Access point
A WLAN transceiver or "base station" that can connect a network to one or many wireless devices. AP’s can also bridge to one another.

Access Service
Access services are specified sets of information transfer capabilities furnished to users at telecommunications network points-of-termination (POTs) to provide access to network transport services. Two examples are the following: subscriber access lines, the connection between a  network POT (in this case more commonly known as a Network Interface NI) and a local exchange carrier switching system; and trunks between interexchange carrier points of presence and local exchange carrier switching systems (The POT at the POP is identified as the point ofinterface POI). End to end connections require originating and terminating access services .

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) is a form of DSL, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional modem can provide. It does this by utilizing frequencies that are normally not used by a voice telephone call, in particular, frequencies higher than normal human hearing. This signal will not travel very far over normal telephone cables, so ADSL can only be used over short distances, typically less than 2 km. Once the signal reaches the telephone company's local office, the ADSL signal is stripped off and immediately routed onto a conventional internet network, while any voice-frequency signal is switched into the conventional phone network. This allows a single telephone connection to be used for both ADSL and voice calls at the same time.

Analogue
Analogue refers to signals that can represent an infinite range of numbers, as opposed to digital which can only be distinct whole numbers. Analogue data often comes from measurements, like a sine wave. The sound a modem makes over the phone is analog since it can be any of a number of different frequencies. The fixed-line networks usually transfer analogue data and fax. The GSM networks are Digital.

Automatic Number Identification
A service feature in which the directory number or equipment number of a calling station is automatically obtained. The code that provides the billing number of the line or trunk that originated a call. 3. A system that identifies the billing account for a call. For 911 systems, the ANI identifies the calling party and may be used as a call back number.

Analog Carrier System
An analog carrier system is a transmission system that uses repeaters that compensate for analog medium impairments, and produce output signals that are linear scaled versions of input signals. Analog carrier systems can carry speech, data, video and supervisory signals although they are best suited for speech signals.

Analog Signal
An analog signal is a continuous electrical signal that varies in direct correlation with an impressed phenomenon, stimulus, or event that bears intelligence. Sound waves and their electrical analogs are characterized by loudness (amplitude) and pitch. Analog signals can assume any of an infinite number of amplitude values or states within a specified range, in accordance with or analogous to, an impressed stimulus. Pitch refers to how many times per second the signal swings between high and low amplitudes, i.e., its frequency.

ANSI
ANSI graphics is a set of cursor control codes which originated on the VT100 smart terminal. Many BBS's use these codes to help improve the sending of characters to communications programs. It uses the escape character, followed by other characters, which allow movement of the cursor on the screen, a change of color, and more.

ASCII
American Standard Code of Information Interchange. It uses 7 bits to represent all uppercase and lowercase characters, as well as numbers, punctuation marks, and other characters. ASCII often uses 8 bits in the form of bytes and ignores the first bit.

Baud
A term referring to the speed at which modems communicate. Technically, it is the number of changes in an electronic signal per second. Since the number of changes used to be the same as the number of bits sent or received per second, bps and baud are often used interchangeably. However, there is a difference, which is very often confused. For example, many 1200bps modems were advertised as 1200 baud, even though they operate at 600 baud. They send out 2 bits 600 times a second, which means that it is 600 baud. However, since it is so often misunderstood, you can assume that when you see "baud" it means bits per second, unless it is stated otherwise.

BFT
Binary File Transfer.

Binding Post
A binding post is a screw with a small nut mounted on a terminal box. Wires are joined together by wrapping them around a screw and then tightening the nut on them.

BISDN 
Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network

Bit
A Binary Digit. It is a number in base 2 (binary), which means that it can only be a 0 or a 1. It is used in the expression `bits per second'.

Bit Error (BER)
BER is the ratio of the number of bits received with errors to the total number of bits transmitted. BER and the average number of error-free seconds are the principal impairment measurements for digital channels.

Bit Rate
Bit rate is the capacity characteristic of digital signals as defined by the number of bits (or bytes) per second that a channel will support. For example, a transmission facility that can support information exchange at the rate of I megabit per second (1 Mbps or 1,000,000 bits per second) delivers the same quantity of information, i.e., throughput, as a 1 kilobit per second (kbps or 1,000 bits per second) facility, but, in only 1/1000 of the time.

Bps
Bits Per Second. The transmission speed of most modems is measured in baud or bps. Bps is literally the number of bits sent by the modem every second.

Blackberry
Blackberry is the one-stop, no-compromise, wireless solution that allows you to stay connected with wireless access to email, phone, web and organizer features. Blackberry® offers leading wireless solutions, providing access to a wide range of applications

Blocking or Blockage
A condition where congestion within a radio communications system or network is so great, due to excess demand from users, that new calls cannot be completed without delay. A "busy signal".

