Wireless wide area cellular network solutions

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INTRODUCTION
Wireless wide area cellular network solutions have been around for
many years. Widespread adoption has been slow due to issues with coverage,
cost, performance, and secure remote access to business networks. The
deployment of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) based
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) has the potential to change this
situation and to provide connectivity any time and any where. GPRS is a
packet based radio service that enables always on connections, eliminating
repetitive and time consuming dial up connections. It will also provide real
throughput in excess of 40 Kbps, about the same speed as an excellent land
line analog modem connection.

Need For a Wireless WAN Solution
Mobile workers who need to access information while they travel can
do so using one of two Wide Area Networking methods - wired or wireless.
In the past, they relied mainly on wired methods such as analog modems to
connect over the public switched telephone network (PSTN). However, users
realized that using a dial up method to get a connection were relatively tedious
and time consuming, and connections were sometimes difficult to maintain.


Advantages of GPRS
GPRS provides faster data transfer rates, always on connection, robust
connectivity, broad application support and strong security mechanisms.

Fast Data Transfer Rates
GPRS currently supports an average data rate of 115 Kbps, but this
speed is only achieved by dedicating all eight time slots to GPRS. Instead,
carriers and terminal devices will typically be configured to handle a specific
number of time slots for upstream and downstream data. For example, a GPRS
device might be set to handle a maximum of four slots downstream and two
slots upstream.



First Generation Wireless Technology
The first generation of wireless mobile communications was based on
analog signaling. Analog systems, implemented in North America, were
known as Analog Mobile Phone Systems (AMPS), while systems
implemented in Europe and the rest of the world were typically identified as a
variation of Total Access Communication Systems (TACS). Analog systems
were primarily based on circuit-switched technology and designed for voice,
not data.

Second Generation Wireless Technology
The second generation (2G) of the wireless mobile network was based
on low band digital data signaling. The most popular 2G wireless technology
is known as Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM). GSM
technology is a combination of Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA)
and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA).



CONCLUSION
In summary, GPRS presents an intermediate step in bring high speed
Internet access to GSM users as the industry moves towards implementing 3rd
Generation mobile services, known as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone
Service). GPRS will thrive in both vertical and horizontal markets where highspeed
data transmission over wireless networks is required.