
The major technical differences between the two systems have to do with the way each technology shares space on the radio spectrum. GSM is more popular in Europe and Asia and CDMA is more common in the United States. There are two basic technologies used to operate cell-phone networks: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). For mobile broadband, the packets of information would be other types of data like e-mails, Web pages, music files and streaming video. In the case of a phone call, the packets of information carry voice data. Cell phones and cell-phone radio towers send packets of digital information back and forth to each other via radio waves.


It's all about radio waves and frequencies. Mobile broadband is powered by the same technology that makes cell phones work.
