[Information] GSM Basic abbreviations and acronyms

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K

Kbps : Kilobits Per Second, a measure of bandwidth

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L


LAI - Local Area Identification

LAP
Link Access Protocol

LAN
Local Area Network

LANS
Local Area Network Services



LED - Light Emitting Diode
(a semiconductor device that illuminates when electricity passes through it. Often used as an indicator light, or to spell out words and numbers. LEDs come in many colors, and some LEDs contain multiple elements and are therefore capable of multiple colors. Provides good visibility in direct sunlight and in darkness)

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M


MAC - Media Access Control; the lower sublayer of the OSI system

MAD - Memory Analog Digital

MAN - Metropolitan Area Network

MAP - Mobile Application Part




Mb- Megabite
( a unit of data transmission speed equal to one million bits per second)


MCC - Mobile Country Code
MCU - Micro Control Unit

MCPA - Multi Carrier Power Amplifier

MeXe - Mobile Execution Environment
(likely to be based on Java, MeXe enables WAP-enabled devices to offer a wider range of features with greater security and flexibility, as well as greater control of telephony features)

MFSK - Multiple Frequency Shift Keying


MHz - Megahertz (a unit of frequency equal to one million Hertz)


MMI - Man Machine Interface

MMS - Multimedia Messaging Service
(an evolution of SMS, MMS goes beyond text messaging offering various kinds of multimedia content including images, audio and video clips)

MMSK - Modified Minimum Shift Keying
MNC - Mobile Network Code
MNO - Mobile Network Operator

Modulation:
The process of imposing an information signal on a carrier. This can be done by changing the amplitude (AM), the frequency (FM) or the phase, or any combination of these



MPEG:
Motion Picture Experts Group; MPEG4 is a technology for compressing voice and video so that the information can be transmitted over normally difficult links such as mobile radio

MS - Mobile Station

MSC - Mobile Switching Centre
(the switching centre of a mobile phone network, the MSC has interfaces to the BSCs, HLR, VLR and other MSCs)


MSIN - Mobile Station Identification Number

MSISDN - Mobile Station International ISDN Number



MSK - Minimum Shift Keying (Another term for FFSK)

Multiplexing:
A telecommunications technique where several channels can be combined to share the same transmission medium. The most common forms are Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) and Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)

MVPN - Mobile Virtual Private Network


Master Reset:
restores the setting to factory

MIDI - Musical Instrument Digital Interface
(a standard that allows digital musical instruments to communicate with one another. In cell phone terms, MIDI is what gives you polyphonic sounds; which means your ring tones can sound like real music instead of beeps. )

MMS - Multimedia Messaging Service
(a further extension of SMS and EMS.MMS is designed to make use of newer and quicker mobile transmission methods such as GPRS, HSCSD, EDGE and UMTS, involving the attachment of multimedia extensions to messages, such as video and sound. An e-mail function is also planned. )

MO-SMS - Mobile-Originated Short Message Service
(the ability to send short text messages from a phone. Both the phone and the carrier’s network must support this feature for it to work. Messages can be sent to other phones by phone number. Many phones also allow sending messages directly to e-mail addresses. )

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N

N-AMPS
Narrowband AMPS

NAM (Number Assignment Module) a circuit chip located inside a phone which stores your telephone number, lock code, timer reset code, network information and other operational data. The NAM is programmed by the service provider when a device is activated. Today’s phones have EPROM type NAM and are keypad programmable.

NAMPS (Narrowband Advanced Mobile Phone Service) is the next generation of AMPS systems. NAMPS is a cellular call-handling system that uses digital signaling techniques to split the existing channels into three narrowband channels. The result is three times more voice channel capacity than the traditional AMPS system provides.


NB
Normal Burst; used to carry traffic and control channels except RACH




NCC (National Color Code or Network Color Code

NET
Norme Europeenne de Telecommunications


NiMH - Nickel Metal Hydride

NMSI - National Mobile Subscriber Identity

NMT: - Nordic Mobile Telephone system
(an analogue cellular technology deployed in the Nordic countries in the late 1970’s; variations were also deployed in the Benelux countries and in Russia. NMT operated in the 450 and 900MHz bands and was the first technology to offer international roaming, albeit only in the Nordic countries)


Node B:
The element in a UMTS network which interfaces with the mobile station, analogous to a BTS in a GSM network

No Service:
An indication on the display of a cellular phone that indicates that the user is in an area where cellular service is unavailable

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O

OMAP - Open Multimedia Applications Platform


OMC - Operations and Maintenance Centre
OMC-S The switching OMC

OMC-R The radio OMC


OLED - Organic Light-Emitting Diode

(a next-generation display technology that consists of small dots of organic polymer that emit light when charged with electricity. OLED is beginning to replace LCD technology in handheld devices such as PDAs and cell phones because the technology is thinner, lighter, brighter, cheaper to manufacture and consumes less power than LED’s.)

OTA - Over the air activation
( the downloading of ring tones, picture messages, and other content to your mobile phone wirelessly. )


OSI
Open Systems Interconnection; a seven layer model for protocols defined by ISO

OTP- One Time Programable

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P


PACS:

Personal Access Communication System; a digital cordless technology developed initially by Bell Labs in the US, PACS was designed to compete with DECT


PACS
Personal Access Communication System; a digital cordless technology developed initially by Bell Labs in the US, PACS was designed to compete with DECT

Packet switching
A communication system wherein the information is transmitted in packets of a set size. These packets have address headers and find their way to their destination by the most efficient route through the network. Compared to circuit switching where a connection is occupied until the traffic exchange is completed, packet switching offers considerable efficiencies as connections can be used by a number of users simultaneously

PAMR
Public Access Mobile Radio; Commercial service using trunking techniques in which multiple groups of users can set up their own closed systems within a shared public network

PAP
Public Access Profile; a DECT term

PCH
Paging Channel; downlink only, the MS is informed of incoming calls by the BTS via the PCH

PCM
Pulse Code Modulation; the standard digital voice format at 64kbit/s

PCMCIA
Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Association the body responsible for defining the standards and formats for memory expansion cards for laptop computers and PDAs. Now extended to cover cards for mobile phones

PCN
Personal Communications Network; a designation initially used in the UK to refer to networks operating in the 1800MHz band (see also DCS1800). No longer in use

PCS 1900
Personal Communications Systems 1900MHz; the terminology used in the US to describe the new digital networks being deployed in the 1900MHz band; rarely used today

PCU
Packet Control Unit; an element in a GPRS/UMTS network

PDA
Personal Digital Assistant

PDC
Personal Digital Communications; a digital cellular technology developed and deployed uniquely in Japan. A TDMA technology, PDC is incompatible with any other digital cellular standard

PEDC
Pan European Digital Communications; A designation occasionally used in the early 1990’s to describe GSM