A 2G digital cellular technology, cdmaOne (IS-95) was developed by Qualcomm and later adopted as a standard by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). It uses code-division multiple access (CDMA), a multiple access scheme for digital radio, to enable multiple radios to share the same frequencies. Unlike time-division multiple access (TDMA), CDMA permits all radios to be active simultaneously, as network capacity does not directly limit the number of active radios.
How CDMA Works
CDMA transmits streams of bits (PN codes) to send voice, data, and signaling data (such as a dialed telephone number) between mobile telephones and cell sites. This allows larger numbers of phones to be served by smaller numbers of cell sites, enhancing network efficiency.
Advantages of CDMA
- Simultaneous Activity: All radios can be active at the same time, unlike TDMA.
- Efficiency: Network capacity does not directly limit the number of active radios.
- Scalability: Fewer cell sites are needed to serve more phones, making it cost-effective.