Time Division Multiple Access

Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) refers to a digital link technology whereby multiple phones share a single carrier, radio frequency channel by taking turns &mdash; using the channel exclusively for an allocated time slice, then releasing it and waiting briefly while other phones use it.

TDMA is also used to refer specifically to the standard covered by IS-136, which defines a specific type of cellular network. Using the term TDMA to refer to a general technique or a specific type of cellular network can be a source of confusion. For example, although GSM uses a TDMA air interface (i.e., the general technique), as does iDEN, neither of those systems is compatible with so-called TDMA cellular networks that follow IS-136.