The acronym GPRS stands for General Packet Radio Service. GPRS technology was been developed by European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). It was first launched commercially in the UK by O2 on 18th May, 2001.
It is a new non-voice value added service that allows information to be sent and received across a mobile telephone network in the form of packets. Using Packet switched technology, these packets can be sent in different directions to reach the same destination, just like the internet. That‘s why it is an “always on" connection.
Theoretically maximum speed of up to 171.2 kilobits per second (kbps) is possible by using all eight timeslots simultaneously which is typically 2 to 3 times faster than normal GSM data rates which works on circuit-switching technology.
For the GPRS service access, users specifically need the following:
Advantages of GPRS:
Internet Browsing: Mobile internet browsing is better suited to GPRS because of its high speed as compared to using circuit switched Data for internet browsing.
Simultaneous access to voice call & internet data: Because the GPRS network works in parallel of the GSM network so we can accept a voice call without interrupting a GPRS Mobile Internet session which was otherwise not possible with standard GSM.
File Transfer: With GPRS technology any form of downloading of sizeable data can be done.
Vehicle Positioning: Anyone with a GPS receiver can receive their satellite position and thereby find out where they are. Vehicle positioning applications can be useful to locate a stolen or lost vehicle. GPRS could be alternatively used for this service.
Home Automation: Control your household appliances when you are away from them. Using GPRS compatible phones, you can just not see or listen to the remote things but can also do things sitting away from them. GPRS compatible mobile phones can work as remote control device to perform many tasks like On/OFF functions. A key enabler for home automation applications will be Bluetooth for enabling communication among different household appliances.
Limitations of GPRS:
Speeds much lower in reality: Achieving the theoretical maximum speed of 172.2 kbps require a user to use all eight time slots without any error protection which is unlikely. Hence the practical speed offered by GPRS if much lower than the maximum theoretical value.
New GPRS compatible handsets required: GPRS requires GPRS compatible handsets, hence new handsets are required as most of the present GSM handsets are not GPRS compatible.
Transit Delays: Due to Packet switched technology deployed in GPRS, some of the packets may be lost or corrupted. These packets need to be retransmitted which result in potential transit delay.
FUTURE OF GPRS:
The potential of GPRS is immense and is considered to be a step towards high speed technologies like EDGE (Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution) and UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication Service), the next generation (3G) of mobile technology.
Audio/Video: Over time, the nature and form of mobile communication is getting less textual and more audio-visual. Videoconferencing applications, watching cricket videos or movie trailers, announcements and much more in the original form can be done on the GPRS mobile phones. These audio-video clips can also be exchanged among mobile users with the help of MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) which is considered as the big brother of SMS (Short Message Service).
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