Just you try using one of those 3 transistor CB Radios from the '60's!

Power control is one of the technical achievements of GSM - the mobile
is instructed by the base to lower (or raise) its power appropriately.
Generally,
the maximum power from a handset is 33 dBm (at power level 5) which is
more than sufficient for the 35km wide maximum cell size.

The maximum cell size is determined by the length of the RACH burst.

"Jim Pennell" wrote in message
ink.net...
A cell phone is a low power radio, basically similar to one of the
walkie
talkies that kids played with. Due to the limited power on Tx, I am
amazed
they work as well as they do.