1. Context

1.1 Origins

The concept of GPRS emerged in 1994 at the European Telecommunication Standard Institute (ETSI), as part of the proposals made by the various members, whether telecoms operators or equipment suppliers, to define a new phase in the evolution of GSM, phase 2+. This third phase in the life of GSM networks was not called phase 3, but phase 2+, to underline the need for absolute compatibility between networks currently being deployed and their future evolution.

GSM was originally designed to transmit voice, fax and low-speed data in circuit mode. The simultaneous development of packet mode transmissions on fixed networks has highlighted GSM's limitations in terms of data services. The slowness and unreliability of file transmissions, at a time when the...