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What Is GSM?
GSM phones require a small electronic chip, called a SIM card, to be inserted into a slot in the handset. This international SIM card is the "heart" of your
phone - it contains your cell phone number, your phone book, and all of your registration information. Most companies with GSM service provide you access
to over 320 GSM networks in over 140 countries.
What are Unlocked GSM Phones?
Unlocked GSM phones are either a) phones which are directly from the manufacturer which were never locked, or b) phones from a
carrier which have been modified to openly work on any network.
What are the different frequencies of GSM that I need?
Most of the world's GSM networks operate at 900MHz and 1800MHz. However, in order to use the networks in the USA and Canada you will
need a handset that is also capable of operating at the 1900MHz frequency. Most phones are now either "dual" "tri" or "quad band"
(includes 850MHz) to serve most of the world.
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What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a specification for the use of low-power radio communications to wirelessly link phones, computers and other network devices over short distances. The name "Bluetooth" is borrowed from Harald Bluetooth, who was a king in Denmark more than 1,000 years ago.
Bluetooth technology was designed primarily to support simple wireless networking of personal consumer devices and peripherals, including cell phones, PDAs, and wireless headsets. The wireless signals transmitted in Bluetooth reach over short distances, typically up to 30 feet (10 meters). Bluetooth devices generally communicate at less than 1 Mbps.
Bluetooth networks feature a dynamic topology called a piconet or PAN. Piconets contain a minimum of two and a maximum of eight Bluetooth peer devices. Devices communicate using protocols that are part of the Bluetooth Specification.
Although the Bluetooth standard utilizes the same 2.4 Ghz range as 802.11b and 802.11g, Bluetooth technology is not a suitable Wi-Fi replacement. Compared to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth networking is much slower, a bit more limited in range, and supports many fewer devices.
As is true for Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies today, concerns with Bluetooth include security and interoperability with other networking standards.
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What is EDGE?
EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution) is a radio signalling technology for 3G mobile networks. It boosts data transfer rates and volumes on existing GSM/GPRS networks by significantly increasing data transfer speeds.
How does EDGE work?
EDGE works by improving the signalling interface used to communicate over the radio waves. Typically, EDGE brings three times the performance of GPRS, achieving an average data rate of 80 to 160 kbps per user with mobile terminals supporting 2-4 timeslots. It is great for applications that transfer large amounts of data between a mobile phone and enterprise networks - such as rich email messages that include attachments.
About EDGE
Due to its high data transfer rates, EDGE has been adopted as part of ITU's (International Telecommunication Union) family of technologies. Currently, EDGE is standardized by the same 3GPP standardization body as the 3G technology, WCDMA, harmonizing the development of both EDGE and WCDMA.
Benefits of GSM & GPRS
- Faster connection
- Greater data volumes achieved
- Significant increase in functionality
- Can interoperate with with GSM networks for global coverage
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