A glossary of Frequently Used Terms and industry acronyms used in the Wireless Telecommunications Industry.

ADSL: Asymmetric Digital Subscribers Line. Service which allows transmission of high-speed data over standard phone lines, without interfering with regular phone calls. "Asymmetric" because it provides much higher speeds downloading than uploading.

ANI: Automatic Number Identification. Feature which electronically delivers information about the originating number on a call to the receiving switch or carrier. Some of the information may be transmitted to the final recipient of the call.

ATM: Asynchronous Transfer Mode. Cell relay. Very high-speed digital transmission technology.

Advanced Messaging: A sophisticated service which allows a wireless user to send, receive and track alpha-numeric messages.

Air-time Charges: Charges to users of wireless networks based on a flat rate or on the actual minutes of use. In cellular/PCS networks, charges are typically on a per minute basis. In dispatch networks, charges are typically on a flat rate basis.

Analog: Is the traditional method of telecommunications. A transmission method employing a continuous (rather than pulse or digital) electrical signal that varies in amplitude or frequency in response to changes in sound impressed on a transducer in the sending device.

Bandwidth: The relative range of frequencies that can be passed through a transmission medium without distortion (normally with respect to one channel). Bandwidth is determined by Industry Canada and measured in Hertz.

Base Station: Transmitter, receiver, antenna, signaling and related equipment located at each cell site.

Blocking or Blockage: A condition where congestion within a radiocommunications system or network is so great, due to excess demand from users, that new calls cannot be completed without delay. A "busy signal".

Bps: Bits per second is an indicator of transmission speed over a digital system or medium.

Call Quality: A measure of the total quality of a call including the ability to accurately reproduce a users voice, as well as the systems ability to limit impairments during the course of a conversation.

Capacity: A measure of the total number of subscribers that can be supported on a wireless network.

Carrier: A company which owns or operates transmission facilities and offers telecommunication services to the general public.

CATV Means cable television.

CDPD: Cellular Digital Packet Data. Standard for transmitting data over Analog cellular.

Cell: A physical area in which RF coverage is provided by a base station.

Cellular: The mobile radio-telephone service licensed by Industry Canada and the FCC to utilize 50 MHz of spectrum in the 800 MHz band which is interconnected to the PSTN. In each region of Canada and the United States, there are two 25 MHz licences operating. The first mobile radio service to broadly employ frequency reuse in its system design.

Cell Broadcast: The technical capability which allows an alpha-numeric message to be sent to all subscribing handsets within the range of a particular cell site.

Cellular Inter-Operability: A feature which lets PCS subscribers make use of analogue cellular networks while they are outside of PCS coverage. In addition to PCS coverage, this capability gives the PCS user the coverage (footprint) of existing analogue cellular systems.

Cell Site: The physical location of the transmitter, receiver, antennae, and signaling and control equipment used to provide wireless services.

Channel: A wireless pathway for the transmission of information between a sending point and a receiving point. (Often "channel" actually refers to a paired set of send and receive pathways.) Channels often are measured in terms of the amount of spectrum they occupy (bandwidth) , measured in Hertz.

Churn Rate: Expressed as a rate per month for a given measurement period, the number, of subscriber units disconnected divided by the average number of units on the network.

CISC: CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee. CRTC- created multi-carrier body which negotiates issues related to network interconnection.

CLEC: Competitive Local Exchange Carrier. Any LEC which is not an ILEC. In other words, any local phone company which is not the traditional telco. CLEC's must meet certain regulatory requirements to interconnect with the ILEC.

Coaxial: Describes a wire pair designed to carry high bandwidth RF signals.

CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access is one type of wireless protocol used so that more voice and data can be transmitted on the same frequency. CDMA is a spread spectrum technology in which calls are assigned a pseudo-random code to encode digital bit streams. CDMA allows the communications of many wireless users to simultaneously occupy a relatively wide radio channel and, using the pseudo-random code, be separated at the receiving end of the transmission link.

CLEC: Competitive Local Exchange Carrier. Describes new competitive entrants in the basic local telecommunications market.

Coverage: The combined geographic footprint of all the cell sites that comprise a wireless system.

CRTC: Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which regulates Canadian telecommunications service providers.

CSA: Canadian Standards Association. Organization which develops standards for many things, including communications.

