Mobile Terms & Acronyms

"Wireless technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace and along with it so too does the language used by the wireless industry - which at times can leave even the most accomplished wireless practitioner confused or bemused"

1G

The first generation of analogue mobile phone technologies including AMPS, TACS and NMT

2G

The second generation of digital mobile phone technologies including GSM, CDMA IS-95 and D-AMPS IS-136

2.5G

The enhancement of GSM which includes technologies such as GPRS

3G

The third generation of mobile phone technologies covered by the ITU IMT-2000 family

3GPP

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project, a grouping of international standards bodies, operators and vendors with the responsibility of standardising the WCDMA based members of the IMT-2000 family

3GPP2

The counterpart of 3GPP with responsibility for standardising the CDMA2000-based members of the IMT-2000 family. 3GPP2 is spearheaded by ANSI
8PSKOctantal Phase Shift Keying

A5/1/2/3/8X

Encryption algorithms for GSM networks

AALATM Adaptation Layer
ABRAvailable Bit Rate
A-bisInterface between the BSC and BTS in a GSM network
ABAccess Burst; used for random access and characterised by a longer guard period to allow for burst transmission from a MS that does not know the correct timing advance when first contacting a network
ACTEApprovals Committee for Terminal Equipment
ACTSAdvanced Communications Technologies and Services – a European technology initiative
ACUAntenna Combining Unit
ADPCMAdaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation; a form of voice compression that typically uses 32kbit/s
AFCAutomatic Frequency Control
AGCHAccess Grant Channel; downlink only, BTS allocates a TCH or SDCCH to the MS, allowing it access to the network
Air interfaceIn a mobile phone network, the radio transmission path between the base station and the mobile terminal
A-interfaceInterface between the MSC and BSS in a GSM network
AMAmplitude Modulation
AMPSAdvanced Mobile Phone System, the analogue mobile phone technology used in North and South America and in around 35 other countries. Operates in the 800MHz band using FDMA technology
AMRAdaptive Multi-Rate codec. Developed in 1999 for use in GSM networks, the AMR has been adopted by 3GPP for 3G
AnalogueThe representation of information by a continuously variable physical quantity such as voltage
ANSIAmerican National Standards Institute. An non-profit making US organisation which does not carry out standardisation work but reviews the work of standards bodies and assigns them category codes and numbers
ANSI-136See D-AMPS
APIApplication Program Interface
AoCAdvice of Charge
ARIBAssociation of Radio Industries and Businesses. An organisation established by Japan’s Ministry of Posts and Communications to act as the standardisation authority for radio communication and broadcasting
ARPUAverage Revenue Per User
ASCIIAmerican Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASICApplication Specific Integrated Circuit
ASPApplication Service Provider
Asymmetric TransmissionData transmissions where the traffic from the network to the subscriber is at a higher rate than the traffic from the subscriber to the network
A-TDMAAdvanced Time Division Multiple Access
ATMAsynchronous Transfer Mode; a multiplexed information transfer and switching method in which the data is organised into fixed length 53-octet cells and transmitted according to each application’s instantaneous need
AUCAuthentication Centre; the element within a GSM network which generates the parameters for subscriber authentication

BandwidthA term meaning both the width of a transmission channel in terms of Hertz and the maximum transmission speed in bits per second that it will support
BCHBroadcast Channels; carry only downlink information and are mainly responsible for synchronisation and frequency correction (BCCH, FCCH and SCH)
BCCHBroadcast Control Channel; the logical channel used in cellular networks to broadcast signalling and control information to all mobile phones within the network
B-CDMABroadband Code Division Multiple Access
B-ISDNBroadband ISDN
BERBit Error Rate; the percentage of received bits in error compared to the total number of bits received
BERTBit Error Rate Test
BitA bit is the smallest unit of information technology. As bits are made up using the binary number system, all multiples of bits must be powers of two i.e. a kilobit is actually 1024 bits and a megabit 1048576 bits. Transmission speeds are given in bits per second (bit/s)
BluetoothA low power, short range wireless technology designed to provide a replacement for the serial cable. Operating in the 2.4GHz ISM band, Bluetooth can connect a wide range of personal, professional and domestic devices such a laptop computers and mobile phones together wirelessly.
BHCABusy Hour Call Attempts; the number of call attempts made during a network’s busiest hour of the day
BSCBase Station Controller; the network entity controlling a number of Base Transceiver Stations
BSSBase Station System/Subsystem
BTSBase Transceiver Station; the network entity which communicates with the mobile station

