Glossary

Technical Definitions

Technical Definitions

2G

Second generation (2G) is the term commonly used to denote digital cellular technologies and standards as well as networks based on such technologies and such standard. The principal 2G network standards are CDMA-IS 95, GSM, time division multiple assess (TDMA), and personal digital cellular (PDC).

2.5G

Intended to denote the intervening phase between 2G and 3G mobile systems, the terms is used to describe the initial packet data overlays on 2G cellular networks that are primarily designed to carry voice signals. These networks are intended to provide accelerated data rates and "always-on" connections. For the purposes of this document, code division multiple access (CDMA).

3G

The generic term, 3G, is used to denote the next generation of mobile systems designed to support high-speed data transmission (144 Kbps and higher) and Internet Protocol (IP) based services in fixed, portable and mobile environments. As envisaged by the ITU, the 3G system will integrate different service coverage zones and be a global platform and the necessary infrastructure for the distribution of converged service, whether mobile or fixed, voice or data, telecommunications, content or computing.

Access Network

The Access Network is the portion of the communications network that connects the subscriber (consumer/business) to the service provider's local exchange, commonly termed the local loop, last mile or first mile.

ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line)

ADSL is a broadband access standard which uses existing copper lines to offer high-speed digital connections over the local loop. ADSL transmits data asymmetrically, meaning that the bandwidth usage is much higher in one direction than the other. ADSL provides greater bandwidth from the exchange to the customer (ie. downloading) than from the customer to the exchange (ie. sending).

ADSL2+

ADSL2+ double the bandwidth used for downstream data transmission, effectively doubling the maximum downstream data rates, while also offering the ADSL2 standard's improvements.

ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)

ATM is a high-speed Wide Area Network (WAN), connection oriented, packet-switching data communications protocol that allows voice, data and video to be delivered across existing local and Wide Area Networks. ATM divides data into cells and can handle data traffic in bursts. It is asynchronous, in that the stream of cells from one particular user is not necessarily continuous.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is a measure of the quantity of signals that can travel over a transmission medium such as copper or a glass fibre strand. It is the space available to carry a signal. The greater the bandwidth, the greater the information carrying capacity. Bandwidth is measured in bits per second.

BNG Technology

The Broadband Network Gateway (BNG) is a multi-service edge router. The BNG multi-service edge router replace the Broadband Remote Access Services (BRAS) in the network architecture and significantly enhances the features to support consumer-residential services, Carrier Ethernet and IP VPN business services, as the aggregation router in mobile backhaul applications, or as a mobile gateway for wireless networks.

Broadband

Broadband is a method of measuring the capacity of different types of transmission. Digital bandwidth is measured in the rate of bits transmitted per second (bps). For example, an individual ISDN channel has a bandwidth of 64 Kbps, meaning that it transmits 64,000 bits (digital signals) every second.

bps (Bits/bytes per second)

Broadband is a method of measuring the capacity of different types of transmission. Digital bandwidth is measured in the rate of bits transmitted per second (bps). For example, an individual ISDN channel has a bandwidth of 64 kilobits per second (Kbps), meaning that it transmits 64,000 bits (digital signals) every second.

Bps or bps

  • In Computing Bps means bytes per second
  • In telecoms bps means bits per second

BSC

Base Station controller

BTS

Base transceiver station

Carrier pre-selection

Carrier pre-selection is usually initiated by the telecoms regulator. It enables individuals to choose which telecom will carry their traffic (mainly long distance) by a signalling contract rather than having to dial extra digits.

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access

CDMA is one of many technologies for digital transmission of radio signals between, for example, mobile telephones and radio base stations. In CDMA, which is a spread-spectrum modulation technology, each call is assigned a unique "pseudorandom" sequence of frequency shifts that serve as a code to distinguish it. The mobile phone is then instructed to decipher only a particular code to pluck, as it were, the right conversation off the air.

Circuit

A circuit is a connection or line between two points. This connection can be made through various media, including copper, coaxial cable, fibre or microwave. A telephone exchange is a circuit switch.

Carrier

  • A company which provides communications circuits, your local phone company, which is regulated
  • An electrical signal at a continuous frequency capable of being modified to carry information.

COTS

  • Connection Transport Service
  • Commercially Off The Shelf

CSD

Circuit Switched Data allows open-ended transfers of information- subject to the current Circuit Switched Data transmission speed of 9,600 bits per second (bps). The radio interface itself restricts user data rates to 9.6 kbits/s for current data services. Circuit Switched Data calls are circuit-switched, in other words, there is a real-time connection between the sending and receiving parties.

DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications)

DECT is the standard for cordless telephones. DECT phones communicate using the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) through a small base station in the home or office and have a working radius of between 50 and 300 metres.