CT2: Is a second generation cordless telephone system for public networks that allows users to send but not to receive telephone calls.

DBS: Direct Broadcast Satellite. See DTH.

Digital: Describes a method of storing, processing and transmitting information through the use of distinct electronic or optical pulses that represent the binary digits 0 and 1. Digital transmission and switching technologies employed a sequence of discrete, distinct pulses to represent information, as opposed to the continuously variable analog signal. Digital transmission generally enhances the privacy of radiocommunications and facilitates data transmission.

Dispatch: Push-to-talk one-to-many communications. A service provide to customers (typically operators of fleets or groups of mobile workers) who want to transmit and receive short messages to and from group of mobile or portable radios within range of a dispatch system.

DS-0: Digital Service, Level 0. 64000 bits per second. One standard voice channel.

DTH: Direct to Home. Satellite service which broadcasts directly to end-users.

Dual-band: A term that describes a wireless device or system that can operate in two different frequency ranges, for example 800 MHz and 1.9 GHz.

Dual-mode: A term that describes a wireless device or system that can support two different protocols, for example PCS and analogue cellular.

Dual-mode, Dual-band: A term that describes a wireless device or system that can support two different protocols on two different frequency ranges.

Enhanced Dispatch: Dispatch utilizing digital technology which improves the quality of conventional dispatch and adds additional features including seamless wide area coverage, fast access as well as data transmission and inter-connect capabilities.

ESMR: Enhanced Specialize Mobile Radio. A term used for SMR multi-site digital networks designed to provide integrated radiocommunications services including wireless telephone, paging, data transmission and dispatch services.

ESN: Electronic Serial Number. Identification number that uniquely defines each mobile telephone set.

FCC: Federal Communications Commission. U.S. federal telecom regulator.

FHMA: Frequency Hopping Multiple Access. A digital transmission technology using frequency hopping in combination with TDMA and low rate digital speech processing to create multiple access trunking.

F-TDMA: Narrowband TDMA technology that combines TDMA and frequency division. The mode of channel multiplexing used in Prism using two-times TDMA technologies on 12.5 KHz channel bandwidth.

Frequency: A specified band or range within the overall spectrum of electromagnetic radio waves to be used as a channel for sending or receiving communications. In practice, the term is used to describe the rights granted by license from Industry Canada to operate a radio-communications system using that band in a specified geographic location.

Frequency Reuse: The use of many low-elevation antenna and/or low-power sites, so that the same frequencies can be reused in numerous sites separated by a defined distance without causing interference. Thus frequencies re-use systems can increase capacity and reuse frequencies more often.

GEO: Geosynchronous Earth Orbit. Until 1997, most communication satellites have been Geosynchronous, orbiting 42,000 km above the earth at the same speed as the earth rotates, so they appear to be stationary above one point on the surface.

GHz: GigaHertz. Is one billion hertz in the frequency spectrum for RF communications.

GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications. A TDMA-based digital communication standard, which has been widely deployed in Europe and around the world in the 900 MHz band. A variant called PCS 1900 has been widely developed in the 2.0 GHz frequency range for PCS in North America.

Hz: Hertz. The dimensional unit for measuring the frequency with which an electromagnetic signal cycles through the zero-value state between lowest and highest states. One Hertz equals one cycle per second. KHz (kiloHertz) stands for thousands of Hertz; MHz (megaHertz) stands for millions of Hertz; and GHz (gigaHertz) stands for billions of Hertz.

iDEN: Utilizing existing 800 MHz SMR frequencies, iDEN converts the analogue SMR channel to an ESMR digital network. The digital signals, resistant to interference and dropped calls, are more easily manipulated for enhanced system capacity. Developed by Motorola, iDEN systems employ up to six-times TDMA digital transmission technology.

ILEC: Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier. The traditional phone company, operating as a provider of local telephone service.

Industry Canada: The Canadian federal Department responsible for the regulation, management and allocation of radio spectrum. Establishes technical requirements for various wireless systems.

Infrastructure: The combined components needed to operate a wireless network including cell sites, switching and transmission equipment.

ISDN: Integrated Services Digital Network: A service which allows the simultaneous transmission of voice and data conversation over a single connection.

ITU: International Telecommunications Union. Special agency of the United Nations, responsible for negotiated international telecom standards and policies.