Broadband
The use of cable to provide data transfer using analog (radio-frequency) signals. Digital signals must be passed through a modem and transmitted over one of the frequency bands of the cable. Multiple channels carry data on a single physical cable. Cable TV is an example of broadband transmission. The term is commonly associated with high speed data transfer connections.

Brouters
Brouters are devices that combine the functions of bridges and routers.

Buffer Box
A device that temporarily stores data, usually between two devices with different data speeds; sends data out at a speed that the slower machine can handle. Recommended to prevent CDR loss on a call accounting system.

Business Applications
Business applications are unique aggregations of telecommunications services that satisfy particular enterprise needs.

Call Accounting System
A computer, a magnetic storage device (floppy or hard disk), software and some mechanical method of attaching itself to a telephone system. A call accounting system is used to record information about telephone calls, organize that information and prepare reports - printed or to disk. The information it captures about phone calls typically includes from which extension the call is coming, which number it is calling (local or long distance), which circuit is used for the call (WATs, MCI, etc), when the call started, how long it lasted, for what purpose the call was made (client or project, etc). A call accounting system may also include information on incoming calls - which trunk was used, where the call came from, which extension took the call, if it was transferred and to where and how long it took.

Capacity Based
The capacity-based interconnection regime implies that network resources, sufficient for satisfying interconnection requirements, are allocated to a competing operator under a contracted capacity (or number of links) to route eligible traffic. The competing operator is then billed a fixed amount for the contracted links independently of the number of minutes exchanged between the two networks.

The capacity-based model can be applied to voice traffic, narrow-band internet access (dial-up), broadband networks, as well as IP dial-up access.

Card Services
DOS and Windows 3.1x users must have Card Services enabled to use their computer's PCMCIA slot(s). Card Services simply allows DOS/Windows 3.1 to see and set up the computer's PCMCIA slot. They will automatically allocate a Communications Port (COM 1 to 5) when the Option modem is plugged in. The Option modem can then be accessed by communications programs via the Windows 95-assigned COM port. Windows 95 users do not need to install Card Service as it is built into Windows 95. Notebook users using DOS/Windows 3.1 usually have the Card Services software bundled with their purchase. Option modems come packaged with a PC Card Installation disk that has an install program for these Card Services.

CDPR
Cellular Digital Packet Radio

CDR
Call data generated by the PBX in the form of an ASCII file that includes records of outgoing and incoming calls, who made or received the calls, incoming and outgoing locations of the calls, call length, time call took place and other information.

Centrex
A telephone business service provided by a local phone company from a local central office and provides features directly to each phone at a business without using an on-site PBX

CDMA
Code Divison Multiple Access. A digital cellular technique invented by Qualcomm.

CLEC
Competitive (or Certified) Local Exchange Carrier - the Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened the door for smaller companies to compete with the ILEC (Incumbent LECs), such as RBOCs (Regional BOCs) for local, long distance, international, internet and entertainment (see BOC, LEC).

Client/Server
A network architecture that lets a user at a PC request information or applications from another computer over a LAN (see LAN).

Comport
Communications port, also known as a serial port (see Serial Port).

Code division multiple access (CDMA)
A coding scheme, used as a modulation technique, in which multiple channels are independently coded for transmission over a single wideband channel. Note 1: In some communication systems, CDMA is used as an access method that permits carriers from different stations to use the same transmission equipment by using a wider bandwidth than the individual carriers. On reception, each carrier can be distinguished from the others by means of a specific modulation code, thereby allowing for the reception of signals that were originally overlapping in frequency and time. Thus, several transmissions can occur simultaneously within the same bandwidth, with the mutual interference reduced by the degree of orthogonality of the unique codes used in each transmission.

Customer Management
Managing customers over a long run is a challenge that business fight continuously. Customer management requires the development of methodologies, service packages, and understanding of customer needs-especially with regard to service offerings, and efficient and accurate billing-to encourage loyal customer support and retention.

Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)
Terminating equipment (such as terminals, telephones, and modems) supplied by the telephone company, installed at customer sites and connected to the telephone company network. Can also refer to any telephone equipment residing on a customer site.

CEPT
Conference of European Post and Telecommunications, the European  telecommunications authority.

DCE
Data Circuit Terminating Equipment, Sets up and maintains a data connection link over a communications medium. For example, a modem.

DBM
Decibel refers to one milliwatt. This is used to measure certain levels, such as transmit level.

Digital Divide
The digital divide is the gap between those with regular, effective access to digital technologies and those without.

DSL
(Digital Subscriber Line), A family of technologies generically referred to as DSL or xDSL that are capable of transforming a normal telephone line into a high-speed digital line. These include ADSL (Asymmetric DSL), SDSL (Symmetric DSL), HDSL (High data rate DSL) and VDSL (Very high data rate DSL). DSL enabled lines are capable of supporting services such as fast Internet access and video or TV on-demand.

