Glossary for Telecomunications

This glossary helps explain some of the acronyms and technical phrases

Bluetooth
A short-range wireless technology designed to allow connection of portable devices in a wire-free manner. For example connection of a wireless hands-free kit.

Broadband
High speed connectivity - wireless transmission in Vodafone's case. Typically allowing the fast transmission of multimedia content.

CDMA
Code Division Multiple Access - a generic term for a type of digital mobile telephony technology which supports a number of mobile connections. This technique is used by some alternative systems to GSM. See also W-CDMA.

Contract Customer
A subscriber with whom Vodafone has a formal contractual agreement with the customer billed on a monthly basis for access fees and any additional airtime or data used. Vodafone contract tariffs all have an amount of airtime included in the monthly charge. See Prepay Customer.

Data products
Data products are those products and services that use the Vodafone network but are not voice. They include basic text messages (SMS), multimedia messaging (MMS), Internet browsing and downloads such as ring tones and games.

EDGE
Enhanced Data rate for GSM Evolution - a development of GSM which allows for the faster delivery of advance mobile services such as full multimedia messaging.

Fixed line
Telecommunications lines that are not wirefree but connected to physical points.

2G
Second generation technology. A term used to describe the digital cellular networks such as GSM which were introduced as a replacement for analogue cellular networks.

2.5G
Technological upgrades to standard GSM mobile networks which increase data transmission speeds and efficiency. The term encompasses HSCSD, GPRS and EDGE. Seen as an intermediate technology between 2G and 3G.

3G
Third generation (UMTS) technology using new data transmission standards and operating at a different part of the spectrum range to second generation networks. Licences have been issued by European governments to cover the UMTS spectrum around the 2GHz level.

GPRS
General Packet Radio Service. An enhancement to the GSM mobile communications system that supports data packets. It enables a continuous flow of data packets over the system for applications that support web browsing and file transfer for example. With GPRS, your phone is always connected to WAP and other data services, so you don't need to dial in each time you want to access data services.

GSM
Global System for Mobile Communication - an open, non-proprietary digital wireless technology platform.

Hertz (Hz)
Measure of frequency or cycles per second. Usually measured in millions as Megahertz (MHz) or in billions as Gigahertz (GHz).

HTML
Hypertext Mark-up Language - the language used to create web documents.

HSCSD
High Speed Circuit Switched Data. Circuit-switched wireless data transmission for mobile users at data rates of 28.8 Kbits per second or higher, compared to a maximum of only 9.6 Kbits per second using traditional GSM networks.

IEEE
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is a US based organisation providing expertise across a wide range of engineering fields. One of its main areas of activity is the development of industry standards.

MMS
Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is a 'store and forward' messaging service which allows mobile subscribers to exchange multimedia messages with other mobile subscribers. MMS supports the transmission of additional media types: text, picture, audio, video or a combination of these.

Multi-access portal
A service that provides Web access from a range of different devices such as mobile, fixed and cable television devices.

PDA
Personal Digital Assistant - devices such as personal organisers (e.g. Palm and iPAQ).

Portal
A gateway or entry point to the Internet incorporating significant functionality such as search engines, news alerts and personal preferences that enable users to access the data they want from the Web from a central point.

Prepay customer
A customer who does not have a written contract and buys his/her talk time in advance, by purchasing vouchers from retail outlets for example. See Contract Customer.

Roaming
The facility for a subscriber to use his/ her mobile for both outgoing and incoming calls on any other network, in the same or another country, that has entered into a commercial roaming agreement with the subscriber's home network.

Short code access
Codes to enable users to access services such as answerphones without having to dial a full number.

SMS or text messaging
Short Message Service. A service which enables mobile telephone users to send and receive text messages on their handsets.

Spectrum
A specific frequency range.

TDMA
Time Division Multiple Access - a generic term for a type of digital mobile telephony technology including GSM.

UMTS
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. Also known as 3G, the third generation digital standard for mobile telecommunications.

WAP
Wireless Application Protocol. A global, open standard for providing mobile phones, pagers and other handheld devices with secure access to e-mail and simple webpages. WAP allows you to access information through your phone.

W-CDMA
Wideband CDMA - a radio interface technology which has been developed as an open standard in the 3GPP standards development organisation.

Wireless
Communications that are not dependent on a fixed line connection.

Wi-Fi
This refers to WLAN products built to the IEEE 802.11 standard, which have been certified for interoperability by the Wi-Fi Alliance.

WLAN
Wireless Local Area Network. A subscriber can connect to a local area network of computers, for example, via a wireless radio connection. The IEEE 802.11 standards are examples of WLAN systems.

WML
Wireless Mark-up Language - the language behind WAP.