Technical Overview:
– GPRS core network enables IP packet transmission in 2G, 3G, and WCDMA mobile networks.
– Integrated into the GSM network switching subsystem.
– Data rates range from 56–114kbit/s in 2G systems.
– Positioned between 2G and 3G mobile telephony.
– Developed by ETSI and maintained by 3GPP.
Services and Applications:
– Extends GSM Packet circuit switched data capabilities.
– Supports SMS messaging, always-on internet access, MMS, and PoC.
– Enables instant messaging, presence, and internet applications through WAP.
– Supports P2P and P2M services.
– Faster SMS transmission speed compared to GSM.
Frequency and Band Usage:
– Operates on 2G and 3G GSM frequencies.
– Utilizes bands like 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz.
– Band allocation varies globally, with specific bands in different regions.
– Common bands in the Americas are GSM-850 and GSM-1900, while Europe, Middle East, Africa, and most of Asia use GSM-900 and GSM-1800.
Protocols and Hardware:
– Supports IP, PPP, and X.25 connections.
– Stores and forwards IP packets during handover.
– Classifies devices into Class A, B, and C.
– Implements channel encoding with coding schemes CS-1 to CS-4.
– Utilizes Multislot classes for data transfer speed.
History and Advancements:
– Introduced in 2000 for packet-switched data in GSM networks.
– Roots trace back to CELLPAC Voice & Data functions.
– Inventors credited as Bernhard Walke and Peter Decker.
– Enhanced by EDGE technology for faster data transmission.
– Evolved EDGE offers peak bit-rates up to 1 Mbit/s.
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), also called 2.5G, is a packet oriented mobile data standard on the 2G cellular communication network's global system for mobile communications (GSM). GPRS was established by European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in response to the earlier CDPD and i-mode packet-switched cellular technologies. It is now maintained by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
GPRS is typically sold according to the total volume of data transferred during the billing cycle, in contrast with circuit switched data, which is usually billed per minute of connection time, or sometimes by one-third minute increments. Usage above the GPRS bundled data cap may be charged per MB of data, speed limited, or disallowed.
GPRS is a best-effort service, implying variable throughput and latency that depend on the number of other users sharing the service concurrently, as opposed to circuit switching, where a certain quality of service (QoS) is guaranteed during the connection. In 2G systems, GPRS provides data rates of 56–114 kbit/s. 2G cellular technology combined with GPRS is sometimes described as 2.5G, that is, a technology between the second (2G) and third (3G) generations of mobile telephony. It provides moderate-speed data transfer, by using unused time-division multiple access (TDMA) channels in, for example, the GSM system. GPRS is integrated into GSM Release 97 and newer releases. Mobile devices with GPRS started to roll out around the year 2001.
