Let’s clear up our spectrum

With no criticism intended, our dilemma is crippled when the solution is enabled.

Here’s an example of a layman question followed by an answer.

Q: I am familiar with WiFi, but am curious regarding how Cellular network operate.

A: The answer you seek would fill volumes. Fundamentally, GSM and CDMA employ different ways of reserving frequencies for users on the network, but both specifications do reserve spectrum. There is no intentional contention, in which manner GSM and CDMA (and their third-generation flavors HSPA and EVDO) are akin to WiMax, which uses OFDMA to reserve data slots (either by time or frequency). GSM uses time division multiple access (TDMA) or multiplexing to reserve periods of time for each receiver; CDMA’s very definition is code division multiple access, which assigns unique codes which allow multiple transmissions over the same frequency at the same time.