Telecom Abbrevations
Posted On Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at at 2:28 AM by Murali SrinivasanAbbreviations :
CAS - Channel Associated Signalling
CCBS - Call Completion Busy Subscriber
CLIP - Calling Line Identification Presentation
CW - Call Waiting
DDI - Direct Dialling In
DDO - Direct Dialling Out
DTMF - Dual Tone Multi Frequency
EG - ETSI Guide
FDM - Frequency Division Multiplex
FSK - Frequency Shift Keying
ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network
LF - Loading Factor
LU - Loading Unit (measuring unit for the loading factor (LF)
MFC - Multi Frequency Compelled
MFPB - Multi Frequency Push Button
MW - Message Waiting
2BASE-TL - IEEE EFM Standard
3G - the third generation of mobile phone standards and technology; it supercedes 2G.
8xx - 800, 866, 877 or 888 - prefix for toll free numbers in the USA and Canada.
ADSL - Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line - as opposed to SDSL, the download speed to the customer premises is greater than the upload speed into the Internet, for example, the following are some typical speed options: 1.5 Mb x 128 Kbps, 1.5 Mb x 256 Kbps, 3 Mbps x 384 Kbps, 3 Mbps x 512 Kbps
AJAX - Asynchronous JavaScript and XML
ASN - Autonomous System Number - Used for routing on Internet
BGP - Border Gateway Protocol - BGP is used to accomplish load balancing when you have more than one dedicated circuit from more than one ISP
BI - Business Intelligence
BPL - Broadband over Power Line
BTN - Billing Telephone Number
CBR - Committed Bit Rate
CDMA - Code Division Multiple Access - a wireless technology using TIA/EIA IS-95 protocol that allows multiple cell phones to share bandwidth used by carriers such as Sprint and Verizon Wireless.
CDR - Call Detail Record
CDR - Committed Data Rate - bandwidth equivalent of the port at each customer location.
CEF - CISCO Express Forwarding - an industry standard for binding data Ts together without voice or video service.
CET - Carrier Ethernet Transport - an architectural approach to building scalable transport infrastructure for supporting the evolution to NGNs that integrates Ethernet tunnel switching and intelligent WDM (WDM giving the ability to do multi-degree switching at wavelength and sub wavelength levels).
CIR - Committed Information Rate
CLEC - Competitive Local Exchange Carrier - a phone company that competes with an ILEC.
CO - Central Office - This is the building near your location that your phone and internet lines run to.
COS - Class of Service - IP traffic prioritization
CPNI - Customer Proprietary Network Information - individually identifiable information that is created by a customer’s relationship with a communications provider, for example, data about the duration, frequency and timing of calls, information on a customer’s bill and call detail information.
CRDD - Customer Requested Due Date - Date by which customer would like to have service turned on.
CSU - Channel Service Unit - For digital lines, provides termination for the digital signal and ensures connection integrity through error correction and line monitoring.
CSU/DSU - Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit - Connects a digital line (e.g., T1 or DS3) to a LAN; typically routers have CSU/DSUs built in.
CWDM - Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing - This technology greatly increases the carrying capacity of fiber optic cables. It uses up to 8 different wavelengths for different channels. See DWDM.
DDR - double-data rate - normally applied to DRAM
DECT - Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications - a digital wireless telephone 3G technology using TDMA over radio frequencies (1880-1900 MHz in Europe and many other areas; 1920-1930 MHz, or 1.9 GHz in the USA) to cordless phones.
DeMarc - Demarcation Point - point where telecommunications facilities owned by one organization interface with those of another organization - typically the point at an organization's floor telephone closet were organization circuit(s) interfaces with the telephone service provider's circuit(s).
DHCP - Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - Protocol by which IP addresses and other parameters are assigned to clients for a certain time period (Lease).
DIA - Dedicated Internet Access - This includes fractional T1, T1, bonded T1, fractional T3, DS3, and OC3 service.
DID - Direct Inward Dialing - A feature that allows there to be more direct dial phone numbers than there are lines into a location. When a call comes through, the number that was dialed is passed with the call so that a PBX can handle the call in a prescribed manner. For example, there may be 100 offices within a building with only 20 phone lines coming in from the phone company. With 100 DIDs, the PBX can send an incoming call to whichever of the 100 offices is assigned the DID that was dialed.
DLCI - Data Link Connection Identifier
DMH - Dual Mobile Handset - a handset that has Wi-Fi and traditional cellular offerings in one device.