CAICommon Air Interface; a standard developed for the UK’s public CT2 networks which enabled the same handset to be used on different networks
CAMELCustomised Application for Mobile network Enhanced Logic; an IN feature in GSM networks that enables users to carry personal services with them when roaming into other networks that support CAMEL
CSECAMEL Service Environment
CapacityA measure of a cellular network’s ability to support simultaneous calls
CBCell Broadcast
CCCall Control; manages call connections
CCBCustomer Care and Billing
CCCHCommon Control Channels; a group of uplink and downlink channels between the MS and the BTS (see PCH, AGCH and RACH)
CCS7Common Channel Signalling No. 7
CDMACode Division Multiple Access; also known as spread spectrum, CDMA cellular systems utilise a single frequency band for all traffic, differentiating the individual transmissions by assigning them unique codes before transmission. There are a number of variants of CDMA (see W-CDMA, B-CDMA, TD-SCDMA et al)
CDMAoneThe first commercial CDMA cellular system; deployed in North America and Korea; also known as IS-95
CDMA2000A member of the IMT-2000 3G family; backwardly compatible with cdmaOne
CDMA 1XThe first generation of cdma2000; the standardisation process indicated that there would be CDMA 2X and CDMA 3X but this no longer appears likely
CDMA 1X EV-DOA variant of CDMA 1X which delivers data only
CDPDCellular Digital Packet Data; a packet switched data service largely deployed in the USA. The service uses idle analogue channels to carry the packetised information.
CDPSKCoherent Differential Phase Shift Keying
CDRCall Detail Records; the record made within the cellular network of all details of both incoming and outgoing calls made by subscribers, The CDR is passed to the billing system for action
CellThe area covered by a cellular base station. A cell site may sectorise its antennas to service several cells from one locationCell siteThe facility housing the transmitters/receivers, the antennas and associated equipment
Cell splittingThe process of converting a single cell to multiple cells by sectorising the antennas in the cell site or constructing additional cells within a cell site
CELPCode Excited Linear Prediction; an analogue to digital voice coding scheme, there are a number of variants used in cellular systems
CEPTConference of European Posts and Telecommunications. A organisation of national posts, telegraphs and telephone administrations. Until 1988, when this work was take over by ETSI, the main European body for telecommunications standardisation. CEPT established the original GSM standardisation group
CFCall Forwarding
CICarrier to Interference ratio
CIBERCellular Intercarrier Billing Exchange Roamer Record
CIDCaller Identification
Circuit switchingA method used in telecommunications where a temporary dedicated circuit of constant bandwidth is established between two distant endpoints in a network. Mainly used for voice traffic; the opposite of packet switching
CLIDCalling Line Identification
CLIPCalling Line Identification Presentation
CLIRCalling Line Identification Restriction
CMConnection Management; is used to set up, maintain and take down call connections
CMOSComplementary Metal Oxide Substrate
CodecA word formed by combining coder and decoder the codec is a device which encodes and decodes signals. The voice codec in a cellular network converts voice signals into and back from bit strings. In GSM networks, in addition to the standard voice codec, it is possible to implement Half Rate (HR) codecs and Enhanced Full Rate (EFR) codecs
Control signalA signal sent to a cellular phone from a base station or vice versa which carries information essential to the call but not including the audio portion of a conversation
CPECustomer Premises Equipment; all the equipment on the end user’s side of the network interface
CPUCentral Processing Unit
CRCCyclic Redundancy Check
CRMCustomer Relationship Management
CSSCustomer Support System
CTCordless Telephony
CT0Zero generation cordless telephony; the earliest domestic cordless phones which used analogue technology and which had severe limitations in terms of range and security
CT1First generation cordless telephony; Improved analogue phones with greater range and security; a number of European nations produced CT1 standards
CT2Second generation cordless telephony; Using digital technology CT2 phones offered greater range, improved security and a wide range of new functionalities. Used in both domestic and cordless PABX deployments, CT2 was standardised as an interim ETS but was overwhelmed by DECT
CT2-CAISecond generation cordless telephony-common air interface
CTACordless Terminal Adaptor; a DECT term
CTMCordless Terminal Mobility
CTRCommon Technical Regulation; part of the ETSI standardisation process
CUGClosed User Group

