mobile technology glossary

Here are the results for the letter a

A-bis

Interface between the BSC and BTS in a GSM network

A-interface

Interface between the MSC and BSS in a GSM network

A-TDMA

Advanced Time Division Multiple Access

A5/1/2/3/8X

Encryption algorithms for GSM networks

AAL

ATM Adaptation Layer

AB

Access Burst; used for random access and characterised by a longer guard period to allow for burst transmission from a MS that does not know the correct timing advance when first contacting a network

ABR

Available Bit Rate

Access Point

A stationary device that acts as a base station for wireless LAN users. Unlike anetwork interface card that connects to a mobile device, the access point connects directly to awired network.

ACTE

Approvals Committee for Terminal Equipment

ACTS

Advanced Communications Technologies and Services ? a European technology initiative

ACU

Antenna Combining Unit

Adaptive Frequency Hopping

A method whereby a Bluetooth radio would first check that aband was clear before it attempted a transmission. This would allow Bluetooth radios to betterpeacefully exist with other radios such as 802.11b.

Adds

Additions. The number of subscribers a carrier adds in a given period (monthly, quarterly, and/or annually). They are typically measured in terms of net adds (number of additional subscribers, minus number that have churned) or gross adds (total additions for that period).

ADPCM

Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation; a form of voice compression that typically uses 32kbit/s

Advice of charge

A service which provides the user with information on the cost of calls from a mobile phone

AFC

Automatic Frequency Control

AGCH

Access Grant Channel; downlink only, BTS allocates a TCH or SDCCH to the MS, allowing it access to the network

Aggregation

Aggregation is the process of collecting charges for multiple transactions and combining them on a single bill. Charges are typically aggregated when the cost of processing the individual transaction exceeds the profit that would be realized from that transaction.

Air interface

In a mobile phone network, the radio transmission path between the base station and the mobile terminal

Airtime

The amount of time a subscriber spends using his/her mobile phone

AM

Amplitude Modulation

AMPS

Advanced Mobile Phone System, the analogue mobile phone technology used in North and South America and in around 35 other countries. Operates in the 800MHz band using FDMA technology

AMR

Adaptive Multi-Rate codec. Developed in 1999 for use in GSM networks, the AMR has been adopted by 3GPP for 3G

Analogue

The representation of information by a continuously variable physical quantity such as voltage

ANSI

American National Standards Institute. An non-profit making US organisation which does not carry out standardisation work but reviews the work of standards bodies and assigns them category codes and numbers

ANSI-136

See D-AMPS

Antenna Diversity

The use of two or more antennas to improve signal quality. In most designs, the baseband processor automatically selects the antenna that is providing the best quality signal.

AoC

Advice of Charge

API

Application Program Interface

ARIB

Association of Radio Industries and Businesses. An organisation established by Japan?s Ministry of Posts and Communications to act as the standardisation authority for radio communication and broadcasting

ARPU

Average Revenue Per User, or, Average Revenue Per Unit (Unit and User are both common usage). This refers to the amount of gross revenue a carrier can expect, on average, from its customers. Typically computed on monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.

ASCII

American Standard Code for Information Interchange

ASIC

Application Specific Integrated Circuit

ASP

Application Service Provider

Asymmetric Transmission

Data transmissions where the traffic from the network to the subscriber is at a higher rate than the traffic from the subscriber to the network

ATM

Asynchronous Transfer Mode; a multiplexed information transfer and switching method in which the data is organised into fixed length 53-octet cells and transmitted according to each application?s instantaneous need

AUC

Authentication Centre; the element within a GSM network which generates the parameters for subscriber authentication