DRAM - dynamic random access memory
DSL - Digital Subscriber Line - a family of technologies that offers digital data transmission between the local phone company Central Office and the customer. Typically, DSL speeds range between 128 Kbps and 3 Mbps. See ADSL, IDSL and SDSL for some of the different options. Cost and reliability of DSL service is less than that of T1 service.
DSLAM- DSL access multiplexer
DSM - Dynamic Spectrum Management.
DSU - Data Service Unit - For digital lines, converts T1 or T3 line frames into frames the LAN can interpret and vice versa; it manages timing errors and signal regeneration.
DTO - direct termination overflow - a feature whereby a call being terminated on a phone trunk can be forwarded to a 10-digit phone number if the trunks are full.
DVI - Digital Visual Interface
DWDM - Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing - This technology exponentially increases the carrying capacity of fiber optic cables. It uses up to 40 different wavelengths for different channels. Only a handful of the largest telecommunications providers operate commercial DWDM networks. Few organizations are large enough to need such capacity.
EDGE - Enhanced Data rate for GSM Evolution - a wireless broadband technology similar to EVDO but used on GSM networks. EDGE download speeds range from 100 Kbps to 300 Kbps.
EFM - Ethernet in the First Mile
EIR - Exceeded Information Rate
EMI - Enterprise Mobile Integration - allows extension of PBX functions to a cell phone.
Enum - Electronic Numbering - an IETF standard expected to marry PSTN to IP networks
EPVC - Enterprise PVC
EUCL - End User Common Line charge aka as the subscriber line charge - a monthly charge added to phone, voice T1 and PRI bills to cover state and federal charges. The EUCL is part of the FCC-mandated tariffed access charges that recover LEC costs associated with the origination and termination of interstate calls.
EVDO - also abbreviated as EV-DO, EvDO, 1xEV-DO or 1xEvDO - Evolution Data Only or Evolution Data Optimized - a wireless radio broadband data protocol used with CDMA featuring download speeds possibly up to 3.1 Mbps (Rev. A). Today's average EV-DO download speeds average 300 Kbps to 500 Kbps with peak rates of 2.4 Mbps. Upload speeds average 50 Kbps to 70 Kbps with peak rates of 144 Kbps.
EVDO card - card that plugs into the PCMCIA slot on your laptop (almost all laptops have a PCMCIA slot), and as long as you can pick up a decent signal from that carrier's cell tower, you can get online with your laptop and this manufacturer-specific air card - aka "air card".
EVPL - Ethernet Virtual Private Line
FAP - Fair Access Policy - A policy that allows everyone over a satellite connection to have access to a certain minimum bandwidth. To accomplish this, a transmission limit is enforced. When a user exceeds the limit, their bandwidth is severely limited for a certain period of time that may vary from a day to a month. It's important to read the providers Terms of Service to understand the exact policy.
FMC - Fixed Mobile Convergence - the integration of landline and wireless technologies and services into a single telecommunications network.
FOC - Firm Order Commit Date - Outside Wiring Date
FroSDSL - Frame over SDSL
FTTH - Fiber-to-the home
FTTN - Fiber-to-the-node - broadband service offered by Qwest and Bell Canada
FTTP - Fiber to the premises
FTTX - Fiber to the neighborhood
GFP - Generic framing procedure - GFP can be used to import non-traditional services such as Ethernet and storage area networks to Sonet.
GPS - Global positioning satellite - GPS chips, embedded in equipment, communicate with GPS satellites to identify the equipment's location.
GSM - Global System for Mobile Communications - cellular technology used in over 100 countries by carriers such as T-Mobile.
HDMI - High-Definition Multimedia Interface
HPNA - Home Phone Network Alliance - Version 3.1 is a recognized ITU standard that can use copper pairs and/or coax to distribute multimedia applications throughout a home at up to 320 Mbps.
HSUPA - High Speed Uplink Packet Access
IAD - Integrated Access Device - Device used to breakout voice lines from data channels on a T1; usually has built-in router functionality; depending on the carrier, voice lines can be delivered either as digital or analog (DS1 or PRI).
IAM - Identity and Access Management
ICB - Individual Case Basis - Pricing that is not standard but that must be developed manually for special situations.
ICT - Information and Communications Technology.
IDSL - ISDN Digital Subscriber Line: DSL service with limited availability. Allows 18,000-feet coverage and a upstream and downstream bandwidth of 144 kbit/s, slightly higher than the bandwidth of a bonded dual channel ISDN connection at 128kbit/s.
ILEC - Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier - the phone company that was providing local telephone service when the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was enacted.
IMS - IP Multimedia Subsystem - a Next Generation Networking architecture that supports a wide range of IP-based applications over packet-switched and circuit-switched networks using SIP. IMS allows network operators and service providers to control and charge for each service; it merges the Internet and Cellular worlds.