Land Line: The traditional telephone services provided over wired facilities.

LEC: Local Exchange Carrier. A company which provides local switched telephone service.

LEO: Low Earth Orbit. LEO satellites orbit 700-1,500 km above the earth allowing them to provide delay-free communication to low-powered telephones. The first LEO services were scheduled to begin late in 1998.

LMCS: Local Multipoint Communication Systems. High Bandwidth wireless services operating at the 28 GHz band. Industry Canada has licensed three LMCS carriers to serve non- overlapping areas across Canada.

LMDS: Local Multipoint Distribution Service. U.S. term for LMCS.

LMS: Local Measured Service. Pay-as-you-go local telephone service.

LNP: Local Number Portability. With LNP, you'll be able to keep your phone number if you change Local Exchange Carriers.

Macrocell: Describes a physically large communications coverage area (5-20 km in diameter).

MCS: Multipoint Communications Systems. Applications licensed at 2500 MHz in Canada. A wide variety of applications are possible including one-way and two-way transmission and a diversity of distribution capacities.

MDS: Multipoint Distribution Service. High bandwidth wireless communication service, primarily viewed as an alternative to cable TV. The CRTC has granted MDS licenses in some parts of Canada

MHz: MegaHertz is one million hertz in the frequency spectrum of RF communications.

MEO: Medium Earth Orbit. MEO satellites orbit about 10,000 km above the earth.

Microcell: Describes a physically midsize communications coverage area (0.5 + 5 km in diameter).

MIN: Mobile Identification Number. A mobile telephone number.

MIN/ESN: Combination of MIN and ESN. Which identifies a mobile phone and its billing number.

Mobile Data: A wireless service involving the transmission and/or receipt of data between computers or fax machines.

Mobile Radio: A powerful (maximum 30 watts) radio permanently installed in a vehicle.

Multichannel multipoint: Known as wireless cable at the 2.5 GHz band. MMDS is moving toward a two-way interactive digital service.

MSS: Mobile Satellite Services. An emerging class of radiocommunication networks typically using LEO or MEO satellites. These networks will serve virtually every populated area of Canada.

MUX: Multiplexer. A device which combines multiple transmissions over a smaller number of communications channels.

Narrowband PCS: Advanced paging that will provide two-way text transmission and one-way digital voice service.

NANP: North American Numbering Plan. The overall telephone numbering plan for Canada, the U.S., and most of the Caribbean. The NANP defines area codes, telephone number formats, etc.

NNX: "N"= any digit except 1 or 0. "X" = any digit. In the original version of the North American Numbering Plan , the NNX was the first three digits of your 7- digit telephone number, because the second digit could not be a 1 or 0.

NPA: Numbering Plan Area. Area code. Assigned as part of the North American Numbering Plan.

NXX: "N" = any digit except 1 or 0. "X" = any digit. Under the current version of the North American Numbering Plan, the NXX is the first three digits of your 7- digit telephone number.

Paging: A one-way messaging service ("pagers").

PCS: Personal Communications Services. Mobile communications system interconnected with the PSTN. In Canada and the United States PCS spectrum has been allocated for use by public systems at the 2.0 GHz frequency range. Industry Canada announced in December, 1995 the award of two 30 MHz licences , including one to Clearnet PCS Inc. and two 10 MHz licences, Industry Canada also reserved one 30 MHz licence and one 10 MHz licence.

PMR: Private Mobile Radio. PMR refers to private dispatch communications systems which belong to organizations operating with their own system and Industry Canada license. Industry Canada will license a PMR organization, based on need and spectrum availability. Typically, in urban areas, only systems with more than 35 mobile and/or portable radios will be granted a license.

PCTN: Public Cordless Telephone Network.

Personal Number Services: A single telephone number to reach a PCS user, combined with powerful features that allow a user to define who, when and how callers can reach them.

Picocell: Describes a physically small communications coverage area (less than 0.5 km in diameter).

POPs: A shorthand abbreviation for population. A POP refers to one person living in a population area, which, in whole or in substantial part, is included in the coverage areas.

Portable Radio: A compact hand-held radio (maximum five watts).

POTS: Plain Old (or Ordinary) Telephone Service. Standard phone service.

