Access fee - A special fee that local telephone companies are allowed to charge all telephone customers for the right to connect with the local phone network. Cellular subscribers pay this fee along with a 3 percent federal telephone excise tax.
Airtime - Actual time spent talking on the cellular telephone. Most carriers bill customers based on how many minutes of airtime they use each month. Airtime charges during peak periods of the day vary from about 20 cents to more than 40 cents per minute, depending on the service plan selected. Most carriers offer reduced rates for off-peak usage.
Alphanumeric - A message or other type of readout containing both letters ("alphas") and numbers ("numerics"). In cellular, "alphanumeric memory dial" is a special type of dial-from-memory option that displays both the name of the individual and that individual's phone number on the cellular phone handset. The name also can be recalled by using the letters on the phone keypad. By contrast, standard memory dial recalls numbers from number-only locations.
Analog - A transmission method that relies on a continuous (rather than pulsed as in digital) electrical signal that varies in amplitude or frequency in response to changes of sound, light, position, etc., impressed on a transducer in the sending device; opposite of digital.
Antenna - A device used for transmitting, sending and receiving radio signals. Typical cellphone varieties include 1", 3", 6" rubber flex, stubby.
Authentication - A fraud prevention technology that takes a number of values to create a shared, secret value used to verify a user's authenticity.
Barred Phone - A phone that is blocked from use by a cell phone service provider for various reasons.
Belt Clips - Belt clip, swivel, vibrating, staight, available for specific models. Many incorporate a cover for the protection of the cell phone, and some of these covers provide intended protection from Radio Frequency or RF type radiation.
Bluetooth technology - A radio technology making transmission of signals over short distances between telephones, computers and other devices possible without the use of wires. It is possible to link household appliances to a controlling device, like your 3g cellphone.
Caller I.D. - A call-screening feature that allows the user to pinpoint the origin of an incoming call prior to answering the phone.
Cell - The basic geographic unit of a cellular system and the basis for the generic industry term "cellular." A city or county is divided into small "cells," each of which is equipped with a low-powered radio transmitter/receiver. The cells can vary in size depending on terrain and capacity demands. By controlling the transmission power and the radio frequencies assigned from one cell to another, a computer at the Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) monitors the movement and transfers (or hands off) the phone call to another cell and another radio frequency as needed.
Cloning - The changing of the ESN and MIN to match another phone with working service to get free service or use two phones on one service plan.
ESN (Electronic Serial Number) - Each cellular phone is assigned a unique ESN, which is automatically transmitted to the cellular tower station every time a cellular call is placed. The Mobile Telephone Switching Office validates the ESN with each call.
Faceplates & covers - Protective cellphone covers protect your phone and also gives your cell phone a unique appearance, or fashion statement. Face plates come in many different colors. Designs with your favorite music group, flags, even lights that flash when the mobile phone rings are available.
FCC - Federal Communications Commission. The Government agency responsible for regulating telecommunications in the United States, located in Washington, D.C.
Frequency reuse - The ability to use the same frequencies repeatedly across a cellular system, made possible by the basic design approach for cellular. Since each cell is designed to use radio frequencies only within its boundaries, the same frequencies can be reused in other cells not far away with little potential for interference. The reuse of frequencies is what enables a cellular system to handle a huge number of calls with a limited number of channels.
Ghost Number - A number that you change you own cell phone number to to obtain free service.
Handoff - The process by which the Mobile Telephone Switching Office passes a cellular phone conversation from one radio frequency in one cell to another radio frequency in another. The handoff is performed so quickly that users usually never notice.
Hands-free - An important safety feature that's included with most of today's mobile phones. It permits drivers to use their cellular phone without lifting or holding the handset to their ear.
Message alert - (Also referred to as "call-in-absence" indicator) A light or other indicator announcing that a phone call came in; an especially important feature if the cellular subscriber has voice mail.
MIN - Mobile Identification Number. Your cell phone number.
MTSO - Mobile Telephone Switching Office. The central switch that controls the entire operation of a cellular system. It is a sophisticated computer that monitors all cellular calls, tracks the location of all cellular-equipped vehicles traveling in the system, arranges handoffs, keeps track of billing information, etc.
Network - Any system that was designed to provide one or more access paths for communication between users at different geographic locations. Communication networks may be designed for voice, text, data, fax and video. They may feature limited access (private networks) or open access (public networks), and will rely upon whatever analog or digital switching and transmission technologies are appropriate.
No-answer transfer - A service feature (provided by some cellular carriers in combination with call-waiting) that automatically transfers an incoming cellular call to another phone number if the cellular subscriber is unable to answer.
