CDMA frequencies in use in North America?

[Eug]

Inquiring minds want to know.

My friend wants to buy a phone overseas for use here. I seem to remember that CDMA was on 900 and 1800. Correct?

 

[NutBucket]

800 & 1900

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
800 & 1900

Correct! Actually, those are the same two bands that ALL cellular systems in the US use.

 

[Kevin]

Its used by Sprint and Verizon I believe...

 

[guyver01]

Originally posted by: Garfang

Originally posted by: NutBucket
800 & 1900

Correct! Actually, those are the same two bands that ALL cellular systems in the US use.

CDMA - Code Division Multiple Access; also known as IS-95. One of the newer digital technologies in use in Canada, the US, Australia, and some southeastern Asian countries (e.g. Hong Kong and South Korea). CDMA differs from GSM and TDMA by its use of spread spectrum techniques for transmitting voice or data over the air. Rather than dividing the radio frequency spectrum into separate user channels by frequency slices or time slots, spread spectrum technology separates users by assigning them digital codes within the same broad spectrum. Advantages of CDMA include higher user capacity and immunity from interference by other signals. Available in either 800 or 1900 MHz frequencies.

CDMA and TDMA use either 800 or 1900 MHz; iDEN uses only 800 MHz; GSM uses only the 1900 MHz spectrum in North America. GSM uses 900, 1800, and/or 1900 MHz on other continents.

iDEN - A modified TDMA technology used by Motorola. iDEN phones operate at 800 MHz and are offered by Telus Mobility in Canada and by Nextel in the US.

PCS - Personal Communication Services. PCS and cellular are sometimes interchanged. Officially, PCS is a digital cellular service in the 1900 MHz band only. In practice, some providers (e.g., Telus Mobility, Rogers) have used part of their AMPS 800 MHz allocation to offer PCS or digital cellular services.