D/ADigital to Analogue conversion
DACDigital to Analogue Convertor
DAMADemand Assigned Multiple Access
D-AMPSDigital AMPS, a US wireless standard also known as IS-136
DANDECT Access Node
DCADynamic Channel Assignment
DCCHDedicated Control Channels; responsible for roaming, handovers, encryption etc. (See SDCCH, SACCH and FACCH)
DCEData Communications Equipment
DCHData Clearing House
DCPSKDifferentially Coherent Phase Shift Keying
DCS1800Digital Cellular System at 1800MHz, now known as GSM1800
DECTDigitally Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications system, a second generation digital cordless technology standardised by ETSI
DEPSKDifferential Encoded Phase Shift Keying
DESDigital Encryption Standard
DFSKDouble Frequency Shift Keying
Digitala method of representing information as numbers with discrete values; usually expressed as a sequence of bits
DPCMDifferential Pulse Code Modulation
DPSKDigital Phase Shift Keying
DQPSKDigital Quadrature Phase Shift Keying
DS-CDMADirect Sequence CDMA
DSPDigital Signal Processing
DSRRDigital Short Range Radio; a UK standard for a low power, short range radio system designed for small voice and data networks
DTEData Terminal Equipment
DTMFDual Tone MultiFrequency; better know as Touch Tone. The tones generated by touching the keys on the phone are used for a variety of purposes including voice mail systems and voice messaging
DTXDiscontinuous Transmission
Dual BandThe capability of GSM infrastructure elements and handsets to work across both the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands. The capability to seamlessly handover between the two bands offers operators major capacity gains
DBDummy Burst; transmitted as a filler in unused timeslots of the carrier
DuplexThe wireless technique where one frequency band is used for traffic from the network to the subscriber (the downlink) and another, widely separated, band is used for traffic from the subscriber to the network (the uplink)

EDGEEnhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution; effectively the final stage in the evolution of the GSM standard, EDGE uses a new modulation schema to enable theoretical data speeds of up to 384kbit/s within the existing GSM spectrum. An alternative upgrade path towards 3G services for operators, such as those in the USA, without access to new spectrum. Also known as Enhanced GPRS (E-GPRS)
EEPROMElectrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory
EFREnhanced Full Rate; a alternative voice codec that provides improved voice quality in a GSM network (see codec)
EFTElectronic Funds Transfer
EGSMExtended (frequency range) GSM
EIREquipment Identity Register; a database that contains a list of all valid mobile stations within a network based on their IMEI
EIRPEffective Isotropic Radiated Power
EPOCThe mobile phone operating system developed by Symbian. Derived from epoch-the beginning of an era-EPOC is a 32-bit operating environment which comprises a suite of applications, customisable user interfaces, connectivity options and a range of development tools
EPROMErasable Programmable Read Only Memory
ErlangA dimensionless unit of average traffic density in a telecommunications network
ERMESEnhanced Radio Messaging System; a paging technology developed by ETSI which was intended to allow users to roam throughout Europe. Adopted by a number of European and Middle Eastern countries, ERMES, like paging in general, was overtaken by the ubiquity of GSM
EROEuropean Radiocommunications Office
ERPEffective Radiated Power
ESMREnhanced Special Mobile Radio; a US PMR variant (see SMR)
ESNElectronic Serial Number; a 32-bit number that uniquely identifies a mobile phone
ESPRITEuropean Strategic Programme for Research and Development in Information Technology
ETACSExtended TACS; the extension of TACS by the addition of new frequencies
ETSIEuropean Telecommunications Standards Institute: The European group responsible for defining telecommunications standards

FACCHFast Associated Control Channel; similar to the SDCCH but used in parallel for operation of the TCH. If the data rate of the SACCH is insufficient borrowing mode is used
FBFrequency Correction Burst; used for frequency synchronisation of the mobile
FCCFederal Communications Commission; the US regulatory body for telecommunications
FCCHFrequency Correction Channel; downlink only, correction of MS frequencies, transmission of frequency standard to MS etc.
FDDFrequency Division Duplex; a radio technique which uses paired spectrum; UMTS has an FDD element
FDMA Frequency Division Multiple Access-a transmission technique where the assigned frequency band for a network is divided into sub-bands which are allocated to a subscriber for the duration of their calls
FECForward Error Correction
FHFrequency Hopping
FH-CDMAFrequency Hopping CDMA
FMCFixed Mobile Convergence
FMIFixed Mobile Integration
FPLMTSFuture Public Land Mobile Telecommunications System, the original title of the ITU’s third generation concept now known as IMT-2000
FRAFixed Radio Access; see WLL
FSDPSKFiltered Symmetric Differential Phase Shift Keying
FSKFrequency Shift Keying; a method of using frequency modulation to send digital information
FSOQFrequency Shift Offset Quadrature Modulation
FSS Fixed Satellite ServiceGbThe interface between the PCU and the SGSN in a GSM/GPRS network

