A A/B Switching Most cellular phones have the ability to switch to the "A" or the "B" frequency bands. This feature is useful when roaming outside your home coverage area. Access Fee A monthly charge for the ability to connect to a wireless network. This fee is assessed monthly whether the phone is actually used or not. Activation Configuration of a wireless phone so that it is ready to be used to transmit and receive calls on the wireless network. Activation Fee A one-time up-front charge for activation of a wireless phone. Airtime Total time that a wireless phone is in connected and in use for talking.This includes use for calls both received and placed. Alphanumeric Display A display, usually LCD, that has the ability to display both text and numbers. Most often found on the front of a wireless handset or pager. AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Service) An analog cellular phone service standard used in the US and other countries. Analog A method of modulating radio signals so that they can carry information such as voice or data. Antenna A device that facilitates the transmission and reception of radio signals. APC (Adaptive Power Control) A feature of some wireless handsets that helps reduce power consumption to increase battery charge life. Area Code A three digit telephone number prefix assigned to a calling area. Authentication A feature used to reduce fraud by confirming the identity of a phone to the wireless network. Automatic Call Delivery A service feature that allows a user to receive calls when roaming outside of the phone's home coverage area. B Bandwidth Describes the transmission capacity of a medium in terms of a range of frequencies. A greater bandwidth indicates the ability to transmit a greater amount of data over a given period of time. Bluetooth A short range wireless protocol meant to allow mobile devices to share information and applications without the worry of cables or interface incompatibilities. The name refers to a Viking King who unified Denmark. Operates at 2.4 Ghz, see bluetooth.com. Broadband Describes a communications medium capable of transmitting a relatively large amount of data over a given period of time. A communications channel of high bandwidth. BTA (Basic Trading Area) A geographic region defined by a group of counties that surround a city, which is the area's basic trading center. The boundaries of each BTA were formulated by Rand McNally & Co. and are used by the FCC determine service areas for PCS wireless licenses. The entire US and some of its territories is divided into 493 non-overlapping BTAs. C Call Forwarding A feature that allows the transfer of incoming calls to another number of the users choice. Call Setup Activity that occurs in order to establish a call connection between a wireless handset and the wireless system. Call Waiting A feature that allows a user to be notified of another incoming call while a call is already in progress, and gives the user the ability to answer the second call while the first call remains on hold. Caller ID A feature that displays a caller's telephone number and/or name before the call is answered. Carrier A company that provides telecommunications services. CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) A digital communication technology used by some carriers to provide PCS service. Other technologies used are TDMA and GSM. CDPD (Cellular Digital Packet Data) A technology for transmitting data over analog cellular networks. Requires a special modem and the wireless carriers' network must be upgraded to accommodate such data transmissions. Cell The area surrounding a cell site. The area in which calls are handled by a particular cell site. Cell Site The transmission and reception equipment, including the base station antenna, that connects a cellular phone to the network. Cellular The type of wireless communication that is most familiar to mobile phones users.Called 'cellular' because the system uses many base stations to divide a service area into multiple 'cells'. Cellular calls are transferred from base station to base station as a user travels from cell to cell. CO (Central Office) A connection point between the wireless phone system at the MTSO and the landline phone system at the PSTN. Clone (Cloning) A wireless phone that has been programmed to mimic another wireless phone. Often used to defraud a wireless carrier by placing illegal calls without any intention of payment. Coverage Area The geographic area served by a wireless system. Same as Service Area. Cross-talk A signal leak from one channel to another - often the cause of noise and distortion. D Decibel (dB) A unit of measure used to express relative difference in power or intensity of sound. Digital A method of encoding information using a binary code of 0s and 1s. Most newer wireless phones and networks use digital technology. Dual band A feature on some wireless phones that allows the handset to operate using either the 800 MHz cellular or the 1900 MHz