DSLAM

The Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) is a network device that receives signals from multiple customer Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connections, and puts these signals on a high-speed backbone line using multiplexing techniques.

DWDM TECHNOLOGY

Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) is a fibre optic transmission techniques that makes it possible to transmit data simultaneously, for different sources, using a separate light wavelength for each source across a single fibre. This technology increases the capacity of the fibre infrastructure without the operator having to deploy additional fibres.

Diginet

Digital Network. A network in which the information is encodes as a series of ones and zeros rather than as a continuously varying wave all as in traditional analog networks. Digital networks have several major pluses over analog networks. They are cleaner, less noise and statics and easier to monitor because you can measure them more easily. You can pump more digital information down a communications line than you can analog information.

EDGE (Enchanced Data for GSM Evolution)

EDGE is a technology designed to enhance GSM and TDMA systems with respect to data rates and is widely considered to be the GSM evolution beyond GPRS. It enhances the data capabilities of GSM and TDMA systems by altering the RF modulation scheme to allow greater data rates per time slot. Because it uses a different modulation technique across the air-interface, EDGE requires different mobile terminals/handsets than those designed for the GSM air-interface.

EVDO (Evolution-Data Optimised or Evolutiondata Only)

EVDO is a telecommunications standard for the wireless transmission of data through radio signals, typically for broadband internet access. It uses multiplexing techniques including code division multiple access (CDMA) as well as time division multiple access (TDMA) to maximise both individual users' throughput and the overall system throughput.

ECB

Electronic Communication Bill (formerly Convergence Bill)

ECSA

Professional Institute of Engineers of South Africa

EMF

Electro-magnetic field.

Ethernet

Ethernet is a protocol that defines how data is transmitted to and received from LANs. It is the most prevalent LAN protocol, with speeds of up to 10 Mbps.

FDPS

Fibre optic Distribution Points (FDPs) is the fibre endpoint in the Access Network closest to the customer from which Telkom will build out the last mile to the customer premise.

Fibre Optics

Fibre optics is where messages or signals are sent via light rather than electrical signals down a very thin strand of glass. Light transmission enables much higher data rates than conventional wire, coaxial cable and many forms of radio. Signals travel at the speed of light and do not generate nor are subject to interference.

Fibre Rings

Fibre rings have come to be used in many fibre networks as it provides more network resiliency: if there is a failure along a route and a ring is broken, the direction of the traffic can be reversed and the traffic will still reach its final destination.

Frame Relay

Frame relay is a widely implemented telecommunications service designed for cost-efficient data transmission for data traffic between local area networks and between end-points in a wide area network. The network effectively provides a permanent circuit, which means that the customer sees a continuous, dedicated connection, but does not pay for a full-time leased line.

Fixed Access Lines

Fixed access lines comprise public switched telecommunications network lines, or PSTN lines, including integrated services digital network channels, or ISDN channels, and public and private pay phones, but excluding internal lines in service.

Fixed Line Penetration

Fixed-line penetration or teledensity is based on the total number of telephone lines in service at the end of the period per 100 persons in the population of South Africa. Population is the estimated South African population at the mid-year in the periods indicated as published by Statistics South Africa, a South African Government department.

Fixed-Line Traffic

Fixed-line traffic, other than international outgoing mobile traffic, international interconnection traffic and international Voice over Internet Protocol traffic, is calculated by dividing traffic operating revenue for the particular category by the weighted average tariff for such category during the relevant period. Fixed-line international outgoing mobile traffic and international interconnection traffic are based on the traffic registered through the respective exchanges and reflected in international interconnection invoices. International Voice over Internet Protocol traffic is based on the traffic reflected in invoices.

FMC

Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) is an environment/infrastructure that enable the transparent use of voice and data applications across fixed and mobile access points.

FTTX

Fibre to the X (FTTx) refers to all possible fibre optic topologies, from a service provider to its customers, based on the location of the fibre's termination point. These include fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC: fibre-to-the-home (FTTH); fibre-to-the-building (FTTB); fibre-to-thepremise (FTTP); et al.

GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)

GPRS is a packet rather than a circuit-based technology. GPRS allows for faster data transmission speed to both GSM and TDMA (IS-136) networks. GPRS is a packet-switched technology that overlays the circuit-switched GSM network. The service can be introduced to cellular networks by infrastructure.

GSM (Global System for Mobile)

GSM is a second generation digital mobile cellular technology using a combination of frequency division multiple access (FDMA) and time division multiple access (TDMA). GSM operates in several frequency bands: 400 MHz, 900 MHz and 1800 MHz. On the TDMA side, there are eight timeslots or channels carrying calls, which operate on the same frequency. Unlike other cellular systems, GSM provides a high degree of security by using subscriber identity module (SIM) cards and GSM encryption.

HLR

Home location register.

