JAWAHARLAL NEHRU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY HYDERABAD B.Tech III Year MOBILE COMPUTING Previous Question Paper (February/March - 2022 - R16)

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet-oriented mobile data standard on the 2G and 3G cellular communication network's global system for mobile communications (GSM). It provides data rates from 56 up to 114 kbps, enabling continuous internet connection for mobile devices.

Key components include:

• SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node): Responsible for the delivery of data packets from and to the mobile stations within its geographical service area. It handles packet routing, transfer, mobility management, and authentication.
• GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node): Acts as an interface between the GPRS network and external packet-switched networks (like the Internet). It converts GPRS packets into the appropriate packet data protocol format.
• PCU (Packet Control Unit): A hardware addition to the Base Station Subsystem that separates data traffic from voice traffic, routing data to the GPRS network.

GPRS introduced the concept of always-on connectivity and billing based on the volume of data transferred rather than connection time.

Mobile and handheld devices face several inherent limitations due to their portable nature and the constraints of wireless environments:

• Limited Battery Life: Energy consumption is a critical constraint. Frequent recharging is required, and complex processing or heavy wireless transmission significantly drains power.
• Limited Processing Power and Memory: To maintain portability and low power consumption, mobile devices use less powerful CPUs and have restricted RAM/storage compared to desktops, limiting the complexity of applications they can run.
• Small User Interface: Limited screen real estate and input methods (such as touchscreens or small keypads) make complex data entry and information visualization challenging.
• Network Connectivity Constraints: Mobile devices experience intermittent connectivity, varying bandwidth, high latency, and frequent handovers as the user moves between cells, leading to unstable network performance.
• Security and Privacy Risks: Because devices are easily lost or stolen and often connect to public, insecure wireless networks, they are highly susceptible to unauthorized access and data breaches.