Why does it really have to be GSM or CDMA? Why not GSM and CDMA? Both have their pros and cons and can serve different purposes in a country like India that needs diverse forms of communication to reach the masses.
Having said that, CDMA has turned out to be a clear winner for high-speed data and 3G networks. The main reason is that 3G CDMA can run off the same frequency spectrum. This means it can run off the same network, and same equipment, making the move from 2G to 3G very simple, easy and economical. An interesting outcome is that there is hardly any room for 2.5G – both in terms of application availability and time window. Also, CDMA phones tend to have better battery use. CDMA is often cheaper, especially for unlimited data plans. CDMA is better equipped to handle the huge data loads that are going to be transmitted in the near future. With IPTV being successfully tested, it is not a far-fetched idea that you might just be watching your favourite sitcom on your mobile phone.
The six common benefits of CDMA technology on a Tata Indicom phone are as follows:
Broadspan Network – This means that there is constant signal accessibility, no call drops when you are moving from one cell site to another, no call drops in elevators, in tunnels, or in high speed traffic.
High Security Network – The technology ensures 64-bit authentication and complex encryption techniques on every call for confidential conversations.
Breathing Cell Sites – This ensures seamless connectivity through cell sites that are continuously expanding and contracting to ensure constant data throughput. CDMA’s patented “soft handoff” method of passing calls between cell sites sharply reduces the risk of disruption or dropped calls during a handoff. The process of soft handoff leads to fewer dropped calls as two or three cells are monitoring your call at any given time.
Echo Free Filters – These ensure crystal clear sound and preserve fidelity of voice.
T-Sim Based Service – When you want to change/upgrade phones or share phones, T Sim technology allows you to quickly take a user identification module and switch phones.
Gentle Waves – Low electro magnetic emissions, leading to it being an eco friendly technology.
CDMA handsets can also incorporate smaller batteries, resulting in smaller, lighter-weight phones. Easier to carry. Easier to use. With CDMA as the industry’s superior standard, carriers across the globe benefit from greater choice in equipment, lower prices, and the ability to deploy equipment and services faster than ever before.
Next generation products can benefit from current product efficiencies resulting in lower costs for both operators and consumers. All this aside, CDMA has found a definite niche in wireless-LAN applications and its potential strengths for use as an access technology will find wider use in coming years as experience allays some of the practical concerns. CDMA will certainly feature very strongly in next generation systems.
Chief Operating Officer, Karnataka Circle Tata Teleservices