6 ms·

Pardon my ignorance, what is gprs and GEA-1 and what is it’s significance?

ronsor 5y ago
GPRS is the general packet radio service, used for (very slow) data and SMS transfer in combination with the old GSM protocol.
- gentleman11 5y ago
  So, it encrypts sms messages and is still in use?
  - giantrobot 5y ago
    It doesn't encrypt SMS. It's over the air encryption for packet data (not calls or SMS) like WEP or WPA on WiFi. On GSM networks SMS was transmitted in leftover signaling space on voice circuits.
    - secondcoming 5y ago
      RACH: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_channel https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_channel
    - ronsor 5y ago
      IIRC "SMS over GPRS" was an optional extension
meepmorp 5y ago
GPRS is the mobile data standard for GSM mobile phones. It's from the 2G era, and is old and slow. GEA-1 is an encryption algorithm used with GPRS.
- gentleman11 5y ago
  So it’s no longer in use?
  - meepmorp 5y ago
    No, GPRS is still around; the 2 and 3G networks aren't supposed to go away until late 2022 in the US, and then there's the rest of the world to consider.
    - giantrobot 5y ago
      In the US AT&T shut down their 2G service at the end of 2019. Only T-Mobile has GSM/GPRS service active and that is shutting down at the end of this year. It's 3G services that will be shutting down through the end of 2022/3.
      - meepmorp 5y ago
        Yeah, like I said, currently operating 2 & 3G networks are scheduled to go away by late 2022, and GPRS is still in service.
    - cestith 5y ago
      We need to consider illegitimate carrier devices, too. Will the Stingray type devices stop supporting it? If the phones still fall back to it, it's still a threat.
    - rtpg 5y ago
      kinda interesting, but looking at this table 2G phaseouts will basically take more time in developped nations than elsewhere. Probably a big case of how there's a lot of technological leapfrogging in developping nations cuz they tend to only have access to really cheap commodity stuff (so they end up getting stuff replaced more quickly). Very much the "fancy hotel wifi" problem IMO https://www.emnify.com/en/resources/global-2g-phase-out https://www.emnify.com/en/resources/global-2g-phase-out
      - meepmorp 5y ago

GPRS is the general packet radio service, used for (very slow) data and SMS transfer in combination with the old GSM protocol.

gentleman11 5y ago
So, it encrypts sms messages and is still in use?
- giantrobot 5y ago
  It doesn't encrypt SMS. It's over the air encryption for packet data (not calls or SMS) like WEP or WPA on WiFi. On GSM networks SMS was transmitted in leftover signaling space on voice circuits.
  - secondcoming 5y ago
    RACH: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_channel https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_channel
  - ronsor 5y ago
    IIRC "SMS over GPRS" was an optional extension

meepmorp 5y ago

GPRS is the mobile data standard for GSM mobile phones. It's from the 2G era, and is old and slow. GEA-1 is an encryption algorithm used with GPRS.

gentleman11 5y ago
So it’s no longer in use?
- meepmorp 5y ago
  No, GPRS is still around; the 2 and 3G networks aren't supposed to go away until late 2022 in the US, and then there's the rest of the world to consider.
  - giantrobot 5y ago
    In the US AT&T shut down their 2G service at the end of 2019. Only T-Mobile has GSM/GPRS service active and that is shutting down at the end of this year. It's 3G services that will be shutting down through the end of 2022/3.
    - meepmorp 5y ago
      Yeah, like I said, currently operating 2 & 3G networks are scheduled to go away by late 2022, and GPRS is still in service.
  - cestith 5y ago
    We need to consider illegitimate carrier devices, too. Will the Stingray type devices stop supporting it? If the phones still fall back to it, it's still a threat.
  - rtpg 5y ago
    kinda interesting, but looking at this table 2G phaseouts will basically take more time in developped nations than elsewhere. Probably a big case of how there's a lot of technological leapfrogging in developping nations cuz they tend to only have access to really cheap commodity stuff (so they end up getting stuff replaced more quickly). Very much the "fancy hotel wifi" problem IMO https://www.emnify.com/en/resources/global-2g-phase-out https://www.emnify.com/en/resources/global-2g-phase-out
    - meepmorp 5y ago