| 0-9 | ||
| 3G | Next generation of wireless technology. Multimedia 3G networks transmit wireless data up to 2 megabits per second, making the integration of voice, data, and video possible | |
| A | ||
| ACTS | Advanced Communications Technologies and Services | |
| ADSL | Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line | |
| AMPS | Advanced Mobile Phone Service | |
| ARDIS | Advanced Radio Data Information Service | |
| ATM | Asynchronous Transfer Mode | |
| B | ||
| BER | Bit Error Rate | |
| Bluetooth | Technology specification being created for short-range wireless connection (up to 10 meters) using low-cost transceiver chips to be embedded in mobile computers, smart phones, and other portable devices. Provides three voice and data channels via a one-to-one connection with built-in encryption and verification | |
| BOOTP | Bootstrap Protocol | |
| BS | Base Station. Also known as MMS (Mobility Support Station) or Base Station Controller | |
| BSC | Base Station Controller | |
| BTS | Base Transceiver Station | |
| C | ||
| CDMA | Code Division Multiple Access. Spread spectrum air interface technology used in some digital cellular, personal communications services, and other wireless networks. See IS-95 | |
| CDPD | Cellular Digital Packet Data | |
| CLNP | Connectionless Network Protocol | |
| CMRS | Commercial Mobile Radio Services spectrum | |
| CTIA | Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association. A trade group that represents cellular, PCS, and enhanced specialized mobile radio carriers | |
| D | ||
| DARPA | Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency | |
| DCE | Data Communication Equipment | |
| DCT | Digital Cordless Telephone | |
| DECT | Digital European Cordless Telecommunications (Standard) | |
| DHCP | Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. An IETF protocol | |
| DTE | Data Terminal Equipment | |
| E | ||
| Embedded system | A computer system that is a component of a larger machine or system. Embedded systems can respond to events in real time. Most digital appliances, such as watches or cars, utilize an embedded system | |
| ESN | Electronic Serial Number. Unique identification number embedded in a wireless phone by the manufacturer to prevent fraud. ESN differs from the mobile identification number, which is the wireless carrier's identifier for a phone in the network | |
| E-TDMA | Extended Time Division Multiple Access | |
| F | ||
| Fixed wireless data | Wireless service to a fixed location through antennas larger than are seen in mobile or portable setups. The fastest data throughputs—up to T-1 speed—are available over fixed wireless networks | |
| Full user mobility | Wireless classification under which users can access data while in motion, for example, in a car | |
| G | ||
| Gateway | A ground-based link to a mobile satellite service network | |
| GEOS | Geo-stationary Earth Orbit Systems. Communications system with satellites in geosynchronous orbits 22,300 miles above the Earth | |
| GMPCS | Global Mobile Personal Communications Services. Proposed mobile satellite systems that will provide global wireless phone service | |
| GPRS | General Packet Radio Service. GPRS permits faster Internet access and improved mobile technology through continuous connectivity | |
| GPS | Global Positioning System. A series of 24 satellites that continually transmit their position. GPS is used in personal tracking, navigation, and automatic vehicle location technologies | |
| GSM | Global System for Mobile communication. Digital cellular or PCS standard used throughout the world, and the primary standard in Europe and Southeast Asia | |
| H | ||
| HDML | Handheld Device Markup Language. Derived from Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), this programming language allows Internet access from wireless devices such as handheld personal computers and smart phones | |
| HTTP-NG | Hypertext Transfer Protocol-Next Generation. A replacement for HTTP 1.0, HTTP-NG maintains the simplicity of HTTP 1.0 while adding important features such as security and authentication | |
| HLR | Home Location Register | |
| HTTP | Hypertext Transfer Protocol | |
| I | ||
| ICMP | Internet Control Message Protocol | |
| iDEN | Integrated Digital Enhanced Network. A Motorola-enhanced mobile radio network technology that integrates two-way radio, telephone, text messaging, and data transmission into a single network | |
| IF | Intermediate Frequency | |
| IMT 2000 | International Mobile Telecommunications by the year 2000 project | |
| Internet Screenphone | A telephone-like appliance with a built-in display screen that can be used to quickly call up Internet sites | |
| IRC | Infrared communication | |
| ISDN | Integrated Services Digital Network | |
| IS-95 | Spread spectrum air interface technology used in some digital cellular, personal communications services, and other wireless networks. See CDMA | |
| ITU-2000 (also known as IMT-2000) | Term coined by the International Telecommunication Union for the new third-generation global standard for mobile telecommunications | |
| IVIS | In-Vehicle Information System. Enables intelligent vehicles that provide the functionality to increase the productivity and safety of the driver | |
| J | ||
| JTACS | Japanese Total Access Communication System | |
| K | ||
| Kiosk services | Solutions for business center service providers such as hotel chains, airports, and office service franchises that offer document services (storing, reproduction, and distribution) through shared access devices in public spaces | |
| L | ||
| LEC | Local Exchange Carrier. An authorized carrier that has been commissioned to provide local voice-level telecommunications services within a predetermined area | |
| LEO | Low Earth Orbit. Mobile communications satellite between 700 and 2,000 kilometers above the Earth | |
| LMDS | Local Multipoint Distribution Service. Broadband radio service that enables two-way transmission of voice, high-speed data, and video (wireless cable TV) | |
