GSM Going Away and SMS over GPRS - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: ludzinc
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 04, 2015, 09:46:21 pm
content: Hi All,It came as a bit of a surprise to me, but here in Oz the GSM (2G) network is going to go away at the end of 2016.http://exchange.telstra.com.au/2014/07/23/its-time-to-say-goodbye-old-friend/Now this probably wont affect any mobile phone owners, but to those of us who've tinkered with sending SMS messages via a SIM900 module, the fun is about to end.I've done a bit of googling, and wiki tells me that SMS can be sent over GPRS, and the SIM900 datasheet alludes to this as well (SIM900 supports GSM and GPRS), but I'm not sure of how.I *think* to send SMS over GPRS you connect to an SMS server over a data connection, or something like that, but can't find any info on this.Can anyone shed some light on this?Thanks,Simon

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2015, 10:27:28 pm
content: I may be corrected on this - but 'GSM' is not going away - just the 'original' AU frequencies/channels are being reassigned to other activities.In my understanding - GPRS is more-or-less 'data over GSM'... 3G and 4G are simply marketing names for more advanced modulation schemes on various frequencies that have been opened up over the years (including the older channels?) - allowing higher data rates, more endpoints, and coverage etc.

author: Wilksey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2015, 03:12:30 am
content: Here in the UK 2G is becoming less frequent, they are re-farming frequencies for 4G, although there are still a fair few areas that do not have 3G.CSD (Circuit Switched Data) is also "Data over GSM", just in "dial up" form.GPRS is packet based data.3G is based on GSM standards, 90% of 3G devices can fall back to 2G, as can 4G.I don't know how SMS's are sent, but given that most phones have quad or penta band antennas in them, I can't imagine that 2G will pale into insignificance, if SMS doesn't work there will be a *lot* of pissed off people! Especially as commercially they are key to (ours anyway) getting status reports from sensors and equipment, we also have a lot of remote reboot devices that utilise SMS.

author: abyrvalg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2015, 08:27:55 am
content: Think of GSM as a communication protocol. If the band will be reallocated for something other (i.e. LTE) then yes, all GSM-only equipment like SIM900 will stop working (there were will be no GPRS also - it is an extension to GSM protocol) and must be replaced with something UMTS-capable. No matter that some other network type will run in the same band - it will speak the protocol that your current equipment doesn't understand.

author: bookaboo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2015, 08:36:25 am
content: Is there any firm information regarding this for the EU? We have loads of units with SIM900 out there and it would be a major worry even if it was years down the line. Thinking about it.... it could cause havoc, lots of infrastructure is GSM integrated, I doubt they could pull the rug on it quickly.

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2015, 08:45:30 am
content: A couple of links - as this thread started me thinking...http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/03/help-key-3g-4g-hspa-lte-wimax-what-do-they-mean-to-you/http://www.etsi.org/technologies-clusters/technologies/mobile/gsmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSMSo the endgame is -YES, GSM as it is knownisgoing away, but those same core technologies have evolved into newer backwardsincompatibleschemes that are being reassigned to the same spectrum (and other bands) as they're released from TV, mobile comms and other older 1G/2G services.There was never any suggestion thatoldGSM/CDMA/GPRS type devices could coexist on the new networks unless there was a distinct 'parallel universe' in place, but it seems to be a complete break from the ETSI/GSM standards body - as the technology has matured from a Euro-centric development to a truly 'global' standard - light years away from the original offerings.I'd guess that due to the sheer number of GSM handsets - we'll see network support slowly begin to disappear in about 5 years as the cell equipment becomes too expensive to maintain.An interesting discussion - and I've learned more than I needed!

author: Quark-elec
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2015, 02:37:53 pm
content: See this module, it simply send command and receive the status message through SMS.http://www.quark-elec.com/product/html/22.html

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2015, 05:26:16 pm
content: If they turn off GSM where I live they will turn off the whole phone system as GPRS coverage is so bad in the area that every thing reverts to GSM that is if there is a signal at all, so many black holes here in Norfolk that mobile phones are hit and miss.