The Decibel is a unit of comparison, in which the ratio of two power values are expressed using a logarithmic scale usually to the base 10. Although the dB is a unit of comparison it is sometimes useful to have an agreed reference point. A common reference is 1mW, which is expressed as 0dBm. Consequently 2W, the typical maximum power of a GSM handset, is rated as 33dBm.
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