Modern technologies allow many things that were unthinkable a few decades ago. WCDMA is a communication format that has become a full-fledged GSM receiver.

Thanks to WCDMA, it has become possible in many countries to transmit a large amount of information over cellular networks. Max speed transfer reaches two megabits per second. That is, a musical composition of medium duration will be downloaded in 20 seconds.

In the Republic of Ukraine, GSM-standard networks are still widely used. In the line of generations, it can be classified as 2.5G. The maximum data transfer rate does not exceed 18 KB per second.

The main difference between the outdated standard and the relatively new one is the allocation of high priority to the voice. That is, only what remains of 18 KB is allocated for the Internet and MMS.

Chinese manufacturers of modern gadgets widely use the WCDMA standard in their products. For example, all Chinese iPhone can work without problems in 3G networks.

LTE continues to march around the world today. Most of the post-Soviet republics already have this technology. Almost all modern branded gadgets are equipped with it.

The output speed of mobile gadgets today is comparable to the broadband Internet, which has a fixed access point (home personal computer).

It should also be noted that the segment of wearable electronics (smart watches, smart glasses) is actively developing. Experts predict an increase in production in the aforementioned IT sector by 2.5 times by next year.

Naturally, the WCDMA format will only affect smart watches, which will be able to both make and receive calls without communication with a smartphone.

In fact, such devices already exist today (including their cheap Chinese clones). However, the problem is that they cannot yet be compact enough.

Modern phones support several communication standards, between which users can switch independently.

The most popular data transmission technologies are GSM and WCDMA. They are designed for making voice calls and network connection. Despite the same capabilities, the technologies under consideration differ in quality and speed.

GSM mode

By choosing in the phone settings, the user turns on the main communication standard supported by cellular operators. It belongs to the second generation and handles voice calls well. An additional advantage is the wide coverage - almost everywhere you can catch the signal of the operator, even in remote settlements. Moreover, the phone will work much longer than with WCDMA enabled.

Disadvantage of GSM - low speed the Internet. When selected, the information transfer rate will fluctuate around 171 kilobits per second. If the user turns it on, it will be possible to reach speeds of up to 474 kilobits. This indicator is only suitable for viewing optimized sites - you can find out the weather or news, read informational articles, verify email or chat on messenger. Download big file or watch streaming video will not work.

To use the "WCDMA only" mode, you need to open the smartphone settings and select the appropriate item. The phone will automatically connect to the 3G network shortly. It allows you to make voice calls and use the Internet at good speed. Usually, the data transfer rate reaches 3 Mbps, but for this it is recommended to provide ideal conditions - go out into the open to avoid obstacles between the smartphone and the operator's repeater.

WCDMA mode is ideal for users mobile internet. It allows you to freely view streaming video and quickly download even "heavy" sites. It is important to consider - the third generation of communication drains the phone's battery faster and is even capable of heating the case (compared to 2G).

GSM / WCDMA mode

In some cities cellular operators provide two types of communication, however, the third generation is characterized by unstable operation, and the connection may be intermittently interrupted. To fix the problem, select in the phone settings auto mode. The unit will connect to the WCDMA network when it detects an appropriate signal. The rest of the time the phone will work in GSM mode.

Note that on this moment 4G Internet works well in most Russian cities, so it makes no sense to understand communication standards and settings.

In phones recent years The release provides for many functions, including the ability to use different communication standards.

Not all users mobile phones have a fairly good knowledge of what communication standards they use to connect with other subscribers. Most telecom consumers will need this information only when they have to choose a new phone.

An impressive list of options and characteristics is replete with many mysterious designations and abbreviations, the meaning of which is either hard to guess, or completely remains a secret with seven seals. What lies behind the CDMA and WCDMA letter ciphers, what are they used for and is it possible to do without them today?

What is CDMA in a phone?

As you know, there are several different standards for data transmission in mobile communications. It has become a generally accepted standard for our country and European countries, however, as an alternative for it, back in the 90s, the CDMA standard, or Code Division Multiple Access (code division multiple access technology), was proposed.

If in GSM communications digitized information packets are separated in time, then the CDMA standard uses not only time, but also coded separation. Voice packets are encoded in one way, subscriber personal data packets are encoded in another way, and the Internet connection uses a third way of encoding. Thanks to this, all data can be transmitted simultaneously without interfering with each other.


If the phone has not only GSM, but also CDMA, this means that you have a dual-standard phone that can work in networks with different signal coding principles. In fact, CDMA is a higher quality, higher speed and more reliable standard. The adoption of GSM communications as the main standard for European countries is considered by many experts to be a serious mistake.

What is WCDMA in a phone?

Another communication standard that is widely used today in building 3G networks is WCDMA. This abbreviation stands for Wideband Code Division Multiple Access, i.e. wideband CDMA standard.

