into
eight25kHztimeslots.GSMoperatesonthemobilecommunicationbands
900 MHz and 1800 MHz in most parts of the world. In the US, GSM
operatesinthebands850MHzand1900MHz.
GSM owns a market share of more than 70 percent of the world's digital
cellularsubscribers.
GSM makes use of narrowband Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)
techniquefortransmittingsignals.
GSM was developed using digital technology. It has an ability to carry 64
kbpsto120Mbpsofdatarates.
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Presently GSM supports more than one billion mobile subscribers in more
than210countriesthroughouttheworld.
GSMprovidesbasictoadvancedvoiceanddataservicesincludingroaming

service.RoamingistheabilitytouseyourGSMphonenumberinanother
GSMnetwork.
GSMdigitizesandcompressesdata,thensendsitdownthroughachannelwithtwo
otherstreamsofuserdata,eachinitsowntimeslot.

WhyGSM?
Listed below are the features of GSM that account for its popularity and wide
acceptance.
Improvedspectrumefficiency
Internationalroaming
Lowcostmobilesetsandbasestations(BSs)
Highqualityspeech
Compatibility with Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and other
telephonecompanyservices
Supportfornewservices

GSMHistory
ThefollowingtableshowssomeoftheimportanteventsintherolloutoftheGSM
system.
Years

Events

1982

ConferenceofEuropeanPostsandTelegraph(CEPT)establishesaGSMgroup
towidenthestandardsforapanEuropeancellularmobilesystem.

1985

Alistofrecommendationstobegeneratedbythegroupisaccepted.

1986

Executedfieldteststocheckthedifferentradiotechniquesrecommendedfor
theairinterface.

1987

TimeDivisionMultipleAccess(TDMA)ischosenastheaccessmethod(with
FrequencyDivisionMultipleAccess[FDMA]).TheinitialMemorandumof
Understanding(MoU)issignedbytelecommunicationoperatorsrepresenting
12countries.

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1988

GSMsystemisvalidated.

1989

TheEuropeanTelecommunicationsStandardsInstitute(ETSI)wasgiventhe
responsibilityoftheGSMspecifications.

1990

Phase1oftheGSMspecificationsisdelivered.

1991

CommerciallaunchoftheGSMserviceoccurs.TheDCS1800specificationsare
finalized.

1992

TheadditionofthecountriesthatsignedtheGSMMoUtakesplace.Coverage
spreadstolargercitiesandairports.

1993

CoverageofmainroadsGSMservicesstartsoutsideEurope.

1994

Datatransmissioncapabilitieslaunched.Thenumberofnetworksrisesto69
in43countriesbytheendof1994.

1995

Phase2oftheGSMspecificationsoccurs.Coverageisextendedtoruralareas.

1996

June:133networkin81countriesoperational.

1997

July:200networkin109countriesoperational,around44millionsubscribers
worldwide.

1999

WirelessApplicationProtocol(WAP)cameintoexistenceandbecame
operationalin130countrieswith260millionsubscribers.

2000

GeneralPacketRadioService(GPRS)cameintoexistence.

2001

AsofMay2001,over550millionpeopleweresubscriberstomobile
telecommunications.

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