GcThe interface between the GGSN and the HLR in a GSM/GPRS network
GdThe interface between the SGSN and the SMSC in a GSM/GPRS network
GfThe interface between the SGSN and the EIR in a GSM/GPRS network
GiThe interface between the GGSN and the Internet in a GPRS network
GnThe interface between the GGSN and the SGSN in a GPRS network
GpThe interfaces between the GGSN/SGSN and the Border Gateway in a GPRS network
GrThe interface between the SGSN and the HLR in a GPRS network
GsThe interface between the SGSN and the MSC in a GSM/GPRS network
GAITGSM/ANSI 136 Interoperability Committee
GAPGeneric Access Profile; a DECT term
Gbit/sA unit of data transmission rate equal to one billion bits per second
GMSCGateway Mobile Services Switching Centre; the gateway between two networks
GCFGlobal Certification Forum
GeostationaryRefers to a satellite in equatorial orbit above the earth which appears from the surface to be stationary
GERANGSM-EDGE Radio Access Network; the name for the evolution of GSM towards 3G based on EDGE
GGRFGSM Global Roaming Forum
GGSNGateway GPRS Support Node; the gateway between a cellular network and a IP network.
GHzA unit of frequency equal to one billion Hertz per second
GMPCSGlobal Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite
GMSKGaussian filtered Minimum Shift Keying; a refinement of FSK which minimises adjacent channel interference
GPRSGeneral Packet Radio Service; standardised as part of GSM Phase 2+, GPRS represents the first implementation of packet switching within GSM, which is a circuit switched technology. GPRS offers theoretical data speeds of up to 115kbit/s using multislot techniques. GPRS is an essential precursor for 3G as it introduces the packet switched core required for UMTS
GPS Global Positioning System; a location system based on a constellation of US Department of Defence satellites. Depending on the number of satellites visible to the user can provide accuracies down to tens of metres. Now being incorporated as a key feature in an increasing number of handsets
GRXGPRS Roaming Exchange
GSMGlobal System for Mobile communications, the second generation digital technology originally developed for Europe but which now has in excess of 71 per cent of the world market. Initially developed for operation in the 900MHz band and subsequently modified for the 850, 1800 and 1900MHz bands. GSM originally stood for Groupe Speciale Mobile, the CEPT committee which began the GSM standardisation process
GSM MoUThe GSM Memorandum of Understanding, an agreement signed between all the major European operators to work together to promote GSM. The precursor of the GSM Association
GSM-RGSM-Railway, A variant of GSM designed to meet the special communications needs of international train operators

HandoffThe transfer of control of a cellular phone call in progress from one cell to another, without any discontinuity
Hands-freeThe operation of a cellular phone without using the handset; usually installed in vehicles.
HCSHierarchical Cell Structure; the architecture of a multi-layered cellular network where subscribers are handed over from the macro to the micro to the pico layer depending on the current network capacity and the needs of the subscriber
HDLCHigh level Data Link Control
HIPERLANHigh Performance Radio Local Access Network; a wireless local area network being standardised by ETSI (Also HIPERLAN2)
HLRHome Location Register; the database within a GSM network which stores all the subscriber data. An important element in the roaming process
HSCSDHigh Speed Circuit Switched Data; a special mode in GSM networks which provides higher data throughput By cocatenating a number of timeslots, each delivering 14.4kbit/s, much higher data speeds can be achieved
HSPSDHigh Speed Packet Switched DataIubThe interface between the Node B and the RNC in a UMTS network

IurThe interface between RNCs in a UMTS network
IupsThe connection between the RNC and the packet switched network in a GSM/GPRS/UMTS network
IucsThe connection between the RNC and the circuit switched network in a GSM/GPRS/UMTS network
I-ETSInterim European Telecommunications Standard
I-modeA service developed by Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo, I-mode delivers a huge range of services to subscribers and has proved enormously popular with some 30 million regular users. The revenue sharing model used for I-mode is being adopted by other operators as the basis for the new services enabled by GPRS and 3G
IMEIInternational Mobile Equipment Identity
IMSIInternational Mobile Subscriber Identity; an internal subscriber identity used only by the network
IMT-2000The family of third generation technologies approved by the ITU. There are five members of the family: IMT-DS, a direct sequence WCDMA FDD solution IMT-TC, a WCDMA TDD solution IMT-MC, a multicarrier solution developed from cdma2000 IMT-SC, a single carrier solution developed from IS-136/UWC-136 IMT-FT, a TDMA/TDD solution derived from DECT
INIntelligent Network
INAPIntelligent Network Application Part
InternetA loose confederation of autonomous databases and networks. Originally developed for academic use the Internet is now a global structure of millions of sites accessible by anyone
IntranetA private network which utilises the same techniques as the Internet but is accessible only by authorised users
IPInternet Protocol
IPRIntellectual Property Rights
IPv6The next generation of IP addressing designed to replace the current system IPv4 which uses a 32 bit address code which limits the number of possible addresses. IPv6 uses a 128 bit code ensuring that the possible number of IP addresses will be virtually limitless
IrDAInfra red Data Association
IridiumA low earth orbit satellite communications system developed initially by Motorola.
IS-54The first evolution in the USA from analogue to digital technology. Used a hybrid of analogue and digital technology, superseded by IS-136
IS-95Cellular standard know also as cdmaOne
IS-136Cellular standard also known as TDMA or D-AMPS
ISDNIntegrated Services Digital Network
ISOInternational Standards Organisation
ISP Internet Service Provider
ITUInternational Telecommunications Union
ITU-RITU Telecommunications Radio Sector
ITU-TITU Telecommunications Standardisation Sector
IWFInterworking Function

