Board logo

subject: Choosing a new cell phone based on the coverage type in your area [print this page]


Choosing a new cell phone based on the coverage type in your area

Choosing a new cell phone based on the coverage type in your area

There are two different types of coverage in the United States of America: Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). Both of these transmission types allow you to transmit both voice and data across a network however the two are mutually incompatible, which essentially means you cannot use a CDMA phone in a predominantly GSM coverage area. As such, and all things considered, you choice of cell phone should always be based on the coverage in your area the last thing you want to do is buy a cell phone only to realise that it cannot be used for the purpose in which it was intended.

The majority of the major cell phone carriers are split between the two wireless technologies with the two major providers in the USA, Verizon wireless and AT&T offering GSM and CDMA respectively. The advantage to using Verizon Wireless then is that CDMA coverage in the United States is very strong, there is very good coverage up and down the country and particularly in rural areas. The flipside however is that if you do a lot of travelling, GSM is more widely accepted in other parts of the world, particularly in Europe. The other benefit to using GSM is that you can use a conventional sim card, which makes changing to a new cell phone a lot simpler than it would otherwise be without a sim. You are also likely to benefit from a great choice of cell phone handsets if you choose a GSM provider.

The best option then before buying a cell phone is to evaluate the state of coverage in your area and your own personal circumstances. Some GSM phones are able to accommodate CDMA, so it's also worth checking this with your handset provider prior to purchasing. You can check the state of coverage in your area by searching for a service such as root wireless and needless to say, this should form the basis of your decision of cell phone. All things considered, GSM is certainly the better option if you plan on travelling around a lot more and want to take your cell phone with you.




welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net) Powered by Discuz! 5.5.0   (php7, mysql8 recode on 2018)