Question to Cingular Gurus
What is the impact on the reception strength for phone sets without the 850 GSM band?
When I look at GSM world website, it seems like both 1900 and 850 GSM bands have equal coverage density in the US (especially the Midwest).
Is it a matter of lost opportunity for more coverage? Why Cingular is going the 850 route instead of continuing with 1900?
Thanks
When I look at GSM world website, it seems like both 1900 and 850 GSM bands have equal coverage density in the US (especially the Midwest).
Is it a matter of lost opportunity for more coverage? Why Cingular is going the 850 route instead of continuing with 1900?
Thanks
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There's not really any particular strategy as to 850 in one area & 1900 in another, rather, it's a matter of what spectrum has or has not been allocated in a given area. See this:
https://www.phonescoop.com/articles/aws/ »
Lots of good information about how spectrum allocation works. Ideally, there should be equal amounts of 850 & 1900 coverage, since the 850 band will provide better penetration of obstacles and the 1900 will provide clearer signal, but that's not always the case. Then there's the hundreds of other factors that influence reception, but that's a whole 'nother story. It's more complicated, but you get the idea.
Bottom line: there are places in the country where you will only have coverage on the 850 band or the 1900...
(continues)
https://www.phonescoop.com/articles/aws/ »
Lots of good information about how spectrum allocation works. Ideally, there should be equal amounts of 850 & 1900 coverage, since the 850 band will provide better penetration of obstacles and the 1900 will provide clearer signal, but that's not always the case. Then there's the hundreds of other factors that influence reception, but that's a whole 'nother story. It's more complicated, but you get the idea.
Bottom line: there are places in the country where you will only have coverage on the 850 band or the 1900...
(continues)
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All you need is an american domestic dual-band handset to take advantage of the 850/1900 MHz frequencies. Any other bands (900/1800) are just for international roaming.
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The 850 band will penetrate buildings better and travel farther but usually has static or generally sounds crappy. The 1900 band sounds great crystal clear if you can get the signal.
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From what I have been trained about 850/1900 is that 850 penetrates buildings better and 1900 travels farther. Most of cingulars market is 850. I am in the carolina market with is almost all 1900. I would advise you to not buy a handset without 850.
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Agreed. When making a call on 850 or 1900 you would never be able to tell the difference if the power (dB) of the signal was the same.
But if one knows his or her physics, the smaller wavelength (850) can penetrate obstacles better while the longer wavelength (1900) can travel farther.
But if one knows his or her physics, the smaller wavelength (850) can penetrate obstacles better while the longer wavelength (1900) can travel farther.
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Yes you are correct I was wrong about the range of 1900. I do believe the 1900 band is the reason my T-Mobile phone does not work well inside so many buildings. My Cingular phone gets a signal everywhere. Both are quad band phones.
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AshDizzle said:
Agreed. When making a call on 850 or 1900 you would never be able to tell the difference if the power (dB) of the signal was the same.
But if one knows his or her physics, the smaller wavelength (850) can penetrate obstacles better while the longer wavelength (1900) can travel farther.
850MHz IS the longer wavelength. Lower frequency = longer waves.
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switch around your wavelengths and you have it.
850 is a longer wavelength than 1900.
850 is a longer wavelength than 1900.
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Actually now that I'm thinking about it... the 850/1900 is just frequency. How do you determine the wavelength from that?
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Yes.. frequency..more waves(ie 1900) in the same timeframe means shorter wavelengths.. as wavelength is inverse to frequency..
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OK. Of course, shorter wavelengths travel farther... hence shortwave radios. I LOL'D
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Umm. No. Shortwave (3-30MHz) travels as far as it does because it's in just the right band to bounce the signal off of the ionosphere, allowing the signal to go over the horizon.
Longwave radio (148.5 to 283.5 KHz -not normally used in the US anymore, except for certain maritime applications, IIRC) can also do some neat tricks with the upper atmosphere. In their case the ionosphere acts as a waveguide.
If you were to cut the wavelength down to less than a mm (300+GHz), then your effective broadcast range becomes nil... at least in atmosphere. The atmosphere will actually absorb radio frequencies between that range and the infrared spectrum... the net effect being akin to trying to spit through concrete.
Meanwhile, the US Navy's ELF ...
(continues)
Longwave radio (148.5 to 283.5 KHz -not normally used in the US anymore, except for certain maritime applications, IIRC) can also do some neat tricks with the upper atmosphere. In their case the ionosphere acts as a waveguide.
If you were to cut the wavelength down to less than a mm (300+GHz), then your effective broadcast range becomes nil... at least in atmosphere. The atmosphere will actually absorb radio frequencies between that range and the infrared spectrum... the net effect being akin to trying to spit through concrete.
Meanwhile, the US Navy's ELF ...
(continues)
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The FCC determines who gets to use what frequency. It's different based on what market they are in.
So some markets, they own more 850 and some markets they own more 1900. It's not something they can decide. Now in markets where they have both, they can choose to allocate 850 to GSM and 1900 to UMTS or whatever they do based on whatever it is that determines their decision (Sorry if anyone knows more about this, please post and educate me!)
So some markets, they own more 850 and some markets they own more 1900. It's not something they can decide. Now in markets where they have both, they can choose to allocate 850 to GSM and 1900 to UMTS or whatever they do based on whatever it is that determines their decision (Sorry if anyone knows more about this, please post and educate me!)
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That's a start. Yeah, what it amounts to is that those 850MHz licenses are still out there, and spectrum is a limited commodity. Cingular used 850MHz because it was out there and available when they (or their original components) acquired those licenses.
850Mhz also has some advantages in that lower frequencies propagate further and penetrate buildings better than higher frequencies. This is better in circumstances where towers are to be placed further apart (ie low population density). 1900 MHz tends to be used in high-density areas where the towers will be close together, because in those cases the extra range isn't beneficial (and potentially detrimental given the increased potential for towers interfering with each other).
850Mhz also has some advantages in that lower frequencies propagate further and penetrate buildings better than higher frequencies. This is better in circumstances where towers are to be placed further apart (ie low population density). 1900 MHz tends to be used in high-density areas where the towers will be close together, because in those cases the extra range isn't beneficial (and potentially detrimental given the increased potential for towers interfering with each other).
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sangyup81 said:
The FCC determines who gets to use what frequency. It's different based on what market they are in.
So some markets, they own more 850 and some markets they own more 1900. It's not something they can decide. Now in markets where they have both, they can choose to allocate 850 to GSM and 1900 to UMTS or whatever they do based on whatever it is that determines their decision (Sorry if anyone knows more about this, please post and educate me!)
in markets where they have both they will use 1900 for voice and 850 for data. more channels availible on 1900 to handle more voice calls.
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crackberry, my RAE told me the opposite of what you just said.....
ugh, I wish there was some document or something out there that can have the final say in this!
ugh, I wish there was some document or something out there that can have the final say in this!
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I'm going to disagree with you.
I'm in Atlantic City and ATT recently launched 3G in the 1900 band only (will have 850 band upgraded at a later date when spectrum is freed up).
It may depend on the area, but in my experience 1900 is data first.
I'm in Atlantic City and ATT recently launched 3G in the 1900 band only (will have 850 band upgraded at a later date when spectrum is freed up).
It may depend on the area, but in my experience 1900 is data first.
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