JavaA programming language developed by Sun Microsystems Java is characterised by the fact that programs written in Java do not rely on an operating system
JPEGJoint Photographic Experts Group

LANLocal Area Network
LANSLocal Area Network Services
LAPLink Access Protocol
LEOLow Earth Orbit; refers to satellites which orbit the Earth at around 1,000 kilometres
LMSSLand Mobile Satellite Service
LOSLine of Sight

MACMedia Access Control; the lower sublayer of the OSI system
MANMetropolitan Area Network
MAPMobile Application Part
Mbit/s Megabit: a unit of data transmission speed equal to one million bits per second
MHzMegahertz; a unit of frequency equal to one million Hertz
MCPAMulti Carrier Power Amplifier
MeXeMobile Execution Environment; likely to be based on Java, MeXe enables WAP-enabled devices to offer a wider range of features with greater security and flexibility, as well as greater control of telephony features
MFSKMultiple Frequency Shift Keying
MMIMan Machine Interface
MMSMultimedia Messaging Service; an evolution of SMS, MMS goes beyond text messaging offering various kinds of multimedia content including images, audio and video clips
MMSKModified Minimum Shift Keying
MNOMobile Network Operator
ModulationThe process of imposing an information signal on a carrier. This can be done by changing the amplitude (AM), the frequency (FM) or the phase, or any combination of these
MoUMemorandum of Understanding-see GSM MoU
MPEGMotion Picture Experts Group; MPEG4 is a technology for compressing voice and video so that the information can be transmitted over normally difficult links such as mobile radio
MSMobile Station
MSCMobile Switching Centre; the switching centre of a mobile phone network, the MSC has interfaces to the BSCs, HLR, VLR and other MSCs
MSISDNMobile Station International ISDN Number
MSK Minimum Shift Keying; Another term for FFSK
MultiplexingA telecommunications technique where several channels can be combined to share the same transmission medium. The most common forms are Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) and Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)
MVPNMobile Virtual Private Network

N-AMPSNarrowband AMPS
NBNormal Burst; used to carry traffic and control channels except RACH
NETNorme Europeenne de Telecommunications
NMTNordic Mobile Telephone system; an analogue cellular technology deployed in the Nordic countries in the late 1970’s; variations were also deployed in the Benelux countries and in Russia. NMT operated in the 450 and 900MHz bands and was the first technology to offer international roaming, albeit only in the Nordic countries
Node BThe element in a UMTS network which interfaces with the mobile station, analogous to a BTS in a GSM network

OTAOver the air activation (of services and tariff changes)
O&MOperations and Maintenance
OMCOperations and Maintenance Centre
OMC-RThe radio OMC
OMC-SThe switching OMC
OSIOpen Systems Interconnection; a seven layer model for protocols defined by ISO

