Cingular Wireless changing to more common technology
Michael E. Kanell - Staff
Thursday, March 8, 2001
Cingular Wireless announced Wednesday it has
moved its Seattle and Spokane markets to the
technology known as GSM --- a first step toward an
expected switch of its national network to that
technology.
Although officials won't talk about plans, they do
praise GSM, or global system for mobile
communications, as a data-friendly technology that
will also give Cingular users worldwide "roaming"
ability, said Dave Williams, executive vice president
for the Atlanta-based company.
Cingular, the nation's second-largest wireless
provider, bought the Washington markets in
September from Atlanta-based GTE Wireless,
paying an undisclosed amount for the licenses,
networks and staff. That system used a technology
known as CDMA --- or code division multiple
access.
GSM has the world's most common wireless
technology, with 456 million subscribers.
"It really is the global standard now," Williams said.
Other wireless carriers would disagree. But all are likely to revamp their
networks in the next few years when what is known as 3G --- the third
generation --- technologies are ready. GSM proponents say it is the best
bridge to those new technologies. Of Cingular's 20 million subscribers, about
12 percent --- in California, Nevada, the Carolinas and Tennessee --- are on
GSM. But most of the network, including Atlanta, is TDMA --- time division
multiple access.
In Washington, Cingular's customers have been told they can trade their GTE
phones for new GSM phones.
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