| LNP | Local Number Portability. Subscribers' ability to switch local or wireless carriers and still retain the same phone number, as is possible now with long-distance carriers | |
| M | ||
| MBS | Mobile Broadband Systems | |
| MDSS | Mobile Data Synchronization Service. The ability to synchronize data on client devices with data stored in an enterprise database. A common protocol has been developed that will eventually allow a variety of clients to synchronize with a variety of databases | |
| ME | Mobile Equipment. Also known as Mobile Unit (MU) | |
| MEMS | Micro-Electro Mechanical System | |
| Microbrowser | Modified Web browser that allows users to get Internet data on a handheld wireless device | |
| MSS | Mobile Satellite Service | |
| Multi-modal | A system that operates using multiple interfaces (for example, both text and speech) | |
| N | ||
| NAMPS | Narrowband Advanced Mobile Phone Service | |
| NIMBY | Not In My Back Yard. The sentiment of citizens opposing the nearby placement of facilities deemed undesirable, for example, antenna towers or waste dumps | |
| NTIA | National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The United States government's authority on spectrum management | |
| O | ||
| OSI | Open Systems Interconnection | |
| P | ||
| PCMCIA | Personal Computer Memory Card International Association | |
| PCN | Personal Communications Network | |
| PCS | Personal Communication System. A classification of the United States Federal Communications Commission for digital wireless communication systems based on the same principles as cellular systems, but usually operating in a different frequency range and with smaller cell sizes than cellular systems | |
| PDA | Personal Digital Assistant. A small, hand-held device that offers functions such as address storage, calendar and e-mail. This mobile device can be synchronized with desktop computers | |
| PHS | Phone System (a Japanese term) | |
| PIA | Personal Information Appliance | |
| Portable wireless data | A classification of networks that access the Internet by using a laptop or palmtop computer and a small wireless modem | |
| PPP | Point-to-Point Protocol | |
| PSTN | Public Switched Telephone Network | |
| R | ||
| RBOC | Regional Bell Operating Company | |
| RF | Radio Frequency | |
| S | ||
| SDSL | Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line | |
| SDT | Speech Data Terminals | |
| SiGe | Silicon-Germanium Technology. Makes it possible to design complex chips that integrate the functions of a cellular telephone, an e-mailbox and an Internet browser into a hand-held information device with rapid data-transfer capability | |
| SIM | Subscriber Identity Module | |
| Smart phone | A smart phone enables connections to the Internet or Lotus Notes network so that users can access e-mail, faxes, voice mail, Web pages, and other files. It also has the potential to connect to a speech-recognition server by phone, which would allow a user to dictate notes or responses, and then see the recognized text as it is returned from the server | |
| SMS | Short Message Service. Electronic messages on a wireless network, such as those used in two-way paging | |
| SS7 | Signaling System 7. The international high-speed signaling backbone used for the public-switched telephone network | |
| T | ||
| TACS | Total Access Communication System | |
| TD-CDMA | Time Division, Code Division Multiple Access | |
| TDMA | Time Division Multiple Access. Digital air interface technology used in cellular, PCS, and EMSR networks | |
| TeleVAS | Telephony Value Added Services. Refers to any extra service available through your phone, such as call waiting or conference calling | |
| TM-UWB | Time-Modulated Ultra-Wide Band. New wireless technology that greatly broadens bandwidth. Developed by Time Domain, TM-UWB uses short, coded pulses transmitted over a wide range of frequencies, making it useful for a broad range of applications from networking to through-the-wall radar and secure communications | |
| Transcoding | The operation of changing data from one format to another, such as an XML to HTML, so the output will be displayed in an appropriate manner for the device | |
| U | ||
| UMTS | Universal Mobile Telecommunications System | |
| UTRA UMTS | Terrestrial Radio Access | |
| UWB | Ultra-Wideboard | |
| V | ||
| VDSL | Very high rate Digital Subscriber Line | |
| VLR | Visitor Location Register | |
| VoIP | Voice-over-IP. Used for Internet telephones. Long-distance carriers using VoIP can offer lower rates due to a higher volume of calls; however, the quality may not be as high as with traditional long-distance carriers | |
| W | ||
| WAP | Wireless Application Protocol. A new, open industry standard for mobile Internet access, WAP allows mobile users with wireless devices to easily and instantly access and interact with information and services | |
| W-ATM | Wireless Asynchronous Transfer Mode network | |
| WBXML | MDSP documents are encoded into WBXML, a succinct encoding of XML defined by the WAP Forum, and the WBXML byte stream is sent by enqueuing it on an MQLite queue as a single message object | |
| W-CDMA | Wideband Code Division Multiple Access | |
| WDF | Wireless Data Forum. An industry group dedicated to promoting wireless data | |
| Wireless LAN | A local area network (LAN) that uses wireless transmissions such as radio or infrared instead of phone lines or fiber-optics to connect data devices | |
| Wireless Network | Provides the means to access information over a diverse set of wireless and wired networks | |
| W-TDMA | Wideband Time Division Multiple Access | |
| X | ||
| XML | Extensible Markup Language. A streamlined version of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), XML is regulated by the World Wide Web Consortium. XML can make far more advanced use of data, and create more advanced links, than HTML |
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