What is the GPRS full form? How does GPRS Work?
GPRS stands for general packet radio service. It is based on GSM infrastructure. It becomes very popular, because of access to the internet over the wireless medium. A mobile phone with a sim card provides voice and internet services to the mobile user. In GPRS service, internet packets flow from the device to the Internet Service Provider and vice versa.
Enables a user to browse websites, make VoIP calls over a mobile, connect on VPN, etc. Initially, the telecom network was supporting only voice and SMS, then a separate parallel core network was developed for mobile data or packer service over GSM. The full form says that GPRS enables packet-based service over the radio interface. This means using a mobile device, which connects to the mobile network over a radio interface a subscriber can use internet services.
How does GPRS work?
Network for packet service:
Like any other service over GSM, GPRS also uses standard protocols and procedures. These are defined in the European Telecommunications Standards Institute(ETSI). Mobile devices have settings for GPRS profiles and mobile networks have GPRS settings configured in the database in-home network. On the roaming side, a dedicated node called SGSN is added for GPRS registration, and internet packets flow from device to home network and vice versa. In LTE, the roaming node MME.
To support GPRS, the in-home network, HLR updated with GPRS functionalities a new node GGSN has been added. For HLR, HSS, and GGSN, PGW is the node in the LTE network. LTE network provides more data speed by improving the quality of service profile and radio interface speed.
In 3G architecture SS7 protocol and GTP ( version 0 and 1) are used, while in 4G Diameter protocol and GTP (version 1 and 2 ) are used.
GPRS Profile settings:
To access the internet a mobile subscriber should have a GPRS subscription from the SIM card provider. In 3G, HLR is the node that holds the subscription. As GPRS full form is a general packet radio service. This means a subscription profile should have parameters that decide the quality of data. GPRS Subscription includes Quality of service, access point name, etc. During GPRS registration by phone, the roaming network downloads the subscription profile using map protocol in the Insert Subscriber Data operation.
GPRS internet speed :
The data speed depends on the generation using the GPRS network. For 2G it’s slowest and for 4G it’s fastest. The next network is 5G which will bring more data speed over GPRS.