The General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a new nonvoice value added service that allows information to be sent and received across a mobile telephone network. It supplements today's Circuit Switched Data (CSD) and Short Message Service (SMS). But GPRS in not related to GPS (Global Positioning System).

Theoretical maximum speed's of up to Kilobite/second (kbps) are achievable with GPRS using all eight times slot at the same time. Practical data rates are currently in the order of 42-60 kbps. With GPRS,the information is split into separate but related 'packets' before being transmitted and reassembled at the receiving end. Internet itself is an example of a packet data network.

When you talk on mobile phone a continuous connection to a channel is reserved for you on the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) network, which means  nobody else can use that channel. With GPRS, you can still have a continuous connection, but you use the channel only when you are sending data. So you might be connected to a channel all the time, but you actually use it only when you are sending data. One channel can be shared by many people. This is why you are billed for data transfered, not for time.

GPRS can fully enable the internet applications from web browsing to chat over mobile network.

Service Access : To use GPRS, user need :

• A mobile phone that supports GPRS.

• A subscription to a mobile telephone network that supports GPRS.

• A destination to send or receive information through GPRS. In case of GPRS this can be an Internet address.