The need for GSM (was Re: [TriLUG] Re: 802.11 around the fairgrounds?)

Reginald Reed reginald.reed at gmail.com
Wed Feb 8 14:21:00 EST 2006


Yes, that was my comment.  I don't have a Verizon CDMA phone, therefore I
pay more for EVDO service.  My need for GSM is based on International
roaming.  Very simple, I just didn't write it well.

Also, GPRS is *not* even close to a 1xEV-DO replacement.  Even 1xRTT is
faster than GPRS.  EDGE (GSM data service) is faster than 1xRTT, but still
slower than 1xEV-DO.

GSM 2.5/3G services:
GPRS  avg speeds 30-80 kbits/sec - max speed 160kbits/sec
EDGE  max speed 236 kbits/sec

CDMA 2.5/3G services:
1xRTT max speed 144 kbits/sec
1xEV-DO avg speeds 400-700 kbits/sec - max speed 2.5 mbits/sec

** speed data from Wikipedia

--Reggie

On 2/8/06, Rick DeNatale <rick.denatale at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 2/8/06, Alan Porter <porter at trilug.org> wrote:
> >
> > >...since I don't have a Verizon cell phone
> > >(need GSM).
> > >
> > >
> >
> > I'm not sure how to read this sentence.  It can go
> > either way.  So to clarify...
> >
> > Verizon is a CDMA carrier.
> > Sprint is CDMA.
> > Cingular (in NC) is GSM.
> >
> > EVDO is a CDMA standard.
> > The GSM equivalent is GPRS.
>
> I'm assuming that he meant that:
> 1) He pays more for his EVDO service from Verizon than he would if he
> also had a Verizon phone.
> 2) The reason that he doesn't have a Verizon phone is that he needs GSM.
>
> That said, I'm beginning to wonder why, given the state of GSM in the
> US, anyone here would NEED GSM for use in the US.  I used to think
> that way when I was doing a lot of international travel, so I got a
> GSM phone so that I could roam overseas.  Problem was, none of the US
> GSM providers (at least the ones available in NC) seem to agree with
> the "normal" GSM business model.  They all lock the phone to their SIM
> card which limits you to their expensive international roaming rates.
> T-Mobile might be different but they're not available here in NC.
>
> You might be able to get a US GSM phone unlocked via a third party,
> but it's dependent on which phone you have.  Some of the folks I
> travelled with preferred having a CDMA phone for use here, and an
> inexpensive GSM phone which they could populate with a SIM card
> obtained locally where they were traveling, and if they wanted to set
> up forwarding from their US number to the overseas number, which
> turned out to be cheaper than using the US providers overseas roaming.
>
> For whatever reason, not having thought all this through, when ATT got
> out of the mobile business, I switched to Cingular to keep GSM, rather
> than getting defaulted to SunCom.  This was unfortunate, since
> Cingular still hasn't built out their GSM network to the point where
> it works everywhere I need it. For example I've got no coverage at our
> second home in Rutherford County.
>
> --
> Rick DeNatale
>
> Visit the Project Mercury Wiki Site
> http://www.mercuryspacecraft.com/
> --
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