GSM Vs CDMA

What is the difference between GSM and CDMA? The comparison of GSM vs
CDMA is very useful and interesting from buyer's as well as student's
perspective. The following article on GSM vs CDMA will help you to understand
the differences between these two technologies.

GSM is an acronym for Groupe Special Mobile, which has now been
changed to Global System for Mobile Communication. CDMA refers to
Code Division Multiple Access. The working of GSM and CDMA is very
different. But the end result, after the implementation of the two
technologies, is highly similar and matching in many ways. This article will
try to highlight the subtle differences between the two technologies.

GSM vs CDMA Technology

GSM is a very straight forward standard, whereas, CDMA is somewhat

complicated. The key difference between the two is that GSM is a standard
and CDMA is a technology, but GSM has attained some technology status
over the years. So, what is the difference between GSM and CDMA? Read
on to find out.

GSM Explained 
GSM is a 'cellular' technology, that is, the entire coverage area is divided
into various hexagonal shaped cells (hence the popular name ' cell phones').
Every cell has a corresponding network tower, which serves the mobile
phones in that cellular area. For example: Imagine a honeycomb on a tree
in a hexagonal shaped garden. The garden has many flowers. The
honeybees collect the nectar from the flowers, and deposit it in the
honeycomb. Your mobile phones are like the flowers, the network tower is
like honeycomb, and the bees are the signals.

CDMA Explained 
As the name suggests (Code Division Multiple Access), there are many
devices which use the same spread spectrum (hence multiple access).
There is one physical channel, and a special code for every device in the
coverage network. Using this code, the signal of the device is multiplexed,
and the same physical channel is used to send the signal (the codes may
or may not change). For example: There is a street on which many buses
ply. Obviously, the bus will have many commuters, and they will have to
buy the tickets to travel on the bus. In CDMA, the commuter is like your
mobile phone, the tickets are your codes, the bus is a multiplexed carrier
signal, and the street is the spread spectrum.

GSM vs CDMA Comparison 

Call Quality: This is an area where CDMA scores substantially over GSM.
Statistics are hugely in favor of CDMA. Various factors such as echoes, call
dropping, or voice distortion are almost non-existent in CDMA, whereas in
GSM, there is a high probability of errors. To give you an analogy, the bus
on the street will continue to ply even when it's full, but if the honeycomb
has reached full capacity, the honey cannot be deposited.

GSM vs CDMA Call Qality Score: CDMA scores. Goal count 0-1.

Carriers: GSM is one up on CDMA as far as carriers are concerned. The

law requires CDMA carriers to provide handsets to users, for which the
users cannot change their carriers. Whereas, GSM users can change their
carriers whenever they want.