Abstract

Global system for mobile communications (GSM) is a digital cellular radio network that uses more advanced technology and handles more subscribers than the analog cellular network due to the use of Time Division Multiple Access to divide the channel in time. It offers high quality voice communication and low bandwidth (96 kb/sec) data connections for fax and Short Message Service (SMS). Data connection services like browsing, multimedia and e-mail demands on mobile telephone have increased tremendously. Many people have subscribed to GSM services due to the outlined features and all these have led to congestion on the GSM network. This is the main problem facing the GSM operators in the quest to satisfy subscribers. This paper gives a brief history of cellular networks, factors that led to the congestion and an overview of the congestion and where they occur on the GSM network. Some optimization models that can be applied to minimize the congestion problem on the GSM network in Nigeria are presented. These models are: government and corporate organizations in partnership with GSM operators use of dynamic half rate decoder, national roaming agreement, regionalization and merging GSM networks.

Key words: Global system for mobile communications, operator, subscriber, channels, roaming, congestion.