GPRS stands for General
Packet Radio Service and it is so called 2+ generation service for
cellular phones which gives possibility for much faster
data transfer (1st generation means
analogue mobile phones (
NMT) and 2nd generation for
digital (
GSM)). In theory it's possible to have even as high
data rate as ~160 kbit/s instead of ordinary 9,6 kbit/s with normal
GSM/
DCS mobile phone. This service came at market at early
2001.
Higher data rate is possible by combining more than one timeslot allowing user to up/download data with one to seven timeslots (in theory) and by using more efficient channel coding in air interface.
Whatsoever theoretical maximum speed can be created ONLY in laboratory where mobile station is directly connected to base station via cables and no interference is occuring.
Specialists are saying that realistic data rate in commercial network with other GPRS users and circuit switched mobile users might be something like 40 kbit/s at maximum...