IP - Internet Protocol
IPP - Internet Printing Protocol - allows you to print to a network printer by specifying the device's URL
IPS - Intrusion-prevention system - system loaded with filters taht halt attacks against system vulnerabilities
IPsec- Internet Protocol security
IPT - IP Telephony
IRU - Irrefutable Rights of Use contract - Typically, a 10 or 20 year contract whereby bandwidth is sold by one carrier to another. Usually, no money changes hands but it involves a trade of bandwith.
ISP - Internet Service Provider
IVR - Interactive Voice Response
LAN - Local Area Network
LCA - Local Calling Area
LCR - Lowest Cost Routing
LNP - Local Number Portability - allows phone numbers to be ported (moved) from one carrier to another, for example from a landline phone to a cell phone or a VoIP phone.
LTE - Long Term Evolution - a 4G wireless technology developed within the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards organization. Verizon Wireless has decided to use LTE in it's future plans to complement it's existing CDMA network.
M2M - Machine-to-machine, for example cellular M2M communications. Typical applications are utility meter reading and vehicle tracking and diagnostics.
M2M - Month to Month - normally large Telecommunications contracts start with a term between 1 and 3 years, sometimes 5 years; once that initial term is up, a contract may be renewed or it may go to a M2M arrangement.
MBE - Mid-Band Ethernet
MDU - Multi-Dwelling Unit - apartment buildings.
MEF - MetroEthernet Forum
MLPPP - MultiLink Point-to-Point Protocol
MMDS - Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service aka Microwave Multipoint Distribution Services - A digital line of sight wireless broadcasting and communications system that works in the 2.1-2.7 GHz range. It is licensed by the FCC and can be used to transmit data and phone services over 30 mile distances.
MMR - MeetMe Room - room at a Collocation Center in which carriers connect to ports that connect to customers rack equipment. MMRs are required because carriers have no access into the room where the customer racks are located.
MNP - Mobile Number Portability
MoCA - Multimedia over Coax Alliance
MoU - Memorandum of understanding
MPLS - Multi-protocol Label Switching - IETF standard used to prioritize traffic to avoid network congestion or failures. Today, QoS doesn't carry over from one network to another. Once MPLS is widely deployed, it promises to not only accomplish this QoS carryover but to introduce advanced QOS. MPLS offers the ability to integrate voice, video and data across a common platform. It can replace ATM, Frame Relay, and Hosted VPN offerings.
MPOE - Minimum Point of Entry - Main Phone Closet or Box - typically in the basement or on the first floor.
MSAP - Multi-Service Access Platform.
MSPP - Multiservice Provisioning Platform.
MSSP - Managed Security Service Provider
MTNS - MultiTransport Network Service
NAC - Network Access Control
NAT - Network Address Translation
NGN - Next-Generation Networks
NIC - Network Interface Card - Card used in a PC to connect to a network.
NIU - Network Interface Unit
NNI - Network-to-Network Interface
OCN - Operating Carrier Number
OLPC - One Laptop Per Child - project whose goal is to bring inexpensive computing resources to children in the developing world.
ONT - Optical Network Terminal - terminal that supports a number of customers.
PBB-TE- Provider Backbone Bridging - Traffic Engineering - Emerging IEEE standard for Ethernet transport which provides enhancements known as PBT.
PBT - Provider Backbone Transport - Ethernet enhancement which can allow control of data paths in a large carrier network.
PBX - Private Branch Exchange
PL - Private line
PNG - Portable Network Graphics - graphics format offering advantages of JPEGs (such as true-color support) and GIFs (such as lossless compression) plus new capabilities such as varying degrees of transparency.
PON - Passive optical network
POP - Point of Presence
PoS - Packet over Sonet
POTS - Plain Old Telephone System - The telephone system that runs on the PSTN.
POTS - Packet Optical Transport System - combines the functionality of SONET/SDH, Ethernet and WDM/ROADM
PPP - Point to Point Protocol
PS/ALI-Private Switch/Automatic Location Identification - ability to identify the phone within an organization from which a 911 call was placed.
PSAPs - Public safety answering points - Points at which 9-1-1 calls are answered.
PSTN - Public Switched Telephone Network -the international telephone system based on copper wires carrying analog voice data on circuit-switched telephone networks. Also, known as the POTS.
PtP - Point-to-Point - usually refers to a dedicated circuit run between two points.