PACSPersonal Access Communication System; a digital cordless technology developed initially by Bell Labs in the US, PACS was designed to compete with DECT
Packet switchingA communication system wherein the information is transmitted in packets of a set size. These packets have address headers and find their way to their destination by the most efficient route through the network. Compared to circuit switching where a connection is occupied until the traffic exchange is completed, packet switching offers considerable efficiencies as connections can be used by a number of users simultaneously
PAMRPublic Access Mobile Radio; Commercial service using trunking techniques in which multiple groups of users can set up their own closed systems within a shared public network
PAPPublic Access Profile; a DECT term
PCHPaging Channel; downlink only, the MS is informed of incoming calls by the BTS via the PCH
PCMPulse Code Modulation; the standard digital voice format at 64kbit/s
PCMCIAPersonal Computer Memory Card Interface Association the body responsible for defining the standards and formats for memory expansion cards for laptop computers and PDAs. Now extended to cover cards for mobile phones
PCNPersonal Communications Network; a designation initially used in the UK to refer to networks operating in the 1800MHz band (see also DCS1800). No longer in use
PCS 1900Personal Communications Systems 1900MHz; the terminology used in the US to describe the new digital networks being deployed in the 1900MHz band; rarely used today
PCUPacket Control Unit; an element in a GPRS/UMTS network
PDAPersonal Digital Assistant
PDCPersonal Digital Communications; a digital cellular technology developed and deployed uniquely in Japan. A TDMA technology, PDC is incompatible with any other digital cellular standard
PEDCPan European Digital Communications; A designation occasionally used in the early 1990’s to describe GSM. No longer in use
Penetration The percentage of the total population which owns a mobile phone
PHS / PHPPersonal HandyPhone System/Phone; a digital cordless technology developed in Japan which achieved great success. Deployed by NTT DoCoMo and other Japanese operators PHS offered two-way communications, data services and Internet access and eventually won some 28 million customers. Now in decline as cellular’s wide area capabilities offer better service
PINPersonal Identifier Number
PKIPublic Key Infrastructure
PLMNPublic Land Mobile Network; any cellular operator’s network
PMRPrivate Mobile Radiocommunications; two-way radio technology widely used for despatch and delivery services, taxi companies and the like. See TETRA
POCSAGPost Office Code Standardisation Group; a now defunct industry grouping which standardised pager addressing systems
PoPPoints of Presence; a method of measuring the value of a cellular licence; the approximate number of potential customers within a geographical area
POTSPlain Old Telephone Service
PROMProgrammable Read Only Memory
PSKPhase Shift Keying
PSRCPPublic Safety Radio Communications Project; an initiative by the UK Government to standardise all emergency services communications on to a single digital technology (see TETRA)
PSDNPublic Switched Data Network
PSPDNPublic Switched Packet Data Network
PSTNPublic Switched Telephone Network
PSUPower Supply Unit
PTOPublic Telecommunication Operator
PTTPosts, Telephone and Telegraph Administration
PTTPush-to-Talk; a feature of PMR systems
PWTPersonal Wireless Telecommunications; a variant of DECT developed for use in the USA

QAMQuadrature Amplitude Modulation
QAPSKQuadrature Amplitude Phase Shift Keying
QCELPQuadrature Code Excited Linear Prediction
QoSQuality of Service; a broad term to describe the performance attributes of an end-to-end connection
QPSKQuadrature Phase Shift Keying

RACEResearch in Advanced Communications in Europe
RACHRandom Access Channel; uplink only, allows the MS to request an SDCCH in response to a page or for a call
RAMRandom Access Memory
RFPRadio Fixed Part; equivalent to a base station in a DECT system
RCCRadio Common Carrier
RELPRegular pulse Excitation Linear Prediction coding
ReuseThe assignment of frequencies or channels to cells so that adjoining cells do not use the same frequencies and cause interference whereas more distant cells can use the same frequencies. Reuse expands the capacity of a cellular network by enabling the use of the same channels throughout the network
RP Radio Part
RNCRadio Network Controller; the element which controls the Node Bs within a UMTS network. It is roughly analogous to a BSC in a GSM network
RoamingA service unique to GSM which enables a subscriber to make and receive calls when outside the service area of his home network e.g. when travelling abroad
Router A device which forwards information in a network on a connectionless basis
RRMRadio Resource Management, part of the UMTS infrastructure
RTRemote Terminal

