GSM infrastructure used for data transmission

In cellular service there are two main competing network technologies: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). Since its beginning in the '80s, GSM telephone system was developed using cell concept for the network topology. Each cell corresponds to a specific antenna (base station), placed on towers or tall buildings. The GSM standard has been an advantage to both consumers, who may benefit from the ability to roam and switch carriers without replacing phones, and also to network operators. GSM also has low-cost implementation of the short message service (SMS), also called text messaging, which has since been supported on other mobile phone standards as well. Because of huge coverage of distance, the GSM infrastructure can be an alternative to transmit or receive data from or to a device (sensor, actuator, complex device) near or remotely. Compared to analog transmission systems, GSM system provides narrowest bandwidth for a channel, through the use of voice compression algorithm; improving the quality of transmission by using detection and correction codes of errors; digital signal encryption to ensure security and protection against unwanted interception. To illustrate and analyze the possibilities of data transmission using GSM infrastructure is considered the situation of a remote monitoring system (photovoltaic panels) without the ability to connect to the Internet via cable or other options (transmission trunking radio system or Wi-Fi Internet Access Point or satellite). The only possibility is the presence of GSM signal, but this not require high quality signal because was used a short messaging service (SMS) for communication. The unit consists of computing (computer + software application), a device or more (any measuring device that can connect to the computer) and a GSM terminal (telephone modem capabilities or GSM modem). The system is bidirectional in that the information is not only moving from GSM mobile phone to GSM modem, but can also give information to mobile phone.