As the name implies, WCDMA is a variant of the CDMA standard using broadband communication access. It is the main one for mobile operators Japan, thanks to which in this country, earlier than others, it appeared and became publicly available wireless Internet.

Today, on the principle of WCDMA, construction is being carried out that provide high speed and reliability of data exchange (on short distances up to 2 Mbps, at a considerable distance from base stations– up to 384 Kbps).


WCDMA uses broadband access, the range of which is 5 MHz. WCDMA technology has significantly wider capabilities compared to the GSM standard: it allows you to simultaneously transmit voice, video and packets digital information.

One of the advantages of WCDMA is the lack of binding to a specific territorial location of base stations. Using this standard, you do not notice that you are moving from one zone to another while driving - for example, when traveling by car or on a train. You can even cross the border between countries, but this will not affect the received signal.

Most modern phones the use of the WCDMA standard is provided, which provides high-quality, fast and reliable wireless Internet and other services wireless communication, including conventional mobile telephony.

Do you need CDMA and WCDMA in your phone today?

The CDMA standard is still used for some wireless networks operating in Russia - the most famous of them is SkyLink. CDMA is extremely common in China, where it is used almost on a par with GSM.


Many operators in various countries of the world have already made sure of its reliability and prospects. As for WCDMA, it is already used in Russia to provide 3G communication services. Therefore, when choosing a new phone, be sure to look for a mention of the presence of the WCDMA standard in its characteristics.

These abbreviations appear in the lists default settings mobile phones. "Advanced" models of communication devices offer an independent choice by the user of one of them (or a mode where the device automatically selects between them). To establish an acceptable, best of the three modes, you need to know what GSM is, what unites / differs from WCDMA.

GSM and WCDMA related cellular communication, these are a certain kind of standards that set the parameters of its functioning. They are used by operators to transfer data (of various kinds) between cellular devices. These standards represent different generations(second and third) cellular, digital communications. The main difference between these standards - the type of communication - lay down in the description of the communication generations used by cellular devices: 1G is analog communication, the 2G standard represents digital communications, 3G is a broadband digital connection.

What is GSM?

The name of the GSM standard can be referred to as an abbreviation. Although the name of the group on which it is based - Groupe Spécial Mobile - has already been transformed into the Global System for Mobile Communications. This standard is used globally, being in fact the first example of digital cellular communication (and not similar to analog in cellular devices, like 1G).


The GSM standard was released by the 90s by the European Institute ETSI, which is engaged in the development of telecommunication standardization. It is based on the principles of TDMA channel separation, encryption with public key, ensure the security of communication and transmission of digital data of a high degree.

The GSM standard is characterized by the services provided to users of cellular devices:

Data exchange(synchronous and asynchronous), including packet data transfer, called GPRS.
Information transfer as:

• Speeches.
• Text messages.
• Fax.

It also implies the following functions (optional):

• Determination of the number from which a call is received to the cellular device.
• Call forwarding (conditional and/or unconditional) to another number.
• Hold in standby mode.
• A conference call that connects multiple cellular devices.

What is WCDMA?

Relating to the third generation of cellular (used by mobile devices) communication, the WCDMA standard was originally developed as an add-on that improves the GSM standard, the 2G generation. It was based on as many as seven international projects. It is based on DS-CDMA, a special channel separation technology that is more noise-resistant and has increased bandwidth.

A cellular device, using the WCDMA standard, performs identical functions for transmitting voice, digital information. The speed and quality (mainly data transfer, not voice) is higher. Therefore, WCDMA, the so-called 3G connection, has the greatest impact on the operation of the device on the Internet.

What are the differences between the standards?

Differences are due to the previously mentioned channel separation method, use of the frequency resource. The GSM standard assumes time division of channels. This happens as the allocation to the subscriber of a small frequency band for a certain time period.

The standard of the third generation - WCDMA - uses code division of the information stream. In this case, various kinds of information between cellular devices is transmitted over a wide frequency band. This explains the name of this standard - Wideband Code Division Multiple Access(that is, access is wide and multiple, with a characteristic code division).

For the average user, the benefits of choosing WCDMA will be:

• Less interference when talking.
• Great internet speed.

But at the same time, GSM is still more common. This is explained by the large, stable network coverage. Many settlements and uninhabited areas are not within WCDMA coverage. In addition, many phones released earlier are “not configured” to work in this standard connections.

Also, the choice of a certain cellular standard will definitely entail changes in power consumption. mobile device. In GSM mode, the performance of the communication facility is much longer than in WCDMA.

When to choose which standard?

If the phone provides self installation mode of operation in a certain standard, then you need to start from the choice of needs. Relatively speaking, GSM is for constant, guaranteed communication without "frills" and additions in the form of Internet surfing and video calls. WCDMA has a plus - fast internet. Automatic selection by yourself cell phone one of them combines the advantages of both, but "eats" a lot of phone charge.