Prism: Second generation digital technology developed for EDACS systems and the dispatch industry by Ericsson Inc. Prism employs F-TDMA digital transmission technology. Prism is a trademark of Ericsson Inc.

Protocol: A standard that describes the control functions, tuning and methodology used to operate a communication system. The protocol ensures the compatibility of all systems.

PSTN: Public Switched Telephone Network. The regular telephone network.

RCC: Radio Common Carrier. Company licensed to provide radio transmission services to others.

RF: Radio Frequency

Repeater: A base station which "repeats" a transmission over a determined coverage area.

Roaming: A service offered by mobile communications network operators which allows a subscriber to use his/her radio or phone while in the service area of another carrier. Roaming requires an agreement between operators of technologically compatible systems in individual markets to permit customers of either operator to access the other's systems.

Seamless Wide Area Coverage: Communications over a wide geographic area spread across multiple sites with automatic routing of calls from site to site without user intervention.

Site: The geographic location of a single base station or repeater in a radiocommunications system. Multiples sites may be used to provide extended system coverage. In a multi-site configuration with call hand-off between base stations, base stations are located so that the coverage areas of individual stations overlap in order to facilitate continuous coverage over a wide coverage area.

SMR: Specialized Mobile Radio. SMR refers to commercial dispatch communications networks whereby a number of subscribers use mobile radios in vehicles and/or portable radios which operate on a network of repeaters over a determined coverage area. A message can be sent by one user to all the other users at the same time (i.e. "one to many" communication). This communication format is well suited to the dispatch market.

SMS: Short Message Service. A wireless messaging service that involves the transmission of a short text message and its receipt by a wireless terminal, with the wireless system registering an acknowledgment that the message has been received.

Spectrum: A term generally applied to radio frequencies.

Standby Time: A measure of the maximum amount of time a wireless handset can remain on monitoring for incoming calls before the batteries need recharging.

Subscribers: The user of an individual handset. In some cases, a client or customer equates to a subscriber, in other cases one client includes multiple subscribers.

Switching: The telecommunications computer at the core of the wireless network, where calls are automatically controlled, monitored and handed off from one cell site to another, and in which calls are interconnected with the land line network or other wireless networks.

T-1: Digital carrier system that supports 24 standard voice channels. Often used as a synonym for DS-1.

T-3: Digital carrier system that supports 672 standard voice channels. Often used as a synonym for DS-3.

Talk Time: A measure of the maximum amount of time a wireless handset can be involved in an active conversation before the batteries need recharging.

TDM: Time Division Multiplexing. Simultaneous transmission of multiple signals over one channel, by rapidly interleaving samples.

TDMA: Time Division Multiple Access. Time Division Access is a digital wireless transmission methodology used in cellular telephone communications, ESMR, PCS and other wireless communications systems. TDMA assigns unique time-slots in the digital data stream to each user's communication allowing separation and reconstruction of that communication at the receiving end of the transmission link. IDEN, GSM and PCS-1900 (a GSM variant) are all examples of TDMA systems.

Telecommunications Act: Telecommunications Act (Canada) as proclaimed on October 25,1993.

Text Messaging: A wireless service that involves the transmission of a short text message and its receipt by a wireless handset pager.

Third Generation Wireless: 3G. The next generation of wireless phones based upon a common worldwide standard for broadband mobile communications. Analog cellular and digital PCS are considered to be the first and second generations of wireless telecommunications.

Trunk(ing): A method which allows for the utilization of frequencies by a larger number of users. A "trunked" system assigns customer calls to the first available frequency thereby providing faster access to the system and reducing the likelihood of blockage.

Voice Coder: A computer based software algorithm modeled after the human vocal cords which converts speech to a digital signal for transmission over a wireless network.

Voice Quality: A measure of the capability of a system to reproduce a subscribers voice signal with clarity and intelligibility.

VSAT: Very Small Aperture Terminal. Satellite dish used primarily for data communications.

Wireless Broadband: Transmission facilities that have bandwidth or capacity greater than that of a voice line. Capable of carrying numerous voice, video and data channels simultaneously.

Wireless Intelligent Networks: WIN. A sophisticated computer based network which, in conjunction with the switching system, allows for the rapid development of enhanced subscribers features and services.

WSP: Wireless Service Provider. Any company that provides wireless service but which is not defined (for regulatory purposes) as a CLEC.