What Is Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)?

Digital cellular networks are like a symphony. They're digital, and they're cellular. But what happens when you take that digital cellular network and give it some space? What happens when you spread all of its data over an entire spectrum? You get Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). It's like the cello section of your orchestra—it's not just one instrument playing all by itself; it's a whole group of instruments playing together! With CDMA, those instruments are all playing on different channels simultaneously. So what does that mean for your phone calls? Well, it means that there's no more worrying about having to share bandwidth with other people trying to make calls at the same time as you are. It also means that if someone else is listening in on your conversation, they won't be able to hear anything because they'll only listen to bits and pieces of your conversation instead of the whole thing. In the beginning, there was a great war. The enemy was determined to access radio communication signals and use them. What could be done? The answer came from Qualcomm, who developed a new technology that used CDMA to thwart enemy attempts at accessing these signals. Then came the 1990s, which brought with it the possibility of using this same concept with publicly-available cellular network technology. This time, an alternative mobile networking arena digital standard gained traction—but despite its popularity and endorsement by prominent industry figures, CDMA’s supporters were not convinced by this new competitor. They remained steadfast in believing that CDMA was the only option—and they were right! They convinced these leaders it was worth using and eventually accepted the newly introduced CDMA standard as part of their operations. If that wasn't enough reason to love CDMA already… it also helps keep your conversations private!