What is the difference between CDMA and WCDMA?

CDMA or Code Division Multiple Access and WCDMA or Wideband Code Division Multiple Access, are both used in telecommunications. Both are used in telecommunications to allow transmitters to send information simultaneously over communication channels, but CDMA can only transmit information over a communication channel. One of the major differences between the two is that CDMA is used in second-generation technology wireless communication, and that makes it a major competitor to GSM, whereas WCDMA is a newer technology compared to CDMA because it is a third-generation technology. Since 3G technologies offer more speed compared to 2Gs, WCDMA also offers more speed and higher bandwidth compared to CDMA.

For instance, the frequency bands of CDMA are 1.25 MHz wide, whereas the frequency bands of WCDMA are higher than 1.25 MHz, usually about 5 MHz wide. Another difference is that CDMA and WCDMA is a product of different designs. Unlike WCDMA that is still being used in 3G communications, the usage of CDMA for 2G networks has reduced.

CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access, while WCDMA stands for Wideband Code Division Multiple Access. These are telecommunications networks for users to access network resources and services. CDMA is a multiple access technology that was introduced after TDMA and FDMA. CDMA performs for numerous users on separate code sequences, while the other multiple access technologies utilize a wide array of variables for user access separation.

In CDMA, each user spread their signal over the entire bandwidth using a direct sequence spread spectrum, while for other users, it is demonstrated to be white noise. WCDMA was chosen as the Universal Mobile Telecommunication Systems, Frequency bands by European telecommunications standard institute. WCDMA combines an initial signal with mock random noise code, which is also known as a direct sequence. Each user procures a unique and individual code, and only the users with the right code can decode the message. Without the code, they only see the signal as noise.