Telecommunication Glossary

2G, 3G  

G stands for mobile communication generations, i.e., 3G refers to the third generation of mobile communication technologies. The first generation of mobile technology, such as Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS), uses nonstandardized analog radio systems. 2G systems, such as Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and Personal Communications Services (PCS), use digital radio technology for improved quality and a broader range of services. 3G is a set of digital technologies that promises improvements in capacity, speed, and efficiency. Users of 3G devices and networks are promised an access to the kind of multimedia services envisioned only by science fiction writers, such as video-on-demand, video conferencing, fast web access, and file transfer. Finland holds pride of place in 3G, having been granted the first UMTS licenses in early 1999. Data transmission speed is one key improvement 3G has over its predecessors. Some say 3G networks will provide transmission of data up to 2 megabits per second (Mbps), although others assert that current network capacities will likely slow this to around 384 Kbps. Still, even the slower speeds are quite an improvement over current 2G networks, which transfer data at just 9.6 Kbps.

Bluetooth  

Bluetooth technology is a low-power radio technology being developed to deliver short-range wireless mobility. Bluetooth technology holds the potential of eliminating intraoffice cables between devices, such as computers and printers, and providing services when devices are in close proximity. Bluetooth technology is an open standard and operates in the 2.4 Gigahertz (Ghz) frequency band. Devices utilizing Bluetooth technology should be able to transfer data—digital information—at transmission speeds up to 720 kilobits per second (Kbps). While this is too slow for the kind of media-rich experience we are getting used to on the Web, it is more than sufficient for transmission of the relatively short packets of data required. Bluetooth began development in 1998 under the auspices of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG), a group comprised of computer and telecommunications companies, which now number some 1400 member institutions, including 3Com, Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Lucent, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, and Toshiba.

CDMA  

Code Division Multiple Access is a technique in which the radio transmissions using the same frequency band are coded in a way that a signal from a certain transmitter can be received only by certain receivers. CDMA is based on what’s called spread spectrum technology. The technique was first pioneered during World War II, as a method used for hiding communications and to prevent jamming by the enemy. CDMA was first used for civilian communications in the 1980s. As a cellular technology, CDMA was specified by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), and is referred to as IS-95. CDMA uses both digital and analog techniques, which allow multiple users to occupy the same frequency without interference. Today, some 47 million users worldwide use CDMA networks.

GPRS  

General Packet Radio Service is a standard for wireless communication whose transmission speed is 150 Kilobits per second (Kbps). GPRS is particularly good for mobile Internet applications such as sending and receiving email. GPRS also offers instant access and permanent connection between the mobile device and the network. GPRS promises to enable a wide range of mobile applications now stunted by the slow transmission speeds of current wireless networks. GPRS is an important stepping-stone toward third generation (3G) networks. There have been GPRS terminals on the market starting from 2001.

GSM  

Global System for Mobile Communications was originally a European digital system for mobile communications. It was first introduced in 1991. Now GSM has become the de facto standard in many regions around the world, serving more than 100 nations. The notable exception is the United States, where adoption of GSM is still in its infancy, and analog networks still dominate. More than 239 million people around the world use GSM networks. Technologically, GSM uses what is known as narrowband Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), which allows eight simultaneous calls on the same frequency. GSM works primarily in three frequencies:

GSM 900, GSM 1900, and GSM 1800. The GSM 900 system is the most extensively used worldwide. GSM 1900 is primarily used in urban areas in the United States. GSM 1800 is primarily used in urban areas in Europe.

HSCSD  

High Speed Circuit Switched Data is an upgrade to GSM networks that enables data rates to increase to 57.6 Kbps. HSCSD was introduced in 1999 to upgrade the GSM data rate from the previous maximum of 14.4 Kbps.

ITU  

The International Telecommunication Union is the international organization within which governments and private companies coordinate telecom networks and services.

MMS  

Multimedia Messaging Service is a new standard that is being defined for use in advanced wireless terminals. The service allows for non-real-time transmission of various kinds of multimedia contents like images, audio, video clips, etc.

NMT  

Nordic Mobile Telephone is an analog cellular system originally developed by Ericsson for use in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland. NMT is operated in 450- and 900-MHz bands.

PDC  

Personal Digital Communication is a digital system for mobile communications in Japan.

SIM  

SIM stands for Subscriber Identification Module, a module that is inserted into a GSM mobile device for subscriber identification and other security related information.

SMS  

Short Message Service is service used in mobile communication systems by which a user can send or receive short messages—up to 160 characters—in textual form. SMS, as it is generally known, has become widely popular in Europe and the Far East since 1997, although the technology has been around since 1992. As of October of 1998, 2 billion short messages were being sent per month on GSM networks. Most SMS messages are sent person-to-person as simple text (e.g., “Meet me at the bar, 17:30”), but it also supports mobile information services, such as news, sports, stocks, weather, horoscopes, SMS chat, notifications, and downloadable ring-tones and icons.

SynchML  

SynchML is an open synchronization platform, which recognizes the need for a single data synchronization protocol—supported by over 500 service providers, application developers and manufacturers of mobile phones and other communication devices. This will make it possible to get up-to-date information with any application.

TDMA  

Time division multiple access (TDMA) is digital transmission technology that allows a number of users to access a single radio-frequency (RF) channel without interference by allocating unique time slots to each user within each channel. The TDMA digital transmission scheme multiplexes three signals over a single channel. The current TDMA standard for cellular divides a single channel into six time slots, with each signal using two slots, providing a 3 to 1 gain in capacity over advanced mobile-phone service (AMPS). Each caller is assigned a specific time slot for transmission. Because of its adoption by the European standard GSM, the Japanese Digital Cellular (JDC), and North American Digital Cellular (NADC), TDMA and its variants are currently the technology of choice throughout the world.

UMTS  

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System is a third generation (3G) mobile communications technology that promises data transmission speeds of up to 2 megabits per second (Mbps), although actual speeds may be significantly lower at first, due to network capacity restrictions. It is expected to become commercially available in Europe in 2003.

W-CDMA  

Short for wideband CDMA, a high-speed 3G mobile wireless technology with the capacity to offer higher data speeds than CDMA. WCDMA can reach speeds of up to 2 Mbps for voice, video, data, and image transmission. WCDMA was adopted as a standard by the ITU under the name “IMT-2000 direct spread.”

WAP  

Wireless Application Protocol is an open global standard for mobile solutions, including communication between a mobile device and the Internet or other computer applications. Because of the standard’s support in the industry and its compatibility with many existing standards (GSM, CDMA, TDMA, as well as with emerging 3G standards), WAP is expected to meet wide-ranging acceptance with consumers. Even now, mobile operators, like Vodafone and EuroTel, and Internet portals, like msn.com and Yahoo!, are racing to build WAP services. While the current version of WAP doesn’t support the kind of media-rich content people are used to getting from the Web, it does allow specially tailored Web-based content and services to be used on WAP mobile phones and devices. WAP facilitates such services as stock trading, mobile banking, and airline reservations. The WAP specification was announced in June of 1999 by the WAP Forum, which is an industry organization that brings together companies from all segments of the wireless sector.



Mobile Usability(c) How Nokia Changed the Face of the Mobile Phone
Mobile Usability: How Nokia Changed the Face of the Mobile Phone
ISBN: 0071385142
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 142

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