[kwyjibo]

When I first started using a cell phone, I had Sprint PCS. It had great service (full bars in every room in my home, including those that have no windows) except the customer service wasn't so great. So I decided to switch to Cingular. Reception in my home was horrific. The only way to get a decent signal was to be in a room with windows and even then I only got 2-3 bars. And I drop calls 75% of the time.

So I did some research to find that Cingular uses GSM while Sprint uses CDMA. What is the difference between the two?

EDIT: several questions:

Can my signal improve with the merger of AT&T, with their so-called improved GSM coverage, and Cingular?

I've also found that using Sprint, the farther I went away from NYC, I had a weaker signal, even when outside, as close as NJ while with Cingular I had full bars wherever I went. Why is this so?

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› See More: questions about CDMA and GSM

[Untitled]

CDMA is a North America thing, and it isn't used anywhere else in the world. GSM is a newer system that has been adopted as the world wide standard. The signal may be weaker because a) there are less GSM towers because it's a relativly new system here or b) some people have said that GSM signals are weaker, either from the tower or from the phone or whatever. I don't quite get that, but if you compared the battery life of phones on both systems, you'd notice that the GSM phones last A LOT longer. So maybe there is some truth to that argument. Anyway, most people will say they prefer the GSM, and eventually, it will catch up to it's homegrown solution here in North America.

Your signal will likely improve when AT&T and Cingular join up the two systems, that is if AT&T had towers in the area.

Sprint may just not have as many towers outside the NYC area. Can't be sure of that though.

[carriebrill]

I am having the same problem. If you find any answers please let me know [email protected]

[BrianD]

The stuff about poor signal being the result of insufficient base stations is correct.
Doesnt matter if your service provider is GSM or CDMA , no base station equals no signal.
So sign up with a service provider that has lots of coverage in the areas your likely to
want to go, or make sure they have roaming agreements with a network that does.
That other stuff about GSM being newer than CDMA is incorrect.
Its only newer in the US .
In Europe its been around since the early 90s.
In Australia we use both.
CDMA is supposedley the superior (radio) delivery path , better than the TDMA used by the GSM networks.
The third generation networks currently being constructed in Europe/Japan & Australia
all use wide band CDMA , TDMA (GSM) wont be around in ten years but varieties of CDMA will.

[Ralvarez]

CDMA is a stoneage network, GSM is worldwide and will take over in the near future. GSM has so many more options and its international what more could you want other than a phone you can take to the moon.

[bright_eye'd]

Gsm is ahead of its time and until there are more towers around for this system it won't get any better and as far as your company merging I doubt it will help considering that at&t is tdma which is a older system that cdma. Cdma is not stone age it is the most current system out that actually works unlike GSM which sucks at this point.
Liz

[Dynojam]

To compare CDMA to GSM is like comparing AM to FM
Dont even bother.

Both offer unique points and have unique features.

CDMA has faster data speeds
GSM can packet more data
CDMA has a better range
GSM has better quality and security
GSM has a far wider network usage hence roaming is avaiable in many contries on the GSM network.

The main point is network coverage
Any network will fail if the coverage footprint is not there and for what ever reson CDMA is the dominate network in the USA. (The main reason is cost of the network and coverage)

GSM does not "suck" it is hampared by coverage nothing more nothing less.

[tonto52]

So then is it possible to transfer a phone from a GSM Network (ie Fido) to a CDMA Network(ie Sasktel)

[teleguy]

CDMA is a North America thing, and it isn't used anywhere else in the world.

Well....... not exactly. see http://www.cdg.org/worldwide/index.asp

[jerry12]

gsm in usa is on 1900mh cdma is on 800 mh. the 1900 sigal will not travel as far as 800 .