|
C |
|
C Block |
The third PCS license that was auctioned by the FCC in May 1996.
Each contains 30 MHz of spectrum in the 1900 MHz band and is
based on BTA geographic partitions. The licenses were reserved
for small businesses and entrepreneurs. |
|
Call Barring |
Enables you to restrict or bar certain or all types of calls to
and from your mobile phone, i.e. outgoing calls, outgoing
international calls, incoming calls. Barring is activated with a
personal code. |
|
Call Divert |
Enables you to divert incoming calls to another phone or
answering service. |
|
Call Hold |
Enables you to put a caller on hold while a second call is
answered or made. |
|
Call Restriction |
Enables you to restrict or bar certain or all types of calls to
and from your mobile phone, i.e. outgoing calls, outgoing
international calls, incoming calls. |
|
Call Transfer |
Enables you to transfer a caller to another number. |
|
Call Waiting |
If
your line is busy, callers are asked to wait while you are
alerted to their incoming call. |
|
Caller ID |
An
enhanced feature that displays a caller's phone number on the
wireless handset receiving the call. Many systems are adding the
caller's name to the caller ID. |
|
Calling 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. |
|
Cap Code |
A
pager's unique electronic identification number. |
|
cdma2000 |
A
3G technology that is an evolutionary outgrowth of cdmaOne. It
offers operators who have deployed a 2G cdmaOne system a
seamless migration path to 3G. cdma2000 supports the 2G network
aspect of all existing operators regardless of technology (cdmaOne
IS-136 TDMA, or GSM). This standard is also known by its ITU
name IMT-CDMA Multi-Carrier (1X/3X). cdma2000 has been divided
into 2 phases. The first phase capabilities are defined in a
standard known as 1X, which introduces 144 kbps packet data in a
mobile environment and speeds beyond this in a fixed
environment. cdma2000 phase two, known as 3X, incorporates the
capabilities of 1X. It also supports all channel sizes (5 MHz,
10 MHz, etc.), provides circuit and packet data rates up to 2
Mbps, incorporates advance multimedia capabilities, and includes
a framework for advanced 3G voice services and vocoders,
including voice over packet and circuit data. |
|
cdmaOne |
The name used by the CDMA Development Group (CDG) for CDMA
networks (IS-95) using 2nd-generation digital technology. |
|
Cell |
The basic geographic unit of a cellular system. Also, the basis
for the generic industry term: "cellular." A city or county is
divided into smaller "cells," each of which is equipped with a
low-powered radio transmitter/receiver. The cells can vary in
size depending upon terrain, capacity demands, etc. By
controlling the transmission power, the radio frequencies
assigned to one cell can be limited to the boundaries of that
cell. When a wireless phone moves from one cell toward another,
a computer at the Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO)
monitors the movement and at the proper time, transfers or hands
off the phone call to the new cell and another radio frequency.
The handoff is performed so quickly that it is not noticeable to
the callers. |
|
Cell Phone |
A
wireless telephone that sends and receives messages using
radiofrequency energy in the 800-900 megahertz portion of the
radiofrequency (RF) spectrum. |
|
Cell Site |
The location where the wireless antenna and network
communications equipment is placed. A cell site consists of a
transmitter/receiver, antenna tower, transmission radios and
radio controllers. A cell site is operated by a Wireless Service
Provider (WSP). |
|
Cell Splitting |
The process of creating more coverage and capacity in a wireless
system by having more than one cell site cover a particular
amount of geography. Each cell site covers a smaller area, with
lower power MHz and thus offers the ability to reuse frequencies
more times in a larger geographic coverage area, such as a city
or MTA. |
|
Cellular |
A
wireless telephone network that connects radio frequencies from
a mobile phone to a system of multiple cell sites, each
consisting of an antenna and a base station, to a mobile
telephone switching office, and ultimately to the public
wireline telephone system. 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. |
|
Cellular Base Station |
The transmission and reception equipment, including the base
station antenna, which connects a cellular phone to the network.
