GSM - Global System for Mobile Communications: GSM - Global System for Mobile Communications

What is GSM?
GSM is an open, non-proprietary system that is constantly evolving. One of its great strengths is the international roaming capability. This gives consumers seamless and same standardised same number contactability in more than 170 countries. GSM satellite roaming has extended service access to areas where terrestrial coverage is not available.

GSM Services
GSM has much more to offer than voice telephony. Additional services allow you greater flexibility in where and when you use your phone. You should contact your local GSM network operator for information on the specific services available to you. A brief outline of GSM Services is below.

Call waiting & Call hold: If you are using the phone, Call Waiting will alert you to a second caller. You need never miss an incoming call. Use Call Hold to put the person you are talking to on hold so you can call another party, and then switch between the two calls.

Call forwarding: Use Call forwarding to divert incoming calls to another number.

Calling line identity (CLI): CLI displays the number (name if stored on your phone) of the incoming call.

SMS (short messaging service): SMS (text messaging) allow you to send & receive text messages on your phone. Services available from many of the world's GSM networks today - in addition to simple user generated text message services - include news, sport, financial, language and location based services, as well as many early examples of mobile commerce such as stocks and share prices, mobile banking facilities and leisure booking services. (More information about SMS can be found in SMS Technology.)

Data Services: Using your GSM phone to receive and send data is the essential building block leading to widespread mobile Internet access and mobile data transfer. GSM currently has a data transfer rate of 9.6k. New developments that will push up data transfer rates for GSM users are HSCSD (high speed circuit switched data) and GPRS (general packet radio service) are now available.

What is technically distinctive about the technology?
GSM differs from first generation wireless systems in that it uses digital technology and time division multiple access transmission methods. Voice is digitally encoded via a unique encoder, which emulates the characteristics of human speech. This method of transmission permits a very efficient data rate/information content ratio.

How will GSM evolve?
High bandwidth services are already becoming available through second generation technologies. The development path to 3GSM is clearly mapped out and brings with it the possibilities of sophisticated data and multimedia applications. The GSM standard will continue to evolve, I with wireless, satellite and cordless systems offering greatly expanded services. These will include high speed, multimedia data services, inbuilt support for parallel use of such services and seamless integration with the Internet and wireline networks.

Is GSM secure?
From the outset, GSM has been a system designed with stringent levels of inbuilt security. With constantly enhanced transmission protocols and algorithms added to the flexible and future proof platform, GSM remains the most secure public wireless standard in the world.

What is the GSM Association?
The GSM Association, based in Dublin, Ireland and London, UK, represents the interests of more than 690 GSM, satellite and 3GSM operators, key manufacturers and suppliers to the GSM industry as well as regulatory and administrative bodies from more than 190 countries and regions around the world. Most of the first third generation licensees are also members. The GSM Association is responsible for the continued maintenance of open standards and interoperability. The global cooperation between operators is most powerfully illuminated by the success of international roaming. One of the Association's major priorities is the development and promotion of the GSM standard worldwide.

Source: GSM World - the world wide web site of the GSM Association.