PTT - Push-to-talk
PVC - Permanent Virtual Circuit
PVR - Personal Video Recorder
QoS - Quality of Service
RAN - Radio Access Network
RFID - Radio frequency identification
RSS - Rich Site Summary, RDF Site Summary, or Really Simple Syndication - all of these refer to the same thing - RSS is a commonly accepted XML standard platform, a format for syndicating news and the content of news-like sites. With RSS a webmaster can instantly deliver information
RTP - Real Time Protocal
SBC - Session Border Control
SBC - Session Border Controller - SBCs offer security and quality in the deployment of next generation communications services and architectures such as FMC, IMS and VoIP.
SDR - single-data rate - normally applied to DRAM
SDRAM - synchronous DRAM
SDSL - Symmetric Digital iSubscriber Line - the download and upload speeds (bandwidths) are the same as opposed to ADSL.
SIM - Subscriber Identity Module - Removable SIM cards in cell phones allow phones to be instantly activated, interchanged, swapped out and upgraded simply by inserting or removing a SIM card. In the USA, only GSM cell phones use SIM cards.
SIP - Session Initiation Protocol
SLA - Service level agreement
SMS - Short Message Service - text messaging - sending short messages to and from mobile phones.
SMS/800- 800 Service Management System - the operations support system used to maintain North American toll free call processing records, toll free number availability, and toll free number reservation status.
SSE - Simple Sharing Extensions - a specification that extends RSS from unidirectional to bidirectional information flows.
SSL - Secure Socket Layer
SWC - Serving Wire Center
T-MPLS - Transport MPLS
T1 - DS1 (as opposed to DSL) - highly reliable voice or data service.
TDM - Time Division Multiplexed
TDMA - Time Division Multiple Access - a wireless technology using TIA/EIA IS-136 protocol that allows multiple cell phones to share bandwidth.
TFN - Toll Free Number
TN - Telephone Number
TRS - Telecommunications Relay Service - link between telephone users and people who use text telephones (aka TTYs).
UBR - Unspecified Bit Rate - an ATM bandwidth-allocation service that uses available bandwidth with no guaranteed throughput level.
UC - Unified Communications
UDP - User Datagram Protocol
UMA - Unified Mobile
UMTS - Universal Mobile Telecommunications System - a third-generation (3G) cell phone technology that is being developed into a 4G technology. Theoretically, it can support data transfer rates up to 14 Mpbs depending on the implementation.
UNE - Unbundled Network Element - defined by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 as any "facility or equipment used in the provision of a telecommunications service," as well as "features, functions, and capabilities that are provided by means of such facility or equipment." The most important UNE to most CLECs is the local loop, or "last mile", which gives CLECs access to the ILEC's customers.
UWB - Ultrawideband - a short range transmission alternative to Bluetooth.
VBR - Variable Bit Rate
VCC - Voice Call Continuity
VDSL - Very high speed DSL.
VLAN - Virtual LAN
VOD - Video on Demand.
VoIP - Voice Over Internet Protocol - Method of providing voice or phone service via internet connections
VoWLAN - Voice-over-WLAN
VPLS - virtual private LAN service - A Layer 2 service offering any-to-any connectivity and a full mesh.
VPN - Virtual Private Network - classic VPN uses IPsec to encrypt transmissions for connections made over the Internet.
WAN - Wide Area Network
Web 2.0 - Web 2.0 is sort of an attitude or an approach to the World Wide Web. It generally refers to a second generation of services available on the web that lets people collaborate and share information online. Examples of Web 2.0 are Wikipedia, Flickr, Google Maps, Del.icio.us, Google AdSense, Yahoo's new My Web 2.0, 43 Things, and blogs and wikis in general.
WEP - Wired Equivalent Privacy - a security protocol meant to safeguard wireless packet transmissions that is inferior to WPA.
WIC - WAN Interface Card - A router has a WIC per T1 in a bonded T1.
Wi-Fi - Wireless Fidelity, a set of standards known as 802.11
WiMax - Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
WLAN - Wireless LAN
WPA - Wi-Fi Protected Access - a security protocol meant to safeguard wireless packet transmissions that is defined in standard 802.11i and that is superior to WEP.
XML - Extensible Markup Language - XML is a simple, very flexible text format derived from SGML. Originally designed to meet the challenges of large-scale electronic publishing, XML is also playing an increasingly important role in the exchange of a wide variety of data on the Web and elsewhere.
CAS - Channel Associated Signalling
CCBS - Call Completion Busy Subscriber
CLIP - Calling Line Identification Presentation
CW - Call Waiting
DDI - Direct Dialling In
DDO - Direct Dialling Out
DTMF - Dual Tone Multi Frequency
EG - ETSI Guide
FDM - Frequency Division Multiplex
FSK - Frequency Shift Keying
ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network
LF - Loading Factor
LU - Loading Unit (measuring unit for the loading factor (LF)
MFC - Multi Frequency Compelled
MFPB - Multi Frequency Push Button
MW - Message Waiting
2BASE-TL - IEEE EFM Standard
3G - the third generation of mobile phone standards and technology; it supercedes 2G.
