CDMA vs. GSM
Coverage
CDMA is mostly used in America and some parts of Asia. It is currently making progress in other parts of the world, but the coverage is still limited compared to the GSM technology. Its support is currently non-existent in Europe because the European Union mandates the sole use of GSM. In North America however, CDMA generally offers a better coverage than GSM in some rural areas because it was deployed earlier. The CDMA network reaches over 270 millions users worldwide.
GSM being an international standard, it is better suited for international roaming, provided you own a quad-band cell phone (850/900/1800/1900 MHz). The GSM network is also well established in North America, but not as much as the CDMA network yet. The GSM network reaches over a billion users worldwide. CDMA is prominent in North America, but GSM reaches a lot more users worldwide (about 270 millions for CDMA and 1 billion for GSM). In the CDMA against GSM debate, GSM wins if you plan to travel to foreign countries but CDMA might have a better coverage in your area.
The best data transfer technology CDMA has to offer is the EVDO technology, allowing for a maximum download speed of about 2mb/s (about 700kbps in practice), which is similar to what a DSL line has to offer. EVDO is not available everywhere yet and requires a cell phone that is EVDO ready. GSM on the other hand offers EDGE, allowing for a maximum download speed of 384kbps (around 140kbps in practice). More technologies are being developed on top of EDGE such as HSDPA to boost the transfer rate to over 384kbps in practice. This technology requires an EDGE-ready cell phone. On a CDMA phone, your account information is programmed into your cellular phone. If you want to change your phone, you have to contact your carrier and have them reprogram your new phone. You will also need to re-enter your contact list and calendar information into your new phone. If you have a lot of contacts, your carrier might be able to help you perform this task. On a GSM phone your account information along with your contact list and other personal data are stored on a SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module) which is a small chip you can freely remove from your phone. When you get a new mobile device, you can simply insert your SIM card into it and it will work with your current account information and contact list. If you travel to another country, it might even be possible to purchase a prepaid SIM card which you can use to avoid roaming fees.
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Which technology is the best for me?
When asking yourself which technology to choose between CDMA and GSM, first ask yourself the following questions:
1. Is international roaming important to me? If you travel a lot to foreign countries, you might want to opt for a GSM phone for a better coverage.
2. Am I going to transfer a lot of data using the phone? Currently, CDMA offers the best data transfer speed with its EVDO technology and is the clear winner for now. If you intend to use the phone for mobile web browsing, watching television or downloading MP3s, you might be better off with a CDMA phone.
3. Do I plan to change phone often? If you do, a GSM phone is best for you since you can swap the SIM card to a new device without having to re-enter your personal data.
Once you have established your basic needs, compare CDMA and GSM signals in your region. Also compare the carriers offering both services in your area. Talk to your friends and colleagues and ask them if they are satisfied with their cell phone carrier and how good their signal is.
Remember, when choosing between CDMA vs. GSM, preferring a network technology over another also means limiting your choice in carriers.
.- Words: Coverage, communication, technology
