DFi8Uf6xJKs/U6SnV4wE5jI/AAAAAAAAD8M/sZlgINlCD4I/s1600/gsm+vs+cdma+tracfone.jpg' alt='Gsm Vs Cdma' title='Gsm Vs Cdma' />You may have heard the terms GSM and CDMA thrown around before in a conversation about cell phones, but what do they really mean Understand the technologies of the major cell phone service carriers and unravel the differences between the GSM, EDGE, CDMA, and TDMA. What CDMA vs. GSM Means to You. For call quality, the technology you use is much less important than the way your carrier has built its network. GSM vs CDMA Whats the difference. When consumers think about mobile network providers, their primary concern is with regards to coverage, quality, support, pricing, and other factors but when you pick a network carrier, you also make the choice between a GSM network or a CDMA network, at least in the US. You have probably come across these terms in the past, when picking a mobile phone, or when first joining, or switching, network carriers, but what do they mean, and what is the difference between the two We find out, as we take a closer look at GSM vs CDMA, and what it signifies for us as a consumer. What is GSM GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communication, and is now considered the standard for communication globally, particularly in Asia and Europe, with its availability in over 2. It functions on four distinct frequency bands, 9. We take a closer look at some of the differences between GSM and CDMA networks, and how they matter to us as a consumer. MHz and 1. 80. 0 MHz is Europe and Asia, and 8. MHz and 1. 90. 0 MHz in North and South America. The GSM Association is an international organization founded in 1. GSM wireless standard. GSM uses a variant of TDMA time division multiple access that divides the frequency bands into multiple channels. With GSM, our voice is transformed into digital data, which is given a channel and a time slot. On the other end, the receiver listens only to the assigned time slot, with the call pieced together. Obviously, this happens in a negligible amount of time, and the receiver doesnt notice the break, or time division, that occurs. GSM_vs_CDMA_khac_biet_4G_LTE.jpg' alt='Gsm Vs Cdma' title='Gsm Vs Cdma' />What is CDMA CDMA, or code division multiple access, was a standard designed and patented by Qualcomm, but subsequently used as the basis for the CDMA2. WCDMA standards for 3. G. However, because of its proprietary nature, CDMA hasnt seen the global adoption that GSM has, with less than 1. CDMA, and is primarily found in the US, with Verizon Wireless and Sprint both using CDMA networks, as well as in South Korea and Russia. You can find the full list of CDMA networks here. CDMA networks layer digitalized calls over one another, assigning unique codes to differentiate between them. Every call data is encoded with a different key, and the calls are then transmitted at the same time. The receivers each have the unique key as well, to split the combined signal into its individual calls. GSM vs. CDMA. Whats the difference between CDMA and GSM cell phone network standards Learn about GSM and CDMA at Wirefly. When choosing a cell phone carrier, you may have to decide which between CDMA vs GSM is the best for you. CDMA vs GSM comparison. GSM and CDMA are competing wireless technologies with GSM enjoying about an 82 market share globally. In the U. S., however, CDMA is the more. Differences. Shutterstock. Both are multiple access standards, which means that multiple calls can go through a single tower, but as you can see, the major difference between the two has to do with the way your data is converted into the radio waves that your phone broadcasts and receives. There are of course, more practical considerations that matter more for us as a consumer, which you can find listed below SIM cards Before the advent of 4. G LTE, the obvious difference between GSM and CDMA devices were with regards to the SIM card. GSM handsets came with a SIM card slot, while CDMA phones did not. In other words, CDMA is a handset based standard, with a phone number linked to a particular device. If you wanted to upgrade to another phone, you would have to get in touch with the network carrier, de activate the old device and activate the new one. On the other hand, with GSM devices, the phone number is linked to the SIM card, so when switching devices, all you have to do is pop the SIM card into a new phone and you are good to go. This is obviously without taking into consideration GSM devices being locked to network carriers, as seen in the US. Network coverage Network coverage doesnt depend on whether it is  GSM or CDMA network, but rather on the infrastructure the carrier has in place. GSM networks are far more popular globally, but in the US, Verizon Wireless, a CDMA network, boasts the highest number of subscribers in the country. International roaming In your home market, it doesnt matter what kind of network it is, with the focus instead on the available coverage. However, when it comes to international roaming, GSM has the upper hand, with their being a lot more GSM networks around the world, along with roaming deals between these providers. With a GSM phone, you also have the advantage of picking up a local SIM card wherever you are, assuming that you have an unlocked device. You may not get full access to data connectivity, depending on the device and network compatibility though. The future. Shutterstock. With the advent of 4. G and the adoption of LTE and LTE Advanced as the standard by the majority of network carriers worldwide, the debate of GSM vs CDMA matters less everyday. You may have noticed the latest smartphones intended for CDMA networks also come with SIM card slots, to take advantage of the networks 4. G LTE capabilities. While GSM and CDMA devices cannot be interchanged even now, and will never be cross compatible, that wont make a difference as we continue to make a push towards 4. G LTE. Unless international roaming is a factor, as far as your voice call and 3. Sp1 For Vs 2010. G data needs are concerned, both GSM and CDMA networks are equally good, with factors like availability, coverage, customer service, and price, more at play here. Its also worth noting that many CDMA phones like those offered from Verizon also have support for GSM technology when roaming, so international travelers dont really even have to worry much about this anymore.