8xx - 800, 866, 877 or 888 - prefix for toll free numbers in the USA and Canada.
ADSL - Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line - as opposed to SDSL, the download speed to the customer premises is greater than the upload speed into the Internet, for example, the following are some typical speed options: 1.5 Mb x 128 Kbps, 1.5 Mb x 256 Kbps, 3 Mbps x 384 Kbps, 3 Mbps x 512 Kbps
AJAX - Asynchronous JavaScript and XML
ASN - Autonomous System Number - Used for routing on Internet
BGP - Border Gateway Protocol - BGP is used to accomplish load balancing when you have more than one dedicated circuit from more than one ISP
BI - Business Intelligence
BPL - Broadband over Power Line
BTN - Billing Telephone Number
CBR - Committed Bit Rate
CDMA - Code Division Multiple Access - a wireless technology using TIA/EIA IS-95 protocol that allows multiple cell phones to share bandwidth used by carriers such as Sprint and Verizon Wireless.
CDR - Call Detail Record
CDR - Committed Data Rate - bandwidth equivalent of the port at each customer location.
CEF - CISCO Express Forwarding - an industry standard for binding data Ts together without voice or video service.
CET - Carrier Ethernet Transport - an architectural approach to building scalable transport infrastructure for supporting the evolution to NGNs that integrates Ethernet tunnel switching and intelligent WDM (WDM giving the ability to do multi-degree switching at wavelength and sub wavelength levels).
CIR - Committed Information Rate
CLEC - Competitive Local Exchange Carrier - a phone company that competes with an ILEC.
CO - Central Office - This is the building near your location that your phone and internet lines run to.
COS - Class of Service - IP traffic prioritization
CPNI - Customer Proprietary Network Information - individually identifiable information that is created by a customer’s relationship with a communications provider, for example, data about the duration, frequency and timing of calls, information on a customer’s bill and call detail information.
CRDD - Customer Requested Due Date - Date by which customer would like to have service turned on.
CSU - Channel Service Unit - For digital lines, provides termination for the digital signal and ensures connection integrity through error correction and line monitoring.
CSU/DSU - Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit - Connects a digital line (e.g., T1 or DS3) to a LAN; typically routers have CSU/DSUs built in.
CWDM - Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing - This technology greatly increases the carrying capacity of fiber optic cables. It uses up to 8 different wavelengths for different channels. See DWDM.
DDR - double-data rate - normally applied to DRAM
DECT - Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications - a digital wireless telephone 3G technology using TDMA over radio frequencies (1880-1900 MHz in Europe and many other areas; 1920-1930 MHz, or 1.9 GHz in the USA) to cordless phones.
DeMarc - Demarcation Point - point where telecommunications facilities owned by one organization interface with those of another organization - typically the point at an organization's floor telephone closet were organization circuit(s) interfaces with the telephone service provider's circuit(s).
DHCP - Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - Protocol by which IP addresses and other parameters are assigned to clients for a certain time period (Lease).
DIA - Dedicated Internet Access - This includes fractional T1, T1, bonded T1, fractional T3, DS3, and OC3 service.
DID - Direct Inward Dialing - A feature that allows there to be more direct dial phone numbers than there are lines into a location. When a call comes through, the number that was dialed is passed with the call so that a PBX can handle the call in a prescribed manner. For example, there may be 100 offices within a building with only 20 phone lines coming in from the phone company. With 100 DIDs, the PBX can send an incoming call to whichever of the 100 offices is assigned the DID that was dialed.
DLCI - Data Link Connection Identifier
DMH - Dual Mobile Handset - a handset that has Wi-Fi and traditional cellular offerings in one device.
DRAM - dynamic random access memory
DSL - Digital Subscriber Line - a family of technologies that offers digital data transmission between the local phone company Central Office and the customer. Typically, DSL speeds range between 128 Kbps and 3 Mbps. See ADSL, IDSL and SDSL for some of the different options. Cost and reliability of DSL service is less than that of T1 service.
DSLAM- DSL access multiplexer
DSM - Dynamic Spectrum Management.
DSU - Data Service Unit - For digital lines, converts T1 or T3 line frames into frames the LAN can interpret and vice versa; it manages timing errors and signal regeneration.