SACCHSlow Associated Control Channel; transmits continuous measurements in parallel with operation of TCH or SDCCH; needed for handover decisions
SARSpecific Absorption Rate
SBSynchronisation Burst; used for time synchronisation of the mobile
S-CDMASynchronous CDMA (see CDMA)
SCHSynchronisation Channel; downlink only frame synchronisation and identification of base station
SCPSwitching/Service Control Point
SDCCHStand-alone Dedicated Control Channel; communications channel between the MS and the BTS. Used for signalling during call set-up before a TCH is allocated
SDLCSynchronous Data Link Control
SDMASpatial Division Multiple Access
SGSNServing GPRS Support Node; the gateway between the RNC and the core network in a GPRS/UMTS network
SIMSubscriber Identity Module; A smart card containing the telephone number of the subscriber, encoded network identification details, the PIN and other user data such as the phone book. A user’s SIM card can be moved from phone to phone as it contains all the key information required to activate the phone
SoHoSmall Office/Home Office
StreamingAn Internet derived expression for the one-way transmission of video and audio content
STKSIM ToolKit: specified within the GSM standard, this allows operators to add additional functions to the phone menu in order to provide new services such as mobile banking or email
SMRSpecialised Mobile Radio; the US term for private mobile radio (See PMR)
SMSShort Message Service; a text message service which enables users to send short messages (160 characters) to other users. A very popular service, particularly amongst young people, with 400 billion SMS messages sent worldwide in 2002
SMSCSMS Centre-the network entity which switches SMS traffic
SMSCBSMS Cell Broadcast
SMS-MOSMS Mobile Originated
SMS-MTSMS Mobile Terminated
SMS-PPSMS Point to Point
SPService Provider
SQAMStaggered Quadrature Amplitude Modulation
SQPSKStaggered Quadrature Phase Shift Keying
SSSupplementary Service Support; handles special services
SS7Signalling System Number 7 (See CCS7)
SSPService Switching Point
STMSynchronous Transfer Mode
SymbianA company created by Psion, Nokia, Ericsson and Motorola in 1998 with the aim of developing and standardising an operating system which enable mobile phones from different manufacturers to exchange informationThe operating system is known as EPOC. Matsushita has subsequently joined Symbian

TACSTotal Access Communications System (an AMPS variant deployed in a number of countries principally the UK)
TAPTransferred Account Procedure; the essential charging methodology for international GSM roaming. There have been four TAP standards, TAP1, TAP2, TAP2+ and TAP3. The latter offers variable record length and is sufficiently flexible to support all future requirements arising from the move to 3G
TBRTechnical Basis for Regulation (part of the ETSI standardisation process)
TCHTraffic Channel
TD-CDMATime Division CDMA
TD-SCDMATime Division-Synchronous CDMA; a CDMA variant developed by Chinese vendors which is claimed to offer high data rates and greater coverage
TDDTime Division Duplex; a radio technology for use in unpaired spectrum. WCDMA/UMTS includes a band for TDD mode usage and both PHS and DECT use this technology
TDMATime Division Multiple Access; a technique for multiplexing multiple users onto a single channel on a single carrier by splitting the carrier into time slots and allocating these on a as-needed basis
TelematicsA wireless communications system designed for the collection and dissemination of information, particularly refers to vehicle-based electronic systems, vehicle tracking and positioning, on-line vehicle navigation and information systems and emergency assistance
TETRATerrestrial Trunked Radio; a European developed digital private mobile radio technology which is now being extensively deployed worldwide
TetrapolA competitive digital PMR technology to TETRA developed by French vendors
TFTSTerrestrial Flight Telephone System
TimeslotA frame within a TDMA schema; has a time interval of 576 microseconds. Physical content of a timeslot is known as a burst. Five different burst types exist, they are distinguished by different TDMA frame divisions (see NB, FB, SB, AB and DB)
TIPHONTelecommunications and Internet Protocol Harmonisation over Networks; an ETSI project designed to support the market for voice communications and voice band communications. In particular TIPHON will ensure that users on IP-based networks can communicate with those on circuit switched networks
TMNTelecommunications Management Network
TMSITemporary Mobile Subscriber Identity; covers the IMSI to prevent over-the-air interception and tracing
TRAUTranscoder Rate Adapter Unit; the transport unit for a 16kbit/s traffic channel on the A-bis interface
Tri-bandRefers to a mobile phone able to operate on the three internationally designated GSM frequencies- 900, 1800 and 1900MHz
TrueSyncA technology which enables the optimal synchronisation of calendars, address books, action lists and memoranda. It enables multi-point, one-step synchronisation of wireless and wireline devices, desktop computers and server-based applications and services
TRXTransmitter/receiver (transceiver)

UIUser Interface
UmThe air interface between the BTS and the MS in a GSM network
UuThe air interface between the Node B and the MS in a UMTS network.
UMTSUniversal Mobile Telecommunications System; the European entrant for 3G; now subsumed into the IMT-2000 family as the WCDMA technology.
UPNUniversal Personal Number
UPTUniversal Personal Telecommunications
URLUniform Resource Locator; the addressing system of the Internet
USOUniversal Service Obligation
UTRAUniversal Terrestrial Radio Access; the air interface component of WCDMA.
UTRANUniversal Terrestrial Radio Access Network; the UMTS radio access network comprising the RNC, Node B and the air interface
USIMUniversal Subscriber Identity Module; the 3G equivalent of the GSM SIM
UWBUltra Wide Band

