GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) is a data transmission service that is part of the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications). The service was introduced as an upgrade to GSM to provide for more efficient data transmission, at speeds of those approaching a land line. GPRS allows mobile telephone users to download data at 56 Kbps (kilobits per second) and upload data at 14.4 Kbps.
Introduction
GPRS was introduced in 2000 as part of the plan to upgrade the existing 2G (second generation) GSM system to 3G. When GPRS was introduced, 2G became popularly known as 2.5G. GPRS takes advantage of the unused existing bandwidth in a 2G network to set up a data network.
Advantages
GPRS provides an always-on data transmission network. Prior to the introduction of GPRS, the 2G network operated with TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), switching calls and data between two frequencies (900MHz and 1.8GHz). The maximum data transmission speed with TDMA was 9.6 Kpbs. With a Class A GPRS device, data and voice transmission can take place concurrently. Most GPRS devices are Class B, meaning they switch between data and voice automatically, but the two cannot happen at the same time; however, the two are always on. There is also a Class C GPRS classification, which requires manually switching between data and voice.
Protocols
GPRS works with the standard TCP/IP Internet protocol. GPRS also works with Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and point-to-point protocol (PPP). GPRS uses Access Point Names (APN), however, so that the device is assigned a name on the network. That means that its IP address is not viewable.
Billing
GPRS is packet based data transmission, so companies can bill based on the amount of data sent and received, just like standard Internet service. With 2G data transmission, billing was based on the time spent sending and receiving data.
Use
Though GPRS was the first upgrade in the move to 3G, most networks have since moved to EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) as 3G has evolved. EDGE is four times as efficient as GPRS, and provides for maximum data transfer rates of 384 Kbps, far surpassing the theoretical maximum of GPRS, which is 114 Kbps.
Tags: data transmission, data voice, between data, between data voice, Class GPRS