HOW GPRS WORK

How GPRS Work

.

The GPRS stands for General Packet Radio Service. It is a mobile data transfer within a GSM mobile phone network. This provides users with packet data services using the GSM digital radio network. Each voice packet in GSM transmits on a secure 14kbps digital radio link between the mobile phone and a nearby GSM transceiver station. The GPRS combines together multiple speech channels to provide higher bandwidth data connections for GPRS data users.

GPRS users will also benefit from being able to use GPRS while traveling as the GSM system should transparently hand over the GPRS connection from one base station to another.

Radio Interface

Each GSM radio transceiver uses Time Division Multiplexing to deliver eight voice circuits on one radio channel. Each radio site may have one or more transceivers to provide sufficient channels to end users.

Each 14kbps channel may be shared by multiple 'connected' GPRS users. In general the higher the data rate, the more power the mobile device will use and the shorter the battery life and the higher the transmitted RF power. If you are using GPRS with a mobile phone, do not keep it near your ear for long periods while data transfers are taking place.

GPRS Mobile devices

The key use for GPRS is to send and receive data to a computer application such as Email, web browsing or even telemetry. To use GPRS the service is 'dialed' in a similar manner to a standard data call at which point the user is 'attached' and an IP address is allocated.

Mobile workers usually have a mobile phone, when this includes GPRS then it can also be used to transfer data to a connected computer.

Some of the key issues are:

Using GPRS will not stop you making or receiving voice calls.

Current phones will usually suspend the data session while a voice call takes place.

Battery life will be reduced when using GPRS.

The data needs to be connected with your computer.