VASValue Added Services
VBRVariable Bit Rate
VHEVirtual Home Environment
VLRVisitor Location Register
VocoderVoice coder
VoIPVoice over Internet Protocol
VPNVirtual Private Network
VSATVery Small Aperture Terminal
VSELPVector Sum Excited Linear Prediction

WAPWireless Application Protocol; a de facto standard for enabling mobile phones to access the Internet and advanced services. Users can access websites and pages which have been converted by the use of WML into stripped-down versions of the original more suitable for the limited display capabilities of mobile phones
WARCWorld Administration Radio Conference; an ITU conference held at regular intervals to determine the allocation of spectrum for various services
WCDMA Wideband CDMA; the technology created from a fusion of proposals to act as the European entrant for the ITU IMT-2000 family
WLLWireless Local Loop; a technique for providing telephony and low speed data services to fixed customers using wireless. Regarded as having considerably potential for rapidly addressing the telecommunications gap in developing countries. A number of different WLL solutions have been marketed based on cellular and cordless technologies
WLANWireless Local Area Network; a short range radio network normally deployed in traffic hotspots such as airport lounges, hotels and restaurants. WLAN enables suitably equipped users to access the fixed network wirelessly, providing high speed access (up to 11Mbit/s download) to distant servers. The key WLAN technologies are the IEEE802.11 family and ETSI HIPERLAN/2
WMLWireless Markup Language; a markup language developed specifically for wireless applications. WML is based on XML
WQAMWeighted Quadrature Amplitude Modulation
WWWWorld Wide Web

XMLeXtended Markup Language
The Consumer Mobile Glossary
Advice of chargeA service which provides the user with information on the cost of calls from a mobile phone
AirtimeThe amount of time a subscriber spends using his/her mobile phone
Battery status/Battery charge displayAn indication of the amount of battery life remaining
BatteryA chargeable device which provides the mobile phone with power. A variety of battery technologies have been used for mobile phones including nickel cadmium (NiCad), nickel metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium ion (Li-ion)
Call barring A service which enables users to bar certain incoming or outgoing calls on their mobile phones
Call timerA service which keeps track of the amount of airtime being used by the subscriber on a cumulative basis
Call divertThe capability to divert incoming calls to another phone (fixed or mobile) or to an answering service
Call holdThe ability to put an ongoing call on hold whilst answering or making a second call
Caller IDCaller Identification; displays the name/number of the person calling a mobile phone. Also known as CLI
CLISee Caller ID
CLRClear; the key on a cellular phone which is pressed to remove information from the display
Data capableMobile phones which have the capability to enable transmission of data from a laptop computer or PDA via the phone
Dual bandMobile phones which support transmission and reception of calls on the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands with seamless handover between the two frequency bands
EFREnhanced Full Rate (codec); an improved version of the standard voice codec used in GSM phones; offers improved speech quality without impacting on network capacity
ENDThe key on a cellular phone which is pressed to terminate a call
Infrared data portA facility on a mobile phone to allow information to be exchanged with other devices e.g. a PC using infra red technology
LockA function on a cellular phone which, when activated, prevents use of the phone until the user enters a security code
No ServiceAn indication on the display of a cellular phone that indicates that the user is in an area where cellular service is unavailable
One-touch diallingThe ability to dial frequently called numbers using a single key stroke; see Speed Dialling
PCNPersonal Communications Networks; an outdated term for GSM services in the 1800MHz band
PDAPersonal Digital Assistant; a sophisticated handheld device with advanced display facilities and a range of business-oriented software programs
Phone bookA list of personal names and numbers stored in a mobile phone’s internal memory or in the SIM card. These numbers can be called by accessing the appropriate memory and making a single key stroke
PINPersonal Identity Number; a number, usually four digits, that must be keyed into a mobile phone to make it work. A security measure to prevent unauthorised usage
RCLThe function on a cellular phone which recalls a phone number from memory
RoamingThe ability to make and receive calls on the same mobile phone when travelling outside the area of the home network operator
Smartphonea combination of mobile phone and personal digital assistant
SNDSend; The key on a cellular phone which initiates a call or answers an incoming call
Speed diallingSee One-touch dialling
Standby timeThe length of time a battery can power a mobile phone when it is switched on but not making or receiving calls
Talk-timeThe length of time a battery can power a mobile phone when making or receiving calls
VoicemailA service offered by network operators whereby calls received when the mobile is in use, switched off or out of coverage can be diverted to an answering service which can be personalised by the user
WAPWireless Application Protocol; a standard whereby mobile phones can gain access to specially tailored Internet websites
WMLWireless Markup Language; a specially designed markup language used for tailoring WAP content. WML enables optimum usage of the limited display capabilities of the mobile phone