How do Cell Phones Work
We have become so addicted to cell phones, that it's very difficult to imagine life without them. Whenever we do try to imagine, we end up convincing ourselves that it isn't possible to survive without these technological marvels. In a study undertaken by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, 83 percent respondents agreed that cell phones had made life a lot easier for them. Although they have become an integral part of our life, not many of us are probably aware of how cell phones work. In fact, most of the people think that cell phone working principle is too complex for a layman to understand. Before we move on to how mobile phones work, let's take a brief look at some of the basics of cell phones.
What is a Cell Phone?
The simplest possible definition of a cell phone is a two-way electronic device that uses radio frequencies in order to facilitate voice and data communication over the network. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, while Nikola Tesla came up with the basics of radio in 1880s. Eventually, both these technologies were combined to come up with the gadget we refer to as the cell phone or mobile phone. Over a period of time, cell phones have undergone a drastic change from just being an upgraded variant of walkie-talkies, to a much more sophisticated multimedia device. Cell phones available today are not just restricted to voice or text conversation, but also accomplish a wide range of tasks, including music downloads and internet access.
How do Cell Phones Work?
Even though modern cell phones are capable of doing much more than their conventional counterparts, their primary function still remains voice and data communication over the network. This is basically accomplished by the transmission of radio waves from one base station to another. When you attempt to call another cell phone from your phone, a signal is sent to the base station of the cell phone which you are attempting to call. A base station, also referred to as mast or antenna, is a wireless communications station set up at a particular geographical location. The geographical area covered by a single base station is known as a cell. When the signal reaches the base station, it is assigned a specific radio frequency channel in order to facilitate conversation between the two individuals without any sort of interference. After the signal is processed, it is sent to a call switching center. Here the call is transferred to another cell phone, either directly or through a local carrier. Although the entire process seems to be quite complex, it actually takes less than a minute to connect you to the cell phone you are calling.
This was about how do cell phones work, but how is voice converted to radio frequency? The first generation cell phones used analog technology to convert voice to radio signals, and decode these signals back to voice, while the second generation cell phones used digital technology to do the same. More recently, 3G mobile phones, which facilitate simultaneous use of voice and data services, have been introduced. Advent of cell phones makes it easier for people to stay connected even when they are miles apart from each other.
