Cellular Glossary :
Access fee, Airtime, Alphanumeric, Analog, Authentication,
Bit, Bits Per Second (BPS), Broadcast, Call Forwarding,
Caller I.D, Cell, Channel, Circuit, Cross-talk, Data,
Dial tone, Disconnect, ESN, Electronic Mail, Encryption,
FCC, Frequency reuse, Handoff, Hands-free,
Local Exchange Area, Message Alert, Mobile phone,
MTSO, No-answer transfer, NAM, Off-peak, PCS,
Peak, Portable, Prepaid Cellular, Repertory dialing,
Roaming, Service plan, Standby time, Talk time,
Transportable, Voice-activated dialing, Voice mail.

Wireless communications definitely has its own
vocabulary. To help you decipher what's being said,
here's a list of terms frequently heard when talking
cell phones.

Access fee:
A special fee that local telephone companies are
allowed to charge all telephone customers for the right to
connect with the local phone network. Cellular subscribers
pay this fee along with a 3 percent federal telephone
excise tax.

Airtime:
Actual time spent talking on the cellular telephone. Most
carriers bill customers based on how many minutes of
airtime they use each month. Airtime charges during peak
periods of the day vary from about 20 cents to more than
40 cents per minute, depending on the service plan
selected. Most carriers offer reduced rates for off-peak usage.

Alphanumeric:
A message or other type of readout containing both
letters ("alphas") and numbers ("numerics"). In cellular,
"alphanumeric memory dial" is a special type of
dial-from-memory option that displays both the name
of the individual and that individual's phone number
on the cellular phone handset. The name also can
be recalled by using the letters on the phone keypad.
By contrast, standard memory dial recalls numbers
from number-only locations.

Analog:
The traditional method of modulating radio signals so that
they can carry information. AM (amplitude modulation) and
FM (frequency modulation) are the two most common
methods of analog modulation.

Authentication:
A fraud prevention technology that takes a number of
values to create a shared, secret value used to verify
a user's authenticity.

Bit:
A contraction of Binary Digit. It is the smallest unit of
information in a binary system.

Bits Per Second (BPS):
Rate at which bits are transmitted.

Broadcast:
Delivery of a transmission to two or more stations at the
same time such as over a bus-type local network or by
roulette online satellite; or b) Protocol mechanism whereby group and
universal addressing are supported.

Call Forwarding:
accommodation in Rome This feature allows a station user to program at any time
any internal station number (or the attendant) and, when
activated by the station user, all incoming calls to his station
will be automatically rerouted to that preprogrammed number.

Caller I.D.:
A call-screening feature that allows the user to pinpoint the
origin of an incoming call prior to answering the phone.
The caller's number is displayed on the wireless
handset's screen.

Cell:
The basic geographic unit of a cellular system and
the basis for the generic industry term "cellular." A city
or county is divided into small "cells," each of which is
equipped with a low-powered radio transmitter/receiver.
The cells can vary in size depending on terrain and
capacity demands. By controlling the transmission power
and the radio frequencies assigned from one cell to another,
a computer at the Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO)
monitors the movement and transfers(or hands off) the phone
call to another cell and another radio frequency as needed.

Channel:
A path for electrical transmission between two or
more points without common carrier-provided terminal
equipment; also called a link, line, circuit or facility.

Circuit:
Physical connection of channels, conductors and
equipment required to provide a complete
communications pathway.

Cross-talk:
Energy-leak from one channel to another. On the telephone
network you hear somebody else's conversation.
If transmitting data, a noise source.

Data:
A singular noun meaning information.

Dial tone:
A signal hear when the handset is off the hook indicating
that the central office is ready to accept and process a
dialed number.

Digital modulation:
A method of decoding information for transmission.
Information, or in this case, a voice conversation is turned
into a series of digital bits; the 0s and 1s of computer
binary language. At the receiving end, the information
is reconverted.

Disconnect:
The disassociation or release of a switched circuit
between two stations.

ESN (Electronic Serial Number):
Each cellular phone is assigned a unique ESN, which is
automatically transmitted to the cellular tower station
every time a cellular call is placed. The Mobile Telephone
Switching Office validates the ESN with each call.

Electronic Mail (E-mail):
Any communications service that permits the electronic
transmission and storage of text messages.

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

FCC:
Federal Communications Commission. The Government
agency responsible for regulating telecommunications
in the United States, located in Washington, D.C.