DTO - direct termination overflow - a feature whereby a call being terminated on a phone trunk can be forwarded to a 10-digit phone number if the trunks are full.
DVI - Digital Visual Interface
DWDM - Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing - This technology exponentially increases the carrying capacity of fiber optic cables. It uses up to 40 different wavelengths for different channels. Only a handful of the largest telecommunications providers operate commercial DWDM networks. Few organizations are large enough to need such capacity.
EDGE - Enhanced Data rate for GSM Evolution - a wireless broadband technology similar to EVDO but used on GSM networks. EDGE download speeds range from 100 Kbps to 300 Kbps.
EFM - Ethernet in the First Mile
EIR - Exceeded Information Rate
EMI - Enterprise Mobile Integration - allows extension of PBX functions to a cell phone.
Enum - Electronic Numbering - an IETF standard expected to marry PSTN to IP networks
EPVC - Enterprise PVC
EUCL - End User Common Line charge aka as the subscriber line charge - a monthly charge added to phone, voice T1 and PRI bills to cover state and federal charges. The EUCL is part of the FCC-mandated tariffed access charges that recover LEC costs associated with the origination and termination of interstate calls.
EVDO - also abbreviated as EV-DO, EvDO, 1xEV-DO or 1xEvDO - Evolution Data Only or Evolution Data Optimized - a wireless radio broadband data protocol used with CDMA featuring download speeds possibly up to 3.1 Mbps (Rev. A). Today's average EV-DO download speeds average 300 Kbps to 500 Kbps with peak rates of 2.4 Mbps. Upload speeds average 50 Kbps to 70 Kbps with peak rates of 144 Kbps.
EVDO card - card that plugs into the PCMCIA slot on your laptop (almost all laptops have a PCMCIA slot), and as long as you can pick up a decent signal from that carrier's cell tower, you can get online with your laptop and this manufacturer-specific air card - aka "air card".
EVPL - Ethernet Virtual Private Line
FAP - Fair Access Policy - A policy that allows everyone over a satellite connection to have access to a certain minimum bandwidth. To accomplish this, a transmission limit is enforced. When a user exceeds the limit, their bandwidth is severely limited for a certain period of time that may vary from a day to a month. It's important to read the providers Terms of Service to understand the exact policy.
FMC - Fixed Mobile Convergence - the integration of landline and wireless technologies and services into a single telecommunications network.
FOC - Firm Order Commit Date - Outside Wiring Date
FroSDSL - Frame over SDSL
FTTH - Fiber-to-the home
FTTN - Fiber-to-the-node - broadband service offered by Qwest and Bell Canada
FTTP - Fiber to the premises
FTTX - Fiber to the neighborhood
GFP - Generic framing procedure - GFP can be used to import non-traditional services such as Ethernet and storage area networks to Sonet.
GPS - Global positioning satellite - GPS chips, embedded in equipment, communicate with GPS satellites to identify the equipment's location.
GSM - Global System for Mobile Communications - cellular technology used in over 100 countries by carriers such as T-Mobile.
HDMI - High-Definition Multimedia Interface
HPNA - Home Phone Network Alliance - Version 3.1 is a recognized ITU standard that can use copper pairs and/or coax to distribute multimedia applications throughout a home at up to 320 Mbps.
HSUPA - High Speed Uplink Packet Access
IAD - Integrated Access Device - Device used to breakout voice lines from data channels on a T1; usually has built-in router functionality; depending on the carrier, voice lines can be delivered either as digital or analog (DS1 or PRI).
IAM - Identity and Access Management
ICB - Individual Case Basis - Pricing that is not standard but that must be developed manually for special situations.
ICT - Information and Communications Technology.
IDSL - ISDN Digital Subscriber Line: DSL service with limited availability. Allows 18,000-feet coverage and a upstream and downstream bandwidth of 144 kbit/s, slightly higher than the bandwidth of a bonded dual channel ISDN connection at 128kbit/s.
ILEC - Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier - the phone company that was providing local telephone service when the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was enacted.
IMS - IP Multimedia Subsystem - a Next Generation Networking architecture that supports a wide range of IP-based applications over packet-switched and circuit-switched networks using SIP. IMS allows network operators and service providers to control and charge for each service; it merges the Internet and Cellular worlds.
IP - Internet Protocol
IPP - Internet Printing Protocol - allows you to print to a network printer by specifying the device's URL
IPS - Intrusion-prevention system - system loaded with filters taht halt attacks against system vulnerabilities
IPsec- Internet Protocol security
IPT - IP Telephony
IRU - Irrefutable Rights of Use contract - Typically, a 10 or 20 year contract whereby bandwidth is sold by one carrier to another. Usually, no money changes hands but it involves a trade of bandwith.
