World Colleges Information

We, in India have been flooded of late with CDMA technology ads. But what is this new technology? Here we try and cut the jargon and explain what this technology is all about.

What is CDMA?

CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access; this is a digital wireless technology, pioneered and commercially developed by QUALCOMM. It was commercially introduced 1995 and is now considered the fastest growing wireless technology. In 1999 CDMA was selected as the industry standard for new "third-generation" (3G) wireless systems by International Telecommunications Union. There are about 100 million users worldwide who rely on CDMA.

How does CDMA work?

CDMA converts speech into digital information, which is transmitted as a radio signal over wireless network. What is rather unique about CDMA is that it uses a unique code to distinguish each different call, thus enabling many people to share the airwaves simultaneously; it thereby eliminates cross talk and interference. CDMA is also used in data technology apart from voice technology.

What do I get?

If you do not travel much (because CDMA phones do not have full roaming facility), it could be a good option for you. CDMA phones operate at 800/1900 MHz band and can have dual mode that works on both analog and digital (today's mobile phones are primarily digital) networks. Though this technology doesn't yet provide SMS, Call Waiting, Voice Mail, Call Line Identification, etc, these features are possible. CDMA phones also don't have SIM cards and are unique to the network they are initiated on. So you cannot just switch networks (say from Reliance to Tata); were you to do that, you would have to get your cell phone reprogrammed or replaced! Another disadvantage is that it is a relatively new technology compared to GSM.

The other plus points are:

Clearer Voice quality - CDMA offers clearer connections, it reduced background noise and cross talks.

Safer Call Security - the digital coding in this technology prevents eavesdropping. It does this by splitting sound into small bits that travel on a spread spectrum of frequencies. Each bit of is identified by a digital code known only to the CDMA phone and the base station, eliminating any interference or obstruction from any other device. CDMA technology is also used by military.

Wider network capacity - CDMA's spread spectrum technology reduced bottlenecks or "network busy" signal, which frustrated cell phone users. Its strongest plus point is that its technology has a network to handle more calls than other digital technologies.

More Cost Reduction - CDMA uses power control to monitor the amount of power your handset needs at any time; these handsets also typically transmit at the lowest power levels in the industry, allowing for longer battery life, which results in longer talk time and standby time. CDMA handsets also have smaller batteries, resulting in smaller, handier and lighter-weight phones.

Remember this is just the technology aspect, as for the price; all we can say is read between the lines and read the fine print before switching loyalties! Just a word of cautions: the jury is not yet out on this.

CDMA in India

CDMA is the latest technology on the market and is quite competitive in terms of cost and call quality as compared to cellular phones, which work on GSM or Global System for Mobile Communications. In India, CDMA was introduced in late 2002 and the leading players are MTNL, BSNL, Reliance Infocomm and Tata Teleservices.