Which technology competes with CDMA for dominance in mobile communications?

The technology that competes with CDMA for dominance in mobile communications is GSM, which stands for Global System for Mobile Communications. GSM is a 2G mobile technology that has been widely adopted around the world, particularly in Europe and many parts of Asia, as it provides a standard for mobile communication that allows for voice calls and text messaging.

GSM operates on a different principle compared to CDMA, utilizing a time division multiple access (TDMA) format, which divides the frequency into time slots. This allows multiple calls to be made on the same frequency channel. The prevalence of GSM in various regions established a strong infrastructure and user base, making it a significant competitor to CDMA.

The other technologies mentioned, such as UMTS and LTE, are both developed on the GSM standard and represent advancements in mobile communications, while WCDMA is part of the UMTS family that extends upon CDMA principles rather than functioning independently as a competitor. Hence, while they are relevant in the discussion of mobile communication technologies, GSM stands out as the primary alternative to CDMA during the era of its competition.