GPRS is a value added service and it provides a wide range of bandwidth that’s why it supports numerous high bandwidth services like video conferencing etc. GPRS services are billed on the per KB/s data transfer basis.
There are some limitations, deployment and operational issues that are related to the quality of service, handset availability, network optimization and charging of service. General Packet Radio Service is supported by the point to point protocol, internet protocol and X.25 connections.
GPRS users are referred to as “always connected” because no prior connection establishing is required such as dialing up a modem etc. A larger number of the subscribed users share the same radio resources and high bandwidth. High data transfer speed is among the major features of the GPRS and theoretically it supports up to 171.2 Kb/s by using all the eight time slots at the same time and it make it relatively less costly as compared to the circuit switched networks. The data packets are splitted into the smaller related packets that are reunited at the receiving end.
It also supports the new applications that were not supported by the circuit switched network due to the speed limitations.
GPRS Requirements
To use the GPRS connection you need the following things.
- GSM enabled mobile phone
- Subscription to the mobile network that supports GSM/GPRS.
Supported Applications
Following are some of the major applications that are supported by the General Packet Radio Service.
- Web browsing
- Moving Images
- Simple Messaging Service
- Files Sharing
- Vehicle positioning
- Home Automation
- Remote LAN access
- Emails
- Vehicle Positioning
Benefits of GPRS Technology
- It supports the minimal upgrade to the existing GSM network.
- It supports the larger messages length as compared to the SMS.
- It supports the VPN and corporate sites access through internet.
- It supports the packet based air interface over the existing circuit switched GSM network.
- It supports high speed data transfer in an “always connected” mode.
If want to connect your computer with the GPRS mobile phone then you can do this by the following methods.
- Bluetooth
- Infrared
- Data Cable
GPRS is a commonly used mobile communication technology for almost all mobile phones in all over the world. It is instantly available and relatively less costly mobile communication service.