HSCSD (High-Speed Circuit-Switched Data)

HSCSD is essentially a new high-speed implementation of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) data transfer. Four times faster that GSM, with a transfer rate of up to 57.6Kbps, it achieves this speed by allocating up to eight time slots to an individual user. This speed makes it comparable to many fixed-line telecommunications networks and will allow users to access the Internet and other datacom services via a GSM network.

HSDPA

High Speed Downlink Packet Access.

ICNIRP

International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation

ICT

Information and communications technology

Interconnection

Interconnection refers to the joining of two or more networks. Networks need to interconnect to enable traffic to be transmitted to and from destinations. The amounts paid and received by the operators vary according to distance, time, the direction of traffic, and the type of networks involved.

IPTV

Internet Protocol Television - in short, sending TV programs over the Internet, as today you send e-mail. You can, of course, send anything that is digitized, i.e. mode into digital form.

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)

ISDN is a data communications standard used to transmit digital signals over ordinary copper telephone cables. This is one technology for overcoming the "last mile" of copper cables from the local exchange to the subscriber's premises, which has proved a bottleneck for internet access, for example. ISDN allows to carry voice and data simultaneously, in each of at least two channels capable of carrying 64 Kbps. It provides up to 128 Kbps and a total capacity of 144 Kbps exist.

ITU (International Telecommunications Union)

ITU is the global technical standard-setting body for telecommunications services.

IVR

Interactive voice response

LAN (Local Area Network)

A LAN is a group of devices that communicate with each other within a limited geographic area, such as an office.

Leased Line

A leased line is a telecommunications transmission circuit that is reserved by a communications provider for the private use of a customer.

Line-of-Sight

Line-of-sight refers to the need for radio transmitters in networks using air interface (radio waves) to be positioned free of obstacles.

Local Loop

The local loop is the final connection between the exchange and the home or office. It is also known as the last mile.

LMDS (Local Multipoint Distribution Service)

LMDS is a fixed broadband line-of sight, point-to-multipoint, microwave system, which operates at a high frequency (typically within specified bands in the 24-40GHz range) and can deliver at a very high capacity, depending on the associated technologies. Given the complexity of the equipment required (and the power needed to deliver signals) both of these technologies are regarded as prohibitively expensive for the consumer market.

LTE (Long-Term Evolution)

Long-term evolution, marketed as 4G LTE, is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals.

Metro Ethernet Network (MEN)

It is a way to connect buildings on the Internet like desktops within a building. Its advantages include relatively simple scalability, due to its packet-based technology.

Microwave

Microwave is radio transmission using very short wavelengths.

MMDS (Multi-channel Multipoint Distribution Service)

MMDS allows two-way voice, data and video streaming. It operates at a lower frequency than LMDS (typically within specified bands in the 2-10GHz range) and therefore has a greater range and requires a less powerful signal than LMDS.

MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services)

MMS, a service developed jointly together with 3GPP, allows users to combine sounds with images and text when sending messages, much like the text-only SMS.

MNP

Mobile Number Portability

MPLS

MultiProtocol Label Switching is a family of IETF standards in which Internet Protocol networks can make forwarding decisions based on a pre-allocated label to setup a Label Switched Path.

MCO

Mobile cellular operators

MTR

Mobile termination rates

Mobile Churn

Churn is calculated by dividing the average monthly number of disconnections during the period by the average monthly total reported customer base during the period.

MSC

Mobile services switching centre.

MSAN

The multi-Service Access Node provides the boundary between customer interface and the transport network. It makes it possible to offer the customer traditional voice, high-speed DSL and new emerging IP-based services all delivered from the same hardware.

MVNO

Mobile Virtual Network Operator is an organization that buys minutes and services wholesale from an existing carrier (or carriers) and resells them under its own brand. Under GSM, for example, it may issue its own SIM card. A MVNO is basically a reseller. It does not have radio frequency (spectrum), it doesn't have its own communications plant. It usually has its own billing system.

NGN

A Next Generation Network is a packet-based network able to provide services including telecommunication services and able to make use of multiple broadband, QoS-enabled transport technologies. It offers unrestricted access by users to different service providers.

NGOSS

New Generation Operations Services and Support. A program to product a framework that will help design new generation OSS solutions and a repository of documentation, models and code to support these developments. NGOSS is to facilitate the rapid development of flexible, low cost of ownership, OSS solutions to meet the business needs of the Internet enables economy.

NOC

The Network Operations Centre (NOC) is the place from which network support staff monitors and maintains the telecommunications network.

OLO

Other licensed operator.

Packet switching

Packet switching is designed specifically for data traffic, as it cuts the information up into small packets, which are each sent across the network separately and are then re-assembled at the final destination. This allows more users to share a given amount of bandwidth. X.25, ATM and frame relay are all packet switching techniques.