Enabling policies
Any set of governmental initiatives, efforts, and policies that facilitate the expansion of ICT infrastructure in the country, allow healthy competition to thrive, and provide connectivity to disconnected areas to encourage economic growth.

Encryption
The process of scrambling a message, such as a digital phone signal, to prevent it from being read by unauthorized parties

ETSI
European Telecommunications Standards Institute.

Ethernet
A standard protocol (IEEE 802.3) for a 10-Mb/s baseband local area network (LAN) bs using carrier-sense multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) as the access method, implemented at the Physical Layer in the ISO Open Systems Interconnection--Reference Model, establishing the physical characteristics of a CSMA/CD network.

Extranet
One-to-one connections over the Internet that are not accessible to all; mainly set up by a business for their customers or business partners.

FTTH
Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) or Fiber to the Home (FTTH) is a broadband telecommunications system based on fiber-optic cables and associated optical electronics for delivery of multiple advanced services such as the triple play of telephone, broadband Internet and television all the way to the home or business. In the near future, FTTP, also referred to as Extreme Broadband, will deliver performance speeds exceeding 100 Mbps downstream. In contrast, Fiber to the Node/Neighborhood (FTTN) stops short of delivering and physically attaching a fiber optic cable directly to the home or business, therefore, is not classified as Extreme Broadband.

Frequency Reuse
The use of many low-elevation antenna and/or low-power sites, so that the same frequencies can be reused in numerous sites separated by a defined distance without causing interference. Thus frequencies re-use systems can increase capacity and reuse frequencies more often.

Fully Dedicated Access
Long distance carrier access method in which a non-local call is carried by the long distance carrier via a dedicated trunk facility for both the first and last part of the call's journey, and on the same long distance carrier's network for the entire length of the call. Also referred to as "dedicated-to-dedicated" or "on-net to on-net."

Gateway
Entrance/exit to a communications network; electronic repeater device that intercepts and guides electrical signals from one network to another; filters out unwanted noise.

Geographic Portability
The ability of customers to transfer their numbers between operators on fixed telecommunications networks when they switch their operator.

GMSK
The method of modulation used by GSM is Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK), with a BT value of 0.3 at a gross data rate of 270 kb/s.

Grey Traffic
Illegal telecom traffic

GPS
Abbreviation for global positioning system. A satellite-based global navigation system that consists of (a) a constellation of 24 satellites in orbit 11,000 nmi above the Earth, (b) several on-station (i.e., in-orbit) spares, and (c) a ground-based control segment. The satellites transmit signals that are used for extremely accurate three-dimensional (latitude, longitude, and elevation) global navigation (position determination), and for the dissemination of precise time. GPS-derived position determination is based on the arrival times, at an appropriate receiver, of precisely timed signals from the satellites that are above the user's radio horizon.

GUI
Graphical User Interface - a computer user interface that uses graphical representation instead of characters; makes the interface easier and more intuitive to use. i.e. Windows 95.

H.323
One of two main standards regarding voice transmissions over data networks, the other main standard is VoFR.

Handover/handoff
What occurs when a cell phone used in a car moves out of the range of one cell and needs to connect to the next available cell. The preceding cell then hands over the connection to the stronger cell.

High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) / 3.5G
High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) is a mobile telephony protocol, also referred to as 3.5G (or 3½G) technology, which provides a smooth evolutionary path for UMTS-based 3G networks allowing for higher data transfer speeds, up to 14.4 Mbit/s per cell in the downlink and 2 Mbit/s per cell in the uplink. An evolution of the W-CDMA standard, HSDPA achieves the increase in the data transfer speeds by defining a new W-CDMA channel: a high-speed downlink shared channel (HS-DSCH) that operates in a different way from existing W-CDMA channels and is used for downlink communications to the mobile

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
A protocol that is used to transmit hypertext documents through the Internet. It controls and manages communications between a Web browser and a Web server.

IANA
Abbreviation for Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. An organization directed by the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) and which assigns IP numbers and protocol parameters such as port, protocol, and enterprise numbers, and options, codes, and types.

IEEE 802.16
Commonly referred to as WiMAX or less commonly as WirelessMAN™ or the Air Interface Standard, IEEE 802.16 is a specification for fixed broadband wireless metropolitan access networks (MANs) that use a point-to-multipoint architecture. Published on April 8, 2002, the standard defines the use of bandwidth between the licensed 10GHz and 66GHz and between the 2GHZ and 11GHz (licensed and unlicensed) frequency ranges and defines a MAC layer that supports multiple physical layer specifications customized for the frequency band of use and their associated regulations. 802.16 supports very high bit rates in both uploading to and downloading from a base station up to a distance of 30 miles to handle such services as VoIP, IP connectivity and TDM voice and data.

Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC)
Traditional telephone company. In the U.S., the Regional Bell Operation Companies (RBOCs) that were formed after the divestiture of AT&T and the Independent Operating Companies (IOCs) that usually are located in more rural areas or single cities are called ILECs.

Inbound Signaling
Inbound signaling uses not only the same channel path as the voice traffic, but the same frequency range (band) used for the voice traffic.

Intranet
One to one connections over the Internet that are not accessible to all; mainly a private Internet set up internally for employee view only.

IP Centric
A phone system built around an IP network, not a PBX (see PBX).

IP Telephony
Allows voice traffic to travel over data networks; in the consumer market, traffic can go over the Internet; in the commercial market, this traffic typically goes over privately-owned data networks.

IPTV (Internet Protocol Television)
IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) describes a system where a digital television service is delivered using the Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure, which may include delivery by a broadband connection. For residential users, IPTV is often provided in conjunction with Video on Demand and may be bundled with Internet services such as Web access and VoIP. The commercial bundling of IPTV, VoIP and Internet access is referred to as a Triple Play. Adding the mobile voice service leads to the Quadruple Play denomination. IPTV is typically supplied by a broadband operator using a closed network infrastructure. This closed network approach is in competition with the delivery of TV content over the public Internet. This type of delivery is widely called TV over Internet or Internet Television. In businesses, IPTV may be used to deliver television content over corporate LAN's and business networks. Perhaps a simpler definition of IPTV would be television content that, instead of being delivered through traditional formats and cabling, is received by the viewer through the technologies used for computer networks.

ISDN
Integrated Services Data Network, phone line standards that allow for voice, video and data to be sent over digital phone lines or normal phone wires, data transfer rates of 64Kbps.

Independent Service Provider (ISP)
Entities which provide telecommunications services over fixed or mobile networks, or services with a telecommunication service component, to the public at large but do not own or operate telecommunications networks. Some independent service providers may not use telecommunication networks e.g. they may be publishers of printed directories.

Intelligent Network
A telecommunications network in which the network intelligence is centralized and separated from switching functions. This allows more flexibility than switched based systems in that customers can be given access to their own database entries to carryout changes.

Interoperability
The technical features of a group of interconnected systems (systems include equipment owned and operated by the customer which is attached to the public telecommunication network) which ensure end to end provision of a given service in a consistent and predictable way.

ISO
The International Standards Organization, the body responsible for setting world technical standards. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

ITU
International Telecommunications Union, based in Geneva, Switzerland.

IWU
InterWorking Unit. This is the network "modem" where all the digital to analogue (and visa versa) conversions take place within the digital GSM networks.

Key System
Key telephone system (KTS): In a local environment, terminals and equipment that provide immediate access from all terminals to a variety of telephone services without attendant assistance. Note: A KTS may interface with the public switched telephone network. Key Systems are generally most appropriate in relatively small business environments, in the range of 50 telephones. Contemporary Electronic Key Telephone Systems (EKTSs), however, often cross the line into the PBX world, providing switching capabilities, as well as impressive functionality and feature content.

Last Mile
The last mile is the final leg of delivering connectivity from a communications provider to a customer. Usually referred to by the telecommunications and cable television industries, it is typically seen as an expensive challenge because "fanning out" wires and cables is a considerable physical undertaking. Outside the USA, the phrase "last kilometre" is sometimes used.

LAN
Local Area Network - data communications network in a confined geographic area, usually within a building or campus; connects computers, printers, modems, servers, etc.

Latency
An expression of how much time it takes for a packet of data to get from one designated point to another.

LATA
Local Access and Transport Area - local geographic areas in the US where local phone companies can offer local and long distance telephone services.

LNP
Local Number Portability allows a user to switch between local telephone companies without having to change the telephone number.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
A data communications network that (a) covers an area larger than a campus area network and smaller than a wide area network (WAN), (b) interconnects two or more LANs, and (c) usually covers an entire metropolitan area, such as a large city and its suburbs.

Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP)
An Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) draft standard for controlling voice gateways through IP networks.

Microsoft
The world's largest developer and publisher of software based in Redmond, Seattle, USA. Headed by William (Bill) Gates, the richest (non-royal) person on this planet.

Mobile number portability
Where a customer taking a service from a mobile operator  or service provider can retain their telephone number when they change to a different mobile operator or service provider.

Modulation
A process whereby a signal is transformed from its original form into a signal that is more suitable for transmission over the medium between transmitter and receiver.

Modem
Acronym for modulator /demodulator. In general, a device that both modulates and demodulates signals. In computer communications, a device used for converting digital signals into, and recovering them from, quasi-analog signals suitable for transmission over analog communications channels. Note: Many additional functions may be adde