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General Packet Radio Service

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Mobile telecommunications

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), also called 2.5G,[a] is a mobile data standard on the 2G cellular communication network's global system for mobile communications (GSM).[1] Networks and mobile devices with GPRS started to roll out around the year 2001.[2] At the time of introduction it offered for the first time[b] seamless mobile data transmission using packet data for an "always-on" connection (eliminating the need to "dial-up"),[3] providing improved Internet access for web, email, WAP services, and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS).[4]

GPRS provides theoretical data rates of 56–114 kbit/s -[5] faster than the older CSD - and uses unused time-division multiple access (TDMA) channels in the GSM system for efficiency. GPRS is a best-effort service, implying variable throughput and latency that depend on the number of other users sharing the service concurrently, as opposed to circuit switching, where a certain quality of service (QoS) is guaranteed during the connection. Unlike older circuit switching data, GPRS was sold according to the total volume of data transferred instead of time spent online,[6] which is now standard. GPRS was succeeded by EDGE (2.75G) which provided improved performance.

Sony Ericsson K310a showing Wikipedia homepage via internet using a GPRS connection

GPRS was established by European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in response to the earlier CDPD and i-mode packet-switched cellular technologies and is integrated into GSM Release 97 and newer releases. It is now maintained by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).[7][8]

Technical overview

See also: GPRS Core Network

The GPRS core network allows 2G, 3G and WCDMA mobile networks to transmit IP packets to external networks such as the Internet. The GPRS system is an integrated part of the GSM network switching subsystem.[9][10][11]

Services offered

GPRS extends the GSM Packet circuit switched data capabilities and makes the following services possible:

  • SMS messaging and broadcasting
  • "Always on" internet access
  • Multimedia messaging service (MMS)
  • Push-to-talk over cellular (PoC)
  • Instant messaging and presence—wireless village
  • Internet applications for smart devices through wireless application protocol (WAP)
  • Point-to-point (P2P) service: inter-networking with the Internet (IP)
  • Point-to-multipoint (P2M) service: point-to-multipoint multicast and point-to-multipoint group calls

If SMS over GPRS is used, an SMS transmission speed of about 30 SMS messages per minute may be achieved. This is much faster than using the ordinary SMS over GSM, whose SMS transmission speed is about 6 to 10 SMS messages per minute.

Frequencies

As the GPRS standard is an extension of GSM capabilities, the service operates on the 2G and 3G cellular communication GSM frequencies.[10][12] GPRS devices can typically use (one or more) of the frequencies within one of the frequency bands the radio supports (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz). Depending on the device, location and intended use, regulations may be imposed either restricting or explicitly specifying authorised frequency bands.[12][13][14]

GSM-850 and GSM-1900 are used in the United States, Canada, and many other countries in the Americas. GSM-900 and GSM-1800 are used in: Europe, Middle East, Africa and most of Asia. In South Americas these bands are used in Costa Rica (GSM-1800), Brazil (GSM-850, 900 and 1800), Guatemala (GSM-850, GSM-900 and 1900), El Salvador (GSM-850, GSM-900 and 1900). There is a more comprehensive record of international cellular service frequency assignments

Protocols supported

GPRS supports the following protocols:

  • Internet Protocol (IP). In practice, built-in mobile browsers use IPv4 before IPv6 is widespread.
  • Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) is typically not supported by mobile phone operators but if a cellular phone is used as a modem for a connected computer, PPP may be used to tunnel IP to the phone. This allows an IP address to be dynamically assigned (using IPCP rather than DHCP) to the mobile equipment.
  • X.25 connections are typically used for applications like wireless payment terminals, although it has been removed from the standard. X.25 can still be supported over PPP, or even over IP, but this requires either a network-based router to perform encapsulation or software built into the end-device/terminal; e.g., user equipment (UE).

When TCP/IP is used, each phone can have one or more IP addresses allocated. GPRS will store and forward the IP packets to the phone even during handover. The TCP restores any packets lost (e.g. due to a radio noise induced pause).

Hardware

Devices supporting GPRS are grouped into three classes:

Class A
Can be connected to GPRS service and GSM service (voice, SMS) simultaneously. Such devices are now available[as of?].
Class B
Can be connected to GPRS service and GSM service (voice, SMS), but using only one at a time. During GSM service (voice call or SMS), GPRS service is suspended and resumed automatically after the GSM service (voice call or SMS) has concluded. Most GPRS mobile devices are Class B.
Class C
Are connected to either GPRS service or GSM service (voice, SMS) and must be switched manually between one service and the other.

Because a Class A device must service GPRS and GSM networks together, it effectively needs two radios. To avoid this hardware requirement, a GPRS mobile device may implement the dual transfer mode (DTM) feature. A DTM-capable mobile can handle both GSM packets and GPRS packets with network coordination to ensure both types are not transmitted at the same time. Such devices are considered pseudo-Class A, sometimes referred to as "simple class A". Some networks have supported DTM since 2007[citation needed].

Huawei E220 3G/GPRS Modem

USB 3G/GPRS modems have a terminal-like interface over USB with V.42bis, and RFC 1144 data formats. Some models include an external antenna connector. Modem cards for laptop PCs, or external USB modems are available, similar in shape and size to a computer mouse, or a pendrive.

Addressing

A GPRS connection is established by reference to its access point name (APN). The APN defines the services such as wireless application protocol (WAP) access, short message service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), and for Internet communication services such as email and World Wide Web access.

In order to set up a GPRS connection for a wireless modem, a user must specify an APN, optionally a user name and password, and very rarely an IP address, provided by the network operator.

GPRS modems and modules

GSM module or GPRS modules are similar to modems, but there's one difference: the modem is an external piece of equipment, whereas the GSM module or GPRS module can be integrated within an electrical or electronic equipment. It is an embedded piece of hardware. A GSM mobile, on the other hand, is a complete embedded system in itself. It comes with embedded processors dedicated to provide a functional interface between the user and the mobile network.


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  1. ^ "Is General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) 2G, 3G or 4G? – Commsbrief". Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  2. ^ "Q&A: GPRS phones". 2001-05-18. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  3. ^ "Industry's mobile hopes". 2001-03-23. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  4. ^ "Q&A: GPRS phones". 2001-05-18. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  5. ^ "General packet radio service from Qkport". Archived from the original on 2010-01-28. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
  6. ^ "BBC - Bristol - Digital Future - WAP gets a rocket". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  7. ^ "Welcome to the World of Standards!". ETSI.
  8. ^ "3GPP – The Mobile Broadband Standard". 3GPP.
  9. ^ "What Is GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)? Meaning, Working, Advantages, and Applications". Spiceworks. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  10. ^ a b Sandeep Bhandari (2021-09-17). "Difference Between GSM and GPRS". askanydifference.com. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  11. ^ "4G vs GPRS: What is the difference between 4G LTE and GPRS?". Commsbrief. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  12. ^ a b "Ofcom UK Frequency Allocation (UKFAT) Page". static.ofcom.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  13. ^ "What frequency does the data traffic use in GPRS?". Honeywell AIDC. Honeywell. 2014-10-07. Archived from the original on 2023-05-01. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  14. ^ "Mobile Spectrum Assignments by Country". CellMapper Wiki. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
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