The world of the mobile phone is a confusing one these days, particularly for those wondering how to start a cell phone business. Few things are perhaps as confusing as GSM frequencies and GSM phones that seem to work in some parts of the world but not in others.

Multiple band cell phones and GSM frequencies can be especially confusing for anyone wondering how to start a cell phone business.

So what is the background behind the GSM network?

The GSM network was first suggested by a group of European technicians and policy makers in 1982 and it didn't take long for consumers and phone makers to adopt the new network after it first emerged in 1991. It wasn't long before there was growing GSM coverage in an increasing number of countries.

The GSM world grew quickly. There were more than one million subscribers spread over 70 carriers in 30 countries by the end of 1993.

Not only did the new GSM mobile network send and receive all of its information digitally, making it the first 2G mobile phone to be developed it also gave users a great deal of freedom on what they did with it. For the first time they were able to send short written messages to each other for a fraction of the price of a phone call, they could change their carrier and/or go to a different country without getting a new phone.

All they needed to do was to take one GSM SIM card out and replace it with another GSM card and they were in business.

But, as the unknown powers of the world decree, things shouldn't be that easy and the GSM frequencies set by most of the GSM networks had already been assigned to other purposes by the powers that be.

So, in a situation very similar to TV watchers and people with surveillance systems, a phone that worked in Sussex England wouldn't pick up anything in San Antonio in the US. Basically it wasn't a case of one GSM frequency fits all.

As a result, many cell phone makers create cell phones that can work with more than one band with some working with as many as 4 bands.

Still this doesn't mean there aren't questions and people are often left asking: * What is GSM? * What are the GSM frequencies? * Why do GSM phones have more than one band? * Will different frequencies work in different areas? * How can I check if a phone will work in a particular area? * How are multiple band phones defined and where will they work?

We're going to attempt to look at those questions in this article.

What is GSM? GSM, Global System for Mobile communications (or the Acronym formally known as Groupe Special Mobile) is a wireless transmission standard used for mobile phones and, recently wireless modems. GSM and CDMA differ because GSM networks use a SIM card to store all the necessary information to send and receive calls where with CDMA phones everything is kept on the phones.

If you are looking at how to start a cell phone business and you don't have thousands in working capital GSM mobile phones will probably be a better option than CDMA as they won't be attached to a particular carrier and don't require you to be licensed to a particular provider to sell unlocked cell phones.

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