Cell Phone and Cellular Networks

What operating system has the largest market share world wide?

Android

What cell phone provider has the largest market share?

Apple

Key components of cell phones/cell phone networks

Base stations, MTSO, and cell phone codes.

What is CDMA?

Cellular carrier most often found in the US and equally competes with GSM. 3 hrs talks time, allows more subscribers to be connected at same time, some come with SIM card.

What is GSM?

Cellular carrier, most popular worldwide (Europe, Asia, Africa), only on digital networks, 5 hr talk time & battery life, sometimes called a universal integrated circuit card.

What is MTSO?

Mobile Telephone Switching office; controls base stations; handles phone connections to landlines; moves calls from one base station to another; keeps track of cell location; compile billing info; connects tower to central office.

What has contributed to the growth of cell phones/cell phone networks?

Prepaid services with no commitment to long term contract.

Whats the issue with cell phones/networks in developing countries?

They have poor infrastructure, cost of computers, poor quality of lines, lack of consistent electricity in areas; smart phone is the only internet source for many.

How do two base stations communicate?

Through the MTSO

Ethical considerations of using a cell phone?

cell journalism w/o permission, classroom use, tracking location/geotagging, app's access to private infoand digital camera concerns.

What's a base station?

fixed receiver within a cell, communicates within cells in a mobile phone. Are connected through MTSO.

What are cell phone codes and the significance of them?

identifies the phone, owner, and service provider. Consist of ESN(Electronic serial number) that's programmed into phone (permanent), MIN (Mobile Identification Number) 10-digit number derived from phone number, programmed when activate phone, and SID (System identification code) unique number assigned to each carrier.

What are the basics of receiving a call via cell phone?

message travels through telephone network until it reaches base station close to your phone, base station sends out radio waves detected by receiver in telephone, telephone connects the signal into voice.

Problems with cell phones

non repairable parts, inability to provie 100% service, poor battery life, extreme heat can damage, and health concerns due to radio frequency (FCC gov)

What are the basics of sending a call via Cell phone?

sound is converted into electrical signal, transmitted through radio waves, traveled through air until base station is reached. Base station sends call through telephone network.

What is the technology of cell phones?

two way radio between phones and base stations; geographical area split into overlapping areas called cells (10 sq miles)

What is a registration request?

what the MTSO keeps track of in a database to identify the cell you are in when it wants to ring the phone.