GSM Cell Phones - What You Wanted to Ask But Always Slipped Out of your Mind...

By Paul Heath

GSM stands for Global System for Mobile communication. GSM cell phones come with integrated voice mail, high-speed data, fax, paging and Short Messaging Services. Excellent sound quality, International Roaming facility with state of the art call privacy and fraud prevention features, and batteries with increased shelf life have made GSM the fastest growing and most affordable wireless voice technology in the world.

You can use your GSM enabled mobile anywhere. Well, almost anywhere in the world. GSM technology ensures that you can hear your boss screaming as clearly as the living daylights even when he is on the other side of Atlantic. However, to be able to listen to that honeyed cheer upper you need to change your frequency band. GSM cell phones use the multiple spectrum frequency bands under which 1900 MHz caters to North America while 900 MHz and 1800 MHz are used for other locations. A GSM mobile may have a dual band, a tri band or even a quad band.

A dual band GSM functions at both the 900 MHz and the 1800 MHz level and works in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and a small portion of South America. A tri band GSM cell phone catches the 1900 MHz in addition to the other two wavelengths and covers North America instead of South. Similarly, a quad mobile covers the 850 MHz as well as the other 3 and allows you to go global.

A GSM cell phone however is not going to work without a SIM card. In fact, your phone number depends on your SIM. Voicemail, a regular feature of all GSM enabled mobiles, too, is dependent on the SIM, as it is a network operator based service. To make an overseas call from a GSM phone you must first check on the frequencies available and make the necessary adjustments. This may sound inane but actually is a common mistake occurring all the time.

An overseas call from a GSM cell phone is a simple operation provided the correct protocol is maintained. The international access code (+) has to be dialed first, followed by the country code and the ten-digit phone number. The (+) sign takes care of your call without bothering you about the access code of the country you are calling from. If your handset is a Nokia then you have to press the (*) key twice in rapid succession to access the international access code (+). If it is an Ericsson, then you have to press and hold the 0 key until the (+) sign appears. Like wise for Motorola and Samsung. If it is a Bosch then you have to press and hold the (*) key until the (+) sign appears.

GSM cell phones have managed to reduce background noises, disturbances and statics to a minimum level. Cross-connections, too, almost never happens. The facility to handle many calls at the same time translates to a congestion free network in areas of heavy density and high usage. All these at minimum cost. GSM is affordable.

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