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Mobile Phones Glossary
3G (Third-Generation):
Describing up-and-coming technology to provide wireless users with faster transmissions
and more facilities.
Alphanumeric
- messages - consisting of numbers, letters and characters.
AMPS: advanced mobile phone service.
The traditional analog wireless transmission technology,
operating at 800 MHz in the United States and Canada.
Analog signal
It's the traditional method of modulating radio signals.
A signal that has a continuous nature rather than a pulsed or discrete nature. (electrical or physical analogies, such as continuously varying voltages, frequencies, or phases, may be used as analog signals).
Bandwidth
The capacity of a transmission medium (channel), measured in frequencies (Hertz, as analog bandwidth) or in the amount of data (bits per second, as digital bandwidth).
Batteries
Battery technologies: Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd), Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) and Lithium-Ion (LiON).
Bit: binary digit.
A character used to represent one of the two digits in the numeration system with a base of two, and only two, possible states of a physical entity or system. In binary notation either of the characters 0 or 1.
CDMA: code division multiple access.
A coding scheme, used as a modulation technique, in which multiple channels are independently coded for digital transmission over a single wideband channel.
Cellular phone/mobile.
A communications system that uses a combination of radio transmission and conventional telephone switching to permit telephone communication to and from mobile users within a specified area.
In cellular mobile systems, large geographical areas are segmented into many smaller areas, i.e., cells, each of which has its own radio transmitters and receivers, interconnected with the public switched telephone network.
Digital
To encode information using series of bits, each stating 1 or 0.
(see also Bit)
Dual-band:
working on 2 frequency bands (such as 800MHz and 1900MHz) with one signal format, is called dual-band phone.
Dual mode:
is single phone mode, plus will also work with an analog signal system.
Frequency
The number of cycles or events per unit time, measured in Hertz at which an electrical current alternates. Also known as indication for radio frequency location.
GHz: See Hertz.
GPRS: general packet radio service.
Is based on packet transmission.
In order to take the quickest possible route, parts of the message sent by GPRS, travel separately through networks to its destination.
This means higher transmission speed (approx. 35 kbps) than GSM (approx. 9 kbps).
GPRS terminals/phones are permanently online; you don't pay for the time but for the amount of data you send and receive.
'Always on' might be the most important advantage of GPRS.
GSM: global system for mobile telecommunications.
A public all-digital cellular network using TDMA techniques for multiplexing and using a transmission band around 900 MHz. GSM formerly identified the Groupe Speciale Mobile of the European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI); today it is a worldwide standard. A GSM network can provide, besides telephony services, fax, short messaging services (SMS), e-mail, data communication and limited internet, in circuit- and/or packet mode. GSM signaling uses specific channels and protocols; voice is compressed at about 13 kb/s and error correcting algorithms (FEC) are used. The core network is based on a 64 kb/s circuit-switching technology. A more recent version uses an 1800 MHz band; modern terminals currently used in Europe can access both networks depending on traffic conditions and other parameters. A GSM version using a 1900 MHz access network is available in the United States.
Hertz. (abbreviation: Hz)
A frequency measurement equal to one cycle/wave per second.
Kilohertz (KHz)is thousand Hertz. Megahertz (MHz) is million Hertz.
Gigahertz (GHz) is billion Hertz.
iDEN: integrated digital enhanced network.
A specialized system that combines a TDMA phone with a two-way radio feature.
KHz: See Hertz.
MHz: See Hertz.
Microbrowser:
Part of WAP technology, it utilizes the screen of the cellular phone to display web pages served in the wireless markup language.
Paging.
Receiving a transmission on a small one-way or two-way radio receiver (pager). The transmission sounds a tone or vibrates.
There are now pagers that can receive and send numeric and text messages.
Some pagers can also send emails.
PCS: personal communications services, branded by Sprint.
Indicating the hardware and software - digital network at 1900 MHz - that provides two-way, digital voice, messaging and data services.
PDA: personal digital assistant.
A personal digital assistant, also called 'handheld',
is a mobile device that is capable of storing, accessing and organizing
data.
Data such as phone numbers, addresses, schedules, notes and more.
Most PDAs can exchange this data with a computer.
Some PDAs have wireless features such as e-mail and internet access.
Roaming.
Using your cellular phone outside of your home area.
Higher rates are usually charged for calls made or received while roaming.
There are service plans, e.g. known as one-rate or national calling plans, that might not charge for roaming.
Single mode.
Phones will work only with one particular digital signal format and frequency.
For example, a phone that works only on an 800 MHz frequency TDMA network.
SMS: short message service.
Short message service enables users to send and/or receive wireless short text messages.
Popular SMS services are weather forecasts, news, sports scores, stock quotes, horoscopes, and email alerts that notify your mobile phone when you receive an email message.
TDMA: time division multiple access.
A communications technique that uses a common channel (multipoint or broadcast) for communications among multiple users by allocating unique time slots to different users.
Tri mode:
is dual mode, that works on two frequencies (e.g. 800 and 1900 MHz) with one digital format (e.g. TDMA), and works with an analog format(network).
Two-way messaging:
Send and receive text messages directly with other compatible phones. Or, send and receive text messages using an e-mail address.
WAP: Wireless Application Protocol.
Is a way to format internet content so that it can appear on wireless phones and other wireless devices.
Wireless.
Network or device using electromagnetic waves, including rf, infrared, laser, visible light–and acoustic energy, for transmissions.
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