How Cell Phones Work Written by Levetta Rivera Each day thousands of people in United States purchase cellular phones. At that rate it is likely that someone you know owns a cell phone and uses it on a regular basis. They are such great gadgets - and there are a ton of cool cell phone accessories you can buy to make yours stand out from crowd. With a cell phone you can talk to almost anyone from just about anywhere, because approximately 80% of U.S. has coverage. Cell phones have come a long way in a relatively short period of time but have you ever wondered exactly how a cell phone works? A cell phone is nothing more than a sophisticated radio. A good way to understand sophistication of a cell phone is to compare it to a CB radio. A CB radio is a simplex device. A simplex device is one in which two people communicate on same frequency, so only one person can talk at a time. A cell phone is a duplex device, so it uses one frequency for talking, and a second separate frequency for listening. A CB radio has 40 channels. A cell phone can communicate on 1,664 channels. Cell phones also operate within cells and they can switch cells as they move around. Cells give cell phones incredible range. A CB radio can transmit about 5 miles. Someone using a cell phone, on other hand, can drive clear across a city and maintain a conversation entire time. Cells are what give a cell phone its incredible range. Cellular phone system technology is amazing in that a city can be chopped up into small cells that can allow extensive frequency re-use across a city. Frequency re-use is what lets millions of people own cell phones without problems. It works because carrier chops up an area to about 10 square miles. The Cellular Phone Explosion Written by Levetta Rivera Cellular phones are big business in United States and abroad. More than 30,000 people sign up for and start using a cellular phone every day. It's nothing short of amazing how this industry has exploded in such a short period of time. Consumers can't seem to live without their cell phones and cool accessory gadgets that go with them. As a result wireless communications companies and retailers are raking in dough as consumers gobble up these sophisticated devices. Cellular phones are nothing more than sophisticated radios. A cell phone is Cont'd on page 2 ==>   ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005 Terms of Use