Definition: iDEN

(Integrated Digital Enhanced Network) A wireless communications technology from Motorola that provided support for voice, data, short messages (SMS) and dispatch radio (two-way radio) in one phone. Used by various carriers around the globe, Nextel Communications used iDEN to provide nationwide coverage in the U.S.

Based on TDMA, iDEN operated in the 800 MHz and 1.5 GHz bands. It used Motorola's VSELP (Vector Sum Excited Linear Predictive) vocoder for voice compression and QAM modulation to deliver 64 Kbps over a 25 kHz channel. Each channel could be divided six times to transmit any mix of voice, data, dispatch or text message. See Nextel and cellular generations.