ISP - Internet Service Provider
IVR - Interactive Voice Response
LAN - Local Area Network
LCA - Local Calling Area
LCR - Lowest Cost Routing
LNP - Local Number Portability - allows phone numbers to be ported (moved) from one carrier to another, for example from a landline phone to a cell phone or a VoIP phone.
LTE - Long Term Evolution - a 4G wireless technology developed within the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards organization. Verizon Wireless has decided to use LTE in it's future plans to complement it's existing CDMA network.
M2M - Machine-to-machine, for example cellular M2M communications. Typical applications are utility meter reading and vehicle tracking and diagnostics.
M2M - Month to Month - normally large Telecommunications contracts start with a term between 1 and 3 years, sometimes 5 years; once that initial term is up, a contract may be renewed or it may go to a M2M arrangement.
MBE - Mid-Band Ethernet
MDU - Multi-Dwelling Unit - apartment buildings.
MEF - MetroEthernet Forum
MLPPP - MultiLink Point-to-Point Protocol
MMDS - Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service aka Microwave Multipoint Distribution Services - A digital line of sight wireless broadcasting and communications system that works in the 2.1-2.7 GHz range. It is licensed by the FCC and can be used to transmit data and phone services over 30 mile distances.
MMR - MeetMe Room - room at a Collocation Center in which carriers connect to ports that connect to customers rack equipment. MMRs are required because carriers have no access into the room where the customer racks are located.
MNP - Mobile Number Portability
MoCA - Multimedia over Coax Alliance
MoU - Memorandum of understanding
MPLS - Multi-protocol Label Switching - IETF standard used to prioritize traffic to avoid network congestion or failures. Today, QoS doesn't carry over from one network to another. Once MPLS is widely deployed, it promises to not only accomplish this QoS carryover but to introduce advanced QOS. MPLS offers the ability to integrate voice, video and data across a common platform. It can replace ATM, Frame Relay, and Hosted VPN offerings.
MPOE - Minimum Point of Entry - Main Phone Closet or Box - typically in the basement or on the first floor.
MSAP - Multi-Service Access Platform.
MSPP - Multiservice Provisioning Platform.
MSSP - Managed Security Service Provider
MTNS - MultiTransport Network Service
NAC - Network Access Control
NAT - Network Address Translation
NGN - Next-Generation Networks
NIC - Network Interface Card - Card used in a PC to connect to a network.
NIU - Network Interface Unit
NNI - Network-to-Network Interface
OCN - Operating Carrier Number
OLPC - One Laptop Per Child - project whose goal is to bring inexpensive computing resources to children in the developing world.
ONT - Optical Network Terminal - terminal that supports a number of customers.
PBB-TE- Provider Backbone Bridging - Traffic Engineering - Emerging IEEE standard for Ethernet transport which provides enhancements known as PBT.
PBT - Provider Backbone Transport - Ethernet enhancement which can allow control of data paths in a large carrier network.
PBX - Private Branch Exchange
PL - Private line
PNG - Portable Network Graphics - graphics format offering advantages of JPEGs (such as true-color support) and GIFs (such as lossless compression) plus new capabilities such as varying degrees of transparency.
PON - Passive optical network
POP - Point of Presence
PoS - Packet over Sonet
POTS - Plain Old Telephone System - The telephone system that runs on the PSTN.
POTS - Packet Optical Transport System - combines the functionality of SONET/SDH, Ethernet and WDM/ROADM
PPP - Point to Point Protocol
PS/ALI-Private Switch/Automatic Location Identification - ability to identify the phone within an organization from which a 911 call was placed.
PSAPs - Public safety answering points - Points at which 9-1-1 calls are answered.
PSTN - Public Switched Telephone Network -the international telephone system based on copper wires carrying analog voice data on circuit-switched telephone networks. Also, known as the POTS.
PtP - Point-to-Point - usually refers to a dedicated circuit run between two points.
PTT - Push-to-talk
PVC - Permanent Virtual Circuit
PVR - Personal Video Recorder
QoS - Quality of Service
RAN - Radio Access Network
RFID - Radio frequency identification
RSS - Rich Site Summary, RDF Site Summary, or Really Simple Syndication - all of these refer to the same thing - RSS is a commonly accepted XML standard platform, a format for syndicating news and the content of news-like sites. With RSS a webmaster can instantly deliver information
RTP - Real Time Protocal
SBC - Session Border Control
SBC - Session Border Controller - SBCs offer security and quality in the deployment of next generation communications services and architectures such as FMC, IMS and VoIP.
