GSM GPRS Standards overview

GSM/GPRS standards encompass a wide range of functionality and performance.

Three Terminal Classes:

Class A:	GSM and GPRS simultaneously.
Class B:	Simultaneous registration for GPRS and GSM service but only one mode in operation at any one time.
Class C:	GSM or GPRS, manually switched.

Two Multi-slot types:

Type 1:	Classes 1 to 12. Up to 5 active slots per frame, comprising up to 4 Tx or 4 Rx
	Classes 19 to 29. Up to 8 active slots in half-mode duplex (i.e. Rx or Tx only).
Type 2:	Classes 13 to 18. More than 5 active slots per frame.

The range of data rates is substantial. Those of primary interest today being: GPRS up to 53.6kbps, GSM (circuit switched) 14.4kbps, GSM High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD) 53.6kbps (Coding Scheme 2) and 85.6kbps (Coding Scheme 4).

At Wireless Integrated we are currently focusing on Class B and Multi-slot up to Class 12 - in line with the medium term capabilities of deployed Networks and viable terminal economics.

EDGE (Enhanced Data rate for GSM Evolution) offers further throughput improvement for GSM by adopting 8-PSK modulation in place of GMSK, thereby taking peak data rates to 384kbps. A primary impact on Base-station and Terminal implementations is the need for Linear RF amplification - an area in which Wireless Integrated has considerable experience.