Also called a cell site. |
|
Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) |
An
enhanced packet overlay on analog cell phone networks used to
transmit and receive data. This technology allows data files to
be broken into a number of packets and sent along idle channels
of existing cellular voice networks. CDPD provides 19.2 Kbps and
is deployed by AT&T among several other carriers. |
|
Cellular Telecommunications and Internet
Association (CTIA) |
A
trade group representing cellular, PCS and enhanced specialized
mobile radio carriers. Customer Proprietary Network Information
(CPNI): The carrier's data about a specific customer's service
and usage. The FCC governs the usage of CPNI. Generally,
information about a customer's account is considered proprietary
until the customer authorizes its use. |
|
Channel |
An
electrical, electromagnetic, or optical path for communication
between two points. |
|
Churn |
In
any industry, a measure of the number of customers who leave or
switch to another service provider, usually stated as a
percentage. |
|
Circuit Switch Data (CSD) |
Allows a user to use their wireless handset as a modem for
laptops, PDAs and other electronic devices via infrared ports or
designated data cables. CSD also allows a user to access
Wireless Internet via their wireless handset (handset must be
WAP compatible). |
|
ClassLink |
A
program of the CTIA Foundation providing wireless phones to
schools for teacher use and student Internet access. |
|
Clone/Cloning |
A
wireless phone programmed with stolen or duplicated electronic
serial and mobile identification numbers. The Wireless Telephone
Protection Act of 1998 outlawed cloning. The Act prohibits
knowingly using, producing, trafficking in, having control or
custody of, or possessing hardware or software knowing that it
has been configured to insert or modify telecommunication
identifying information associated with or contained in a
telecommunications instrument so that such instrument may be
used to obtain telecommunications service without authorization. |
|
Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) |
An
air interface technology that was developed by the U.S. military
and commercialized by the U.S. company Qualcomm. CDMA assigns a
code to all speech bits, sends a scrambled transmission of the
encoded speech over the air and reassembles the speech to its
original form at the other end. CDMA supports SMS with a message
length of 120 characters. With CDMA, each conversation is
digitized and then tagged with a code. The mobile phone receives
a signal to locate that particular code and it then deciphers
the conversation off the airwaves. It codes each conversation
expanding it 128 times, making it easy to decipher at the
receiving end. |
|
Collocation |
Placement of multiple antennas at a common physical site to
reduce environmental impact and real estate costs and speed
zoning approvals and network deployment. |
|
Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) |
An
FCC designation for any carrier or licensee whose wireless
network is connected to the public switched telephone network
and/or is operated for profit. |
|
Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act
(CALEA) |
A
1994 law granting law enforcement agencies the ability to
wiretap new digital networks and requiring wireless and wireline
carriers to enable surveillance equipment use in digital
networks. |
|
Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) |
Any telephone company that offers service in a specific area.
Now that the industry has been deregulated, several companies
may offer service in a single area. New ones entering a market
are Competitive Local Exchange Carriers. The original telephone
company at the time of deregulation is known as the Incumbent
Local Exchange Carrier (See also "ILEC"). |
|
Content Services |
Paging service, beyond telephone number alerts, that include
news and sports headlines, personalized stock quotes, driving
directions, restaurant reviews and information contained on
Internet sites. |
|
Control Channel |
A
logic channel carrying network information rather than the
actual voice or data messages transmitted over the network. |
|
Coverage |
Refers to the region within which a paging receiver can reliably
receive the transmission of the paging signals. |
|
Crosstalk |
Interference in a wireless communications system from other
conversations in nearby cells using the same channel. |
|
Customer Acquisition Cost |
The average cost to a carrier of signing up an individual
subscriber. Some of the factors included in the cost are handset
subsidies, marketing, advertising and promotions. |
|
D |
|
D and E PCS Blocks |
The fourth and fifth PCS licenses that were auctioned by the FCC
in January 1997. Each contains MHz of spectrum in the 1900 MHz
band and is based on BTA geographical partitions. The licenses
were reserved for smaller businesses and entrepreneurs. |
|
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
from electrical pulses. Because digital signals are made up only
of binary streams, less information is needed to transmit a
message. Digital encoding therefore increases the capacity of a
given radio frequency. Furthermore, only digitized information
can be transported through a noisy channel without degradation.
Digital technology reproduces sound exactly, and can even filter
out background and electronic "noise." Even if corruption
occurs, as long as the one zero patterns are recognizable, the
original information content can be perfectly replicated at the
receiving end. Most new wireless phones and networks use digital
technology. |
|
Digital Cellular System (DCS 1800) |
A
global system for mobile communications-based PCS network used
outside of the U.S. |
|
Digital Signal Processor (DSP) |
A
microprocessor that digitizes analog signals. |
|
Disaggregation |
The splitting of a spectrum license into two or more licenses of
fewer frequencies. |
|
Downlink |
The portion of a telecommunications path from a satellite to the
ground. Also referred to as the reverse link. |
|
Drive Test |
A
method of taking signal strength measurements in a cellular
coverage area. |
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. |
