So much confusion. Review on GSM Mobile Technology Vs CDMA Mobile Technology

We are in the age of mobile communication. Everybody wants a mobile phone, and if Reliance has its way, soon everyone will. But what the hell. when you go to buy a Hutch or Airtell connection, they don't tell you to buy the instrument with it. But when you go to get a Reliance one, then the instrument has to be bought, even if you don't like it.

Why? Because companies like Airtel, Hutch, Cellone, etc. use GSM technology whereas Reliance and Tata use CDMA. So what's the difference?

GSM technology imparts a greater range for it's signal. In short, they don't need so many towers to cover a city or town with the signal. CDMA, on the other hand, can transmit signals over fairly short distances only. Therefore they need more towers to catch the signal.

With GSM technology, all power is in the chip. So if you have to upgrade the capacity, the chip has to change. In CDMA, the tower and the server is upgraded. Since the chip is embedded in the phone, you cannot take it out. So the upgrades are done by the company. With CDMA, getting online onto the internet is much easier because the phone instruments are made like that. Slowly, GSM is catching up on the internet front but the instruments are much more expensive.

All this happens because of the inherent difference in the way signals are transmitted and received. CDMA is used to cover short distances, whereas GSM can cover long distances. So it is upto the company to decide what it wants to use, and up to you whether you want freedom to choose your phone or take what is offered.