what does gprs technology stand for on a mobile phone?

Answer 1

Hi there:
There were 3 answers at the time I looked at your question,
2 of which were dead wrong, and the third just gave the
technical name with no explanation !
You could use DOGPILE.COM to search Cell GPRS, and
a great source is wikipedia.com, at the link :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Packet_Radio_Service

In plain English, as the amount of data that was being SENT TO Cell phones increased, the analog waves ( typical FM radio or TV type waves ) could not keep up. In the early phones, ( Generation
One, later Generation 2, 2.5, 3, 3.x etc, generally called G1, G2, G2.5, G3 etc. ) all you could do was TALK. The number of cell phones started to increase, so that ( and I have been there ) if you had a convention or large gathering, say of 200 or 300 people in one location, you could simply not use your cell phone - it is like having 13 channels on your TV, all being " used", and being the 14th person to try to connect....

--- GPRS ---

Many Cellphone users confuse GPRS with GPS ( Global Posistioning Satellite)
mapping system, which it is NOT related to.
GPRS is GENERAL PACKET RADIO SERVICE, a way of using short bursts
or packets of data, over the wireless cellphone network.
This allows you to stay on the internet on your cell, with faster
download times from the cell towers. The WAP messaging, downloading games,
downloading JAVA applications, and TEXT Messaging use GPRS.

OK, thats the technical description, which is not too complex - The older analog system of FM radio waves was replaced ( and there is talk of dismantling the towers in 2008 ! -- bad idea ) with bursts of DIGITAL square waves. If you listen to them, you hear a buzz saw type of noise, rather than musical notes. These digital waves are send in high frequency BURSTS or packets, and can carry new features, such as Text messages, web pages, Videos, Pictures, and programming downloads. Your newer cell phones also are not " connected" to the cell Network when they are in the "ON" mode- When turned " ON " they search for a tower, and send a burst of sign in information and stop. Every so many minutes, they send another burst, to see if the tower is still active, and to search for other connections. This periodic " burst " of GPRS saves a LOT of power on the batteries, since most of the time, the phone is really " OFF ", not " ON " at all.
If you have ordinary Computer speakers, turn your cell phone off, and put it as close as possible to the speaker with the controls and amplifier. Turn it on. You will hear a buzz saw pulse, which will stop. If you leave the phone there, every 5 or 10 minutes or so, you will hear another burst of jagged sound, as the phone re-establishes its connection. If you CALL your cell from a home phone, BEFORE your cell phone rings, you will hear the sound of the TOWER and Cell communicating, and then, the Cell will ring.

The ADVANTAGE of the " old" analog, FM type phones, is that the signal travels 10 times further, so that in RURAL areas, or on long trips between cities, the GPRS and other new high frequency DIGITAL Cell phones all die, VERY quickly. The high frequency means MORE Power needed to sustain the signal, and the range is decreased. I can be 5 miles out of town and loose all Digital Cell communication, but the old analog phones will work 40 to 60 miles away if the terrain is not too hilly. Thus on a long trip, analog is the way to go. In Urban areas, of course, if you want Videos, and Texting and Web, etc., you are fine with Digital, and GPRS, and similar technologies.

A typical phone with GPRS and the features of GPRS and settings and comparisons, can be found at:

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/roadwarriorcontent/nokia3650review.htm

This article reviews many related issues that you should find informative.

ANOTHER article from a user of GPRS in South Africa tells more information on the day to day uses of GPRS, and the pluses and minuses that are NOT typically mentioned, at:

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/roadwarriorcontent/nokia3650review.htm

GSM, the system that has 80 % of the world's cell phone market, is the system in 214 countries, that USES GPRS, and EDGE, and you can read about how GPRS fits into the overall GSM world cellular picture at:


http://www.gsmworld.com/technology/gsm.shtml


Hope this information clears up the terminology.

robin

Answer 2

General Packet Radio Service.

Answer 3

It stands for General Packet Radio Service.
It's kind of like TCP/IP on your mobile. It's used for stuff which is not fussy about time lag like email or data services.

Cheers.

Answer 4

Global positioning radar system

Answer 5

ground positioning radar system ,,,,i think !!