POP (Point of Presence)

A POP is a service provider's location for connecting to users. Generally, POPs refer to the location where people can dial into the provider's computer. Most providers have several POPs to allow low cost local access via telephone lines.

Port

A port is generally a specific place where one device can be physically connected with another (e.g. on computers and telecommunication devices).

POTS

POTS refers to standard telephony, as in the placing and receiving of telephone calls.

PSTN

The PSTN is a collection of interconnected voice telephone networks, either for a given country or the whole world. It is the sum of the parts. It was originally entirely analogue, but is now increasingly digital (indeed in many developed countries digitisation has reached 100%); these networks can be either state-owned or commercially owned. PSTN is distinct from closed private networks (although these may interconnect to the PSTN) and from public data networks (PDN).

SLA

Service Level Agreement. An agreement between a user and a service provider, defining the nature of the service provided and establishing a set of metrics (measurements) to be used to measure the level of service provided measured against the agreed level of service.

SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy)

SDH is used in most modern systems, where multimedia can be transmitted at high speeds. The networks are shaped in a ring, so that if there is a problem, the traffic can be redirected in the other direction and the caller will not detect the interruption.

SHDSL

Symmetric High-Bitrate Digital Subscriber Loop, the first multi-rate, symmetric digital subscriber loop to be standardized. SHDSL enable symmetrical data transmission of 192 kBps to 2.3 MBps on a single copper wire pair or 384 kBps to 4.6 MBps on two pairs.

SMS (Short Message Service)

SMS refers to short, usually text-based messages sent by or to a wireless subscriber. They are not delivered to the recipient instantly and have some degree of transmission time delay. SMS messages are usually limited to total character lengths of 140 to 160 characters.

Switch

A switch is a computer that acts as a conduit and director of traffic. It is a means of sharing resources as a network.

Transmission Network

The transmission network is the portion of the communications network, consisting of digital communication equipment, intended to function as the transport infrastructure for all telecommunication services.

UC

Unified Communications (UC) is the integration of enterprise communications activities which enables situational awareness across people and information within those activities; it also makes it possible to deliver these services seamlessly across multiple applications and platforms.

UMTS (Universal Mobile telecommunications Spectrum)

UMTS is the Western European name for the 3G WCDMA standard adopted as an evolutionary path by the GSM world. However, it utilizes the radio spectrum in a fundamentally different manner than GSM. UMTS is based on DCMA technology and the GSM standard is based on TDMA technology.

USSD

Unstructured supplementary service data

VANS

Value added network providers

VLR

Visitor location register

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

Voice over Internet Protocol is a protocol enabling voice calls to be made over the internet. Rather than a dedicated circuit being set up between the caller and receiver, as with ordinary phone calls, the voice conversation is digitised and transmitted over Internet Protocol using packet-switched data networks.

WAN (Wide Area Network)

A WAN comprises LANs in different geographic locations that are connected, often over the public network.

WAP (Wireless Application Protocol

WAP is an application environment designed to bridge the gap between the mobile and Internet worlds. It is a set of communication protocols for wireless devices designed to provide vendor-neutral and technology-neutral access to the Internet and advanced telecommunications services.

WASP

Wireless application service provider

WCDMA (Wide Band Code Division Multiple Access)

WCDMA is an air-interface standard that uses a 5MHz channel rather than the 1.25MHz of existing CDMA systems. It is the 3G standard adopted as an evolution path by the GSM world. Like CDMA 1xEV, WCDMA is optimized to support high-speed mobile multimedia.

WDM

Wavelength Division Multiplexing is a means of increasing the data-carrying capacity of an optical fiber by simultaneously operating at more than one wavelength.

WiFi

Wireless Fidelity, a Wireless Local Area Network. It runs in the 2.4 GHz wireless range at speeds of up to 11 Mbps.

WiMAX

WiMAX aims to provide wireless data over long distances, in a variety of different ways, from point to point links to full mobile cellular type access. It is described as "a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of "last mile" wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL."

WIG

The Wireless Internet gateway (WIG) gives WAP terminals access to WML-based applications. It brings WAP to legacy terminals via SMS and supports end-to-end security, push and location-based services.

WLAN

IDC defines a WLAN as a data communications system that provides wireless peer-to-peer (e.g., PC-to-PC, PC-to-hub, and printer-to-hub) and point-to-point (e.g., LAN-to-LAN) connectivity within a building or campus environment. In place of the twisted-pair, coaxial wires, or optical fibre used in conventional LANs, WLANs transmit and receive data over electromagnetic wires.

WLL (Wireless Local Loop)

WLL is a system that connects subscribers to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) using radio signals as a substitute for copper for all or part of the connection between the subscriber and the witch. This includes cordless access systems, proprietary fixed radio access, and fixed cellular systems.