PCS frequencies. Dual mode A feature on some wireless phones that allows the handset to operate on both analog and digital networks. Duplex As in ordinary telephone service, a characteristic of a communications system where simultaneous transmission and reception is possible. E e-mail The ability to send and receive text messages through a wireless handset. ESMR (Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio) Using frequency bands originally allocated for two-way dispatch services, companies such as Nextel and Southern LINC have built digital mobile phone services similar to cellular and PCS systems. ESN (Electronic Serial Number) The unique serial number of a cellular phone that identifies it to the cellular system for the purpose and placing and receiving calls.   F FCC (Federal Communications Commission) A US government agency responsible for regulating communications industries. Fingerprinting See Radio-frequency fingerprinting. Follow-Me Roaming The ability of a wireless system to forward incoming calls to a handset that is roaming outside its home service area without any pre-notification to the wireless carrier. G GSM (Global Standard for Mobile) A digital communication technology used by some carriers to provide PCS service. Other technologies used are CDMA and TDMA. GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) An emerging technology standard for high speed data transmission over GSM networks. H Handoff The transfer of a wireless call in progress from one transmission site to another site without disconnection. Hands-Free Speakerphone A feature of some wireless phones that allows the users to talk and listen to calls without holding the phone against their head. Handset Any hand held device used to transmit and receive calls from a wireless system. Also known as a wireless phone, a cellular phone, a mobile phone, a PCS phone and many other terms. Handshaking Signals between a wireless phone and a wireless system to accomplish call setup. Home Coverage Area A designated area within which cellular calls are local and do not incur roaming or long distance charges. HomeRF A digital wireless communications protocol designed for the transport of voice and multimedia content between consumer electronic devices(including PCs) in a residential setting. Operates at 2.4 Ghz, see homerf.org. I Interconnection Fee A fee charged for calls from wireless phones that must be routed to landline phones. L Landline Traditional wired telephone service. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) A flat panel screen used to display numbers and/or characters. Often found on a wireless handset. LED (Light Emitting Diode) A light on a handset to alert the user of various conditions. LMDS (Local Multipoint Distribution System) A fixed, broadband wireless system used for voice and interactive data. Generally used as a lower cost alternative to landline connections for businesses and others requiring high bandwidth connections to public networks. M Memory Dialing A feature of a wireless phone that allows multiple numbers to be stored in the phone itself for quick dialing by pressing one or two buttons. MMDS Often referred to as 'wireless cable' as it is a wireless system used to distribute cable television and other broadband signals to multiple users by way of a single transmitter. MSA An area defined by the US government for use in grouping census data and other statistics. MSAs include a city of at least 50,000 people or an urbanized area of at least 100,000 people and the counties that include these areas. Not all areas of the US are in an MSA. The FCC used these area definitions to license cellular telephone service carriers. There are 306 regions of the US designated as MSAs. MTA (Major Trading Area) An area consisting of two or more Basic Trading Areas as defined by Rand McNally & Co. These large areas are used by the FCC determine service areas for some PCS wireless licenses. The US is divided into 51 MTAs. MTSO (Mobile Telephone Switching Office) An office housing switches and computers to which all cell sites in an area are connected for the purpose of eventual connection to the PSTN. The MTSO handles the connection, tracking, status and billing of all wireless call activity in an assigned area. N NAM (Number Assignment Module) A component of a wireless phone that holds in electronic memory the telephone number and ESN of the phone. No Answer Transfer A feature of a wireless service that if a call is not answered in a specified number of rings, it will be transferred to another phone number of the users choice. No Service Indicator A feature of wireless phones that tells the user that wireless service is unavailable in a particular location. Usually an LED on the handset. O Off Peak Any time of day, as determined by a wireless carrier, when there is lower communications traffic on the system. Carriers make this distinction to offer lower rates during these periods when demand is low. Paging A feature of a wireless