Frequency reuse:
The ability to use the same frequencies repeatedly across
a cellular system, made possible by the basic design
approach for cellular. Since each cell is designed to use
radio frequencies only within its boundaries, the same
frequencies can be reused in other cells not far away with
little potential for interference. The reuse of frequencies is
what enables a cellular system to handle a huge number
of calls with a limited number
of channels.

Handoff:
The process by which the Mobile Telephone Switching
Office passes a cellular phone conversation from one
radio frequency in one cell to another radio frequency
in another. The handoff is performed so quickly that
users usually never notice.

Hands-free:
Turin hoteles 3 estrellas An important safety feature that's included with most
of today's mobile phones. It permits drivers to use their
cellular phone without lifting or holding the hand-set
to their ear.

Local Exchange Area:
That part of the national telephone network controlled
by the local telephone operating company and separate
from the long distance network. Local exchange areas
are generally regulatedby the state public utility commission.

Message alert:
(Also referred to as "call-in-absence" indicator) A light or
other indicator announcing that a phone call came in; an
especially important feature if the cellular subscriber
has voice mail.

Mobile phone (Also called a car phone):
The type of cellular phone that's installed in a car, truck
or van. There are three main types of cellular phones being
sold today: mobile, transportable and portable. A mobile
unit is attached to the vehicle, draws its power from the
vehicle's battery and has an external antenna.

MTSO:
Mobile Telephone Switching Office. The central switch
that controls the entire operation of a cellular system.
It is a sophisticated computer that monitors all cellular
calls, tracks the location of all cellular-equipped vehicles
traveling in the system, arranges handoffs, keeps track
of billing information, etc.

No-answer transfer:
A service feature (provided by some cellular carriers
in combination with call-waiting) that automatically
transfers an incoming cellular call to another phone
number if the cellular subscriber is unable to answer.

NAM(Number Assignment Module):
The NAM is the electronic memory in the cellular phone
that stores the telephone number. Phones with dual- or
multi-NAM features offer users the option of registering
the phone with a local number in more than one market.

Off-peak:
The period of time after the business day has ended
during which carriers may offer reduced airtime charges.

PCS(Personal Communications Services):
Another form of wireless telecommunications services.

Peak:
Highest-usage period of the business day when a cellular
system carries the most calling traffic.

Portable:
A one-piece, self-contained cellular telephone. The
newest portable model phones are so small – weighing
as little as 3.1 ounces – that they can be folded up and
carried in a suit pocket or purse. Portables normally have
built-in antennas and a rechargeable battery. See also
Mobile and Transportable.

Prepaid Cellular:
A system allowing subscribers to pay in advance for
wireless services. Prepaid is generally used for credit-
impaired customers or those who want to adhere to
a budget.

Repertory dialing:
Sometimes known as "memory dialing" or "speed-calling."
A feature that allows you to recall from 1-to-99 (or more)
phone numbers from a phone's memory with the touch
of just one, two or three buttons.

Roaming:
The ability to use your cellular phone outside your
usual service area – when traveling, for example.

Service plan:
A rate plan selected by subscribers when they start
up cellular service, usually consisting of a base rate
for system access and a per-minute rate for usage.
Service plans are designed to provide the most cost-
effective rates for different types and amounts of usage
by the cellular subscriber.

Standby time:
The amount of time you can leave your fully charged
cellular portable or transportable phone turned on before
the phone will completely discharge the batteries. See
talk time.

Talk time:
The length of time you can talk on your portable or
transportable cellular phone without recharging the
battery. The battery capacity of a cellular portable or
transportableis usually expressed in terms of so many
minutes of talktime OR so many hours of standby time.
When you're talking,the phone draws additional power from
the battery.

Transportable:
The transportable cellular phone is a standard mobile
phone that can be removed from the vehicle and used by
itself with an attached battery pack. The entire unit is
generally mounted or built into a custom carrying case to
make it easy to carry. Although technically "portable," the
transportable should not be confused with smaller,
one-piece cellular phones.

Voice-activated dialing:
A feature available only on selected phones that permits
you to dial numbers by calling them out to your cellular
phone,instead of dialing them manually. This function
is especially convenient for making calls from your
vehicle while driving.

Voice mail (Also called voice messaging):
A computerized answering service that automatically
answers your call, plays a greeting in your own voice
and records a message. After you retrieve your messages,
you can delete, save, reply to or forward the messages
to someone else on your voice mail system.