Off-peak - The period of time after the business day has ended during which carriers may offer reduced airtime charges.
Peak - Highest-usage period of the business day when a cellular system carries the most calling traffic.
Phreak - A phreak is someone who breaks into the telephone network illegally, typically to get free cell phone service. The term is now sometimes used to include anyone who breaks or tries to break the security of any network. Recently, the phone companies have introduced new security safeguards, making phreaking more difficult.
Prepaid phones - Also known as "pay as you go" phones, the next generation of prepaid phones are ideal for the who have problem or no credit challenges.
Repertory dialing - Sometimes known as "memory dialing" or "speed-calling." A feature that allows you to recall from 1-to-99 (or more) phone numbers from a phone's memory with the touch of just one, two or three buttons.
Roaming - The ability to use your cellular phone outside your usual service area - when traveling, for example.
Scanning - Typing in numbers in series to test if they are ghost numbers.
Service plan - A rate plan selected by subscribers when they start up cellular service, usually consisting of a base rate for system access and a per-minute rate for usage. Service plans are designed to provide the most cost-effective rates for different types and amounts of usage by the cellular subscriber.
SIM Card - System identification module. Used to identify users on GSM phones. SIM cards enhance mobile phone security and make it easier to tranfer cell phone user data to another phone.
Standby time - The amount of time you can leave your fully charged cellular portable or transportable phone turned on before the phone will completely discharge the batteries. See talk time.
Talk time - The length of time you can talk on your portable or transportable cellular phone without recharging the battery. The battery capacity of a cellular portable or transportable is usually expressed in terms of so many minutes of talk time OR so many hours of standby time. When you're talking, the phone draws additional power from the battery.
Unlocking - Unrestricting your cell phone so you can use it on another service provider's network.
Voice-activated dialing - A feature available only on selected phones that permits you to dial numbers by calling them out to your cellular phone, instead of dialing them manually. This function is especially convenient for making calls from your vehicle while driving.
Voice mail - (Also called voice messaging) A computerized answering service that automatically answers your call, plays a greeting in your own voice and records a message. After you retrieve your messages, you can delete, save, reply to or forward the messages to someone else on your voice mail system.
WMF - Wireless Message Format Sends data through wireless means to mobile computers.
Network Types:
TDMA - (time division multiple access) is a technology used in digital cellular telephone communication that divides each cellular channel into three time slots in order to increase the amount of data that can be carried.
TDMA is used by Digital-American Mobile Phone Service (D-AMPS), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), and Personal Digital Cellular (PDC). However, each of these systems implements TDMA in a somewhat different and incompatible way. An alternative multiplexing scheme to FDMA with TDMA is CDMA (code division multiple access), which takes the entire allocated frequency range for a given service and multiplexes information for all users across the spectrum range at the same time.
It was first specified as a standard in EIA/TIA Interim Standard 54 (IS-54). IS-136, an evolved version of IS-54, is the United States standard for TDMA for both the cellular (850 MHz) and personal communications services (1.9 GHz) spectrums. TDMA is also used for Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT).
CDMA - (code-division multiple access) refers to any of several protocols used in so-called second-generation (2G) and third-generation (3G) wireless communications. As the term implies, CDMA is a form of multiplexing, which allows numerous signals to occupy a single transmission channel, optimizing the use of available bandwidth. The technology is used in ultra-high-frequency (UHF) cellular telephone systems in the 800-MHz and 1.9-GHz bands.
CDMA employs analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) in combination with spread spectrum technology. Audio input is first digitized into binary elements. The frequency of the transmitted signal is then made to vary according to a defined pattern (code), so it can be intercepted only by a receiver whose frequency response is programmed with the same code, so it follows exactly along with the transmitter frequency. There are trillions of possible frequency-sequencing codes; this enhances privacy and makes cloning difficult.
GSM - (Global System for Mobile communication) is a digital mobile telephone system that is widely used in Europe and other parts of the world. GSM uses a variation of time division multiple access (TDMA) and is the most widely used of the three digital wireless telephone technologies (TDMA, GSM, and CDMA). GSM digitizes and compresses data, then sends it down a channel with two other streams of user data, each in its own time slot. It operates at either the 900 MHz or 1800 MHz frequency band.
GSM is the de facto wireless telephone standard in Europe. GSM has over 120 million users worldwide and is available in 120 countries, according to the GSM MoU Association. Since many GSM network operators have roaming agreements with foreign operators, users can often continue to use their mobile phones when they travel to other countries.
All additions or corrections will be warmly welcomed.