device that allows reception of a signal or alphanumeric message. PCS Used to describe a newer class of wireless communications services recently authorized by the FCC. PCS systems use a different radio frequency(the 1.9 GHz band) than cellular phones and generally use all digital technology for transmission and reception. Peak Period(s) Any time of day, as determined by a wireless carrier, when there is high levels of communications traffic on the system. POTS Another name for traditional wired, land based telephone service. Prepaid Cellular/Wireless A service plan offered by some wireless carriers that allows subscribers to pay in advance for wireless service. PSTN A formal name for the world-wide telephone network. R Radio-frequency Fingerprinting An electronic process that identifies each individual wireless handset by examining its unique radio transmission characteristics. Fingerprinting is used to reduce fraud since the illegal phone can not duplicate the legal phone's radio-frequency fingerprint. RF (Radio Frequency) A radio signal. RFI An undesired radio signal that interferes with a radio communications signal causing extraneous noise and/or signal dropouts. RF Noise Undesired radio signals that alters a radio communications signal causing extraneous sounds during transmission and/or reception. Roaming Using your wireless phone in an area outside its home coverage area. There is usually an additional charge for roaming. Roaming Agreement A agreement among wireless carriers allowing users to use their phone on systems other their own home systems. Roaming Fee charged for roaming. RSA (Rural Service Area) Areas not included in MSAs are divided into RSAs. Generally these are the rural areas of the US. The FCC used RSAs to license cellular carriers in areas not included in MSAs. There are 428 RSAs in the US. S Service Area The geographic area served by a wireless system. Same as Coverage Area. Service plan A contract between a wireless carrier and a wireless subscriber that details the terms of the wireless service including rates for activation, access and per minute usage. Sensitivity A measure of a receiver's ability to viably receive weak radio signals. Signal-to-Noise Ratio A measure of the power of a signal versus noise. A lower ratio means there is more noise relative to signal. SMS A feature of PCS phones(primarily GSM) that allows users to receive and sometimes transmit short text messages using their wireless phone. Spectrum The the entire range electromagnetic frequencies. Spread Spectrum A communications technology where a signal is transmitted over a broad range of frequencies and then re-assembled when received. Standby Time The time a phone is on but not actively transmitting or receiving a call. Subscriber A cellular phone user. System Selection Switch A feature of some cellular phones that allows switching between 'A' and 'B' cellular carriers. This feature is often used when roaming. T T9® Text Input A feature built into many phones that allows you to use one key press per letter when entering text on your wireless phone. T9 helps make entering text on a limited keypad quick and easy. Talk Time The time a phone is on and actively transmitting or receiving a call. TDMA A digital communication technology used by some carriers to provide PCS service. Other technologies used are CDMA and GSM. Telecommunications Act of 1996 Federal legislation passed in 1996 intended to increase competition among wireless and wireline carriers for the benefit of consumers. 3G The next generation of wireless communications beyond today's digital PCS technologies. When available, 3G wireless technologies will allow for much higher transmission rates to wireless devices leading to more useful services and a better user experience. Toll Charges Charges for placing long distance calls. Toll-Free Calling Area An area in which calls can be placed without incurring long distance charges. V Voice-activated Dialing A feature that allows users to speak words into a wireless phone to cause it to dial pre-programmed telephone numbers without using the buttons. Voice Mail A system that answers calls and allows users to reply to, save, delete or forward messages. W WAP A global protocol used in many newer wireless devices that allows the user to view and interact with data services. Generally used as a means to view Internet web pages using the limited transmission capacity and small display screens of portable wireless devices. Wi-Fi A wireless data networking protocol generally used connect PCs and laptops to a network. Also know as 802.11b and WLAN(Wireless LAN), it is the most common means of wireless networking and operates at 2.4 GHz. Wireless Carrier A company that provides wireless telecommunications services. WLL (Wireless Local Loop) A wireless system meant to bypass a local landline telephone system. A home or businesses phone system is connected to the public network by a wireless carrier instead of by the traditional local phone company.