SDR - single-data rate - normally applied to DRAM
SDRAM - synchronous DRAM
SDSL - Symmetric Digital iSubscriber Line - the download and upload speeds (bandwidths) are the same as opposed to ADSL.
SIM - Subscriber Identity Module - Removable SIM cards in cell phones allow phones to be instantly activated, interchanged, swapped out and upgraded simply by inserting or removing a SIM card. In the USA, only GSM cell phones use SIM cards.
SIP - Session Initiation Protocol
SLA - Service level agreement
SMS - Short Message Service - text messaging - sending short messages to and from mobile phones.
SMS/800- 800 Service Management System - the operations support system used to maintain North American toll free call processing records, toll free number availability, and toll free number reservation status.
SSE - Simple Sharing Extensions - a specification that extends RSS from unidirectional to bidirectional information flows.
SSL - Secure Socket Layer
SWC - Serving Wire Center
T-MPLS - Transport MPLS
T1 - DS1 (as opposed to DSL) - highly reliable voice or data service.
TDM - Time Division Multiplexed
TDMA - Time Division Multiple Access - a wireless technology using TIA/EIA IS-136 protocol that allows multiple cell phones to share bandwidth.
TFN - Toll Free Number
TN - Telephone Number
TRS - Telecommunications Relay Service - link between telephone users and people who use text telephones (aka TTYs).
UBR - Unspecified Bit Rate - an ATM bandwidth-allocation service that uses available bandwidth with no guaranteed throughput level.
UC - Unified Communications
UDP - User Datagram Protocol
UMA - Unified Mobile
UMTS - Universal Mobile Telecommunications System - a third-generation (3G) cell phone technology that is being developed into a 4G technology. Theoretically, it can support data transfer rates up to 14 Mpbs depending on the implementation.
UNE - Unbundled Network Element - defined by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 as any "facility or equipment used in the provision of a telecommunications service," as well as "features, functions, and capabilities that are provided by means of such facility or equipment." The most important UNE to most CLECs is the local loop, or "last mile", which gives CLECs access to the ILEC's customers.
UWB - Ultrawideband - a short range transmission alternative to Bluetooth.
VBR - Variable Bit Rate
VCC - Voice Call Continuity
VDSL - Very high speed DSL.
VLAN - Virtual LAN
VOD - Video on Demand.
VoIP - Voice Over Internet Protocol - Method of providing voice or phone service via internet connections
VoWLAN - Voice-over-WLAN
VPLS - virtual private LAN service - A Layer 2 service offering any-to-any connectivity and a full mesh.
VPN - Virtual Private Network - classic VPN uses IPsec to encrypt transmissions for connections made over the Internet.
WAN - Wide Area Network
Web 2.0 - Web 2.0 is sort of an attitude or an approach to the World Wide Web. It generally refers to a second generation of services available on the web that lets people collaborate and share information online. Examples of Web 2.0 are Wikipedia, Flickr, Google Maps, Del.icio.us, Google AdSense, Yahoo's new My Web 2.0, 43 Things, and blogs and wikis in general.
WEP - Wired Equivalent Privacy - a security protocol meant to safeguard wireless packet transmissions that is inferior to WPA.
WIC - WAN Interface Card - A router has a WIC per T1 in a bonded T1.
Wi-Fi - Wireless Fidelity, a set of standards known as 802.11
WiMax - Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
WLAN - Wireless LAN
WPA - Wi-Fi Protected Access - a security protocol meant to safeguard wireless packet transmissions that is defined in standard 802.11i and that is superior to WEP.
XML - Extensible Markup Language - XML is a simple, very flexible text format derived from SGML. Originally designed to meet the challenges of large-scale electronic publishing, XML is also playing an increasingly important role in the exchange of a wide variety of data on the Web and elsewhere.
Hi Rohith,
I am Rajesh from SiliconIndia. I am also an avid blogger for a while now and participating actively in Indian blogosphere. I read your blog posting and found them very interesting and informative. We would love to see a copy of your blogs posted here, whenever you are posting it on blogger.com. Here are some of the benefits of posting your blogs here:
We have a strong community of 500,000 Indian professionals
Best blogs of 2008 to be published in a book "SiliconIndia bLoG PrinT"
Best blog to be printed in SliconIndia & SmartTechie magazines each month
Chance to be featured on homepage everyday
We appreciate your community initiative here and in helping build a more powerful India! Also, if you have any ideas or want to volunteer to help for SiliconIndia, we would be more than excited to get your help. Pls mail me back at rajesh@siliconindia.com with your suggestions and feedback.
Rajesh
Blog Editor- SiliconIndia
9886734775