Does GSM transmit/keep time like CDMA does?

[dxyovak]

CDMA transmits the time in the signal and the user never has to set the time. Does GSM do this also? Or do GSM users have to manually set the time?

 

[FoxFifth]

I have AT&T (GSM) and never have to manually set the time.

 

[dxyovak]

great. someone told me that GSM signals do not transmit the TIME, that only CDMA networks do this. Person had a GSM nokia phone in the past and required manual time config.

Perhaps the GSM networks updated their networks to allow TIME transmission?

 

[zorinlynx]

great. someone told me that GSM signals do not transmit the TIME, that only CDMA networks do this. Person had a GSM nokia phone in the past and required manual time config.

Perhaps the GSM networks updated their networks to allow TIME transmission?

GSM networks have transmitted the time at LEAST since the first iPhone in 2007, which set its time just fine over the network.

 

[dxyovak]

it was a sony-ericcson phone (he can't remember model) thru ATT. It was around 2002-2003 he thinks.

 

[FoxFifth]

I had an AT&T Nokia phone in 1999 (shortly before it became Cingular if my memory is correct) and it got the time from the network. During one switch between standard and daylight time the transmission didn't get changed for some reason -- I would manually change the phone to the new correct time and it would subsequently reset itself to the wrong time. It finally went to the correct time around midday.

 

[dictoresno]

When I had AT&T, carrier time was always set by the network like my Verizon does now. However I just landed in Iceland and connected to the Vodafone network here and the time never set itself properly. I had to turn on my set time zone location services in order for it to update the time. So it may depend on the carrier and not GSM networks as a whole.