Mobile Phones :: essays research papers

The Mobile Revolution Rakesh Mohan Hallen By March 2004 the total number of cell phone users in India exceeded 3 crores. Experts call it a mobile revolution. People from all walks of life, of all ages use them. They carry it in their hands, pockets or purses. One can find advertisements related to cell phones anywhere: roads, newspapers, and television. Theoretically one can contact a person carrying a mobile (cell phone) anywhere, anytime. But few are aware of the technology that makes it possible. It is not very difficult to become aware of its nitty-gritties. How it works To use a cell phone one needs a handset. The handset of a cell phone, as you might have seen, has a small screen at one end and a panel of buttons below it. Some handsets have a small antenna that is protruding out from its, but it is not universal. Some modern handsets are foldable so that when not in use the panel of buttons is not visible, these handsets have a larger screen that can display colour pictures also. The essential component of the technology that make cell phone possible are networks of a large number of radio transmitters/receivers. Each cell phone company has a network of this kind that is controlled in each city/state by its central office known as MTSO (Mobile Telephone Switching Office) . You know that our body is made up of many cells. These networks are also cellular akin to the body of any animal. The area covered by a cell phone company, a city or a state, for its services is divided into zones that are called its cells. Thus the network of a cellular company is made up of many such cells. Each of these cells has a moderately sized radio transmitter/receiver and a microprocessor based instrument somewhat like a computer, located at a place known as its base station. Base stations can communicate with each other. They can easily located in a town/city because of the prominent size of their antenna above some buildings. A cell phone handset is also a low power radio transmitter/receiver. It can transmit as well as receive electromagnetic waves from its closest base station when it is powered on. As soon as one turns on a cell phone handset it listens for SID (System Identification Code - a unique 5-digit number that is assigned to each carrier by the central authority say TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) and is programmed into each handset when it is activated by a company.