Access Methods for Mobile Networks

A mobile network, also known as a cellular network, is a communication network which utilizes
radio frequencies to allow multiple users to simultaneously transfer data. Cellular networks
utilize various multiplexing techniques to provide communication services to a wide variety of
subscribers on one single broadband of wired or wireless medium. These multiplexing
techniques are called access methods. In computer science, several access methods have been
developed. These include:
1. Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)
2. Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)
3. Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)
4. General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA): CDMA is a form of multiplexing which allows for
multiple signals to be propagated over a single transmission channel at the same time, making
the best use of the bandwidth available/present. CDMA is especially used by
telecommunication companies in the 800MHz and 1900MHz bandwidth region. The CDMA
channel is 1.23MHz wide and has speeds of between 700KBPS and 2MBPS. Code division
multiple access makes use of analog to digital conversion along with spread spectrum
technologies to digitize audio input into the binary form. This is then later encoded with a key
that is only accessible by the intended receiver/recipient. CDMA is compatible with other
cellular technologies, allowing subscribers to take advantage of nationwide roaming. It however
doesn’t allow international roaming. NB: CDMA was used in GPS (Global positioning System)

Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA): this is a channel access method for shared media. It
allows users to share the frequency channel by dividing signal into many time slots. Each user
transmission uses its own time slot. It is a type of time division multiplexing. Time –division
multiple access has been used in wired networks as well as inn mobile phone systems. TDMA
has three times the capacity of an analog system using the same number of channels. NB: the
total number of slots in which the frequency channel is divided into is three.
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM): This standard was developed by the
European Communications Standards Institute to describe protocols for 2G cellular networks
used by mobile phones. GSM is a multiple access technology that is a digital mobile telephony
system that uses an implementation of the TDMA to deliver data services and voice at a speed
of 64Kbps all the way up to 1220Mbps. GSM is used all over the world and is actually the most
widely used digital wireless telephony technology (among GSM, TDMA and CDMA). GSM
operates in the 900MHz and 1.8MHz bands in Europe, in the 1.9Mhz and 850Mhz bands in the
US, and in Canada, Australia and many Latin American countries it operates in the 859Mhz
spectrum.

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS): this is a packet oriented mobile data service available on
the 3G and 2G cellular systems used by the mobile phones. It is used to connect the mobile
system to a wireless network and gets the user access to the World Wide Web and the Internet.
GPRS is sometimes referred to 2.5G especially because it forms an intermediate between 2G
and 3G. GPRS allows for data transfers through cellular networks at 56 to 114Kbps and offers
cell phone and computer users a continuous connection to the Internet as well as MMS and
other data communication services. NB: GPRS is the precursor to similar more advanced
offerings such as Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) and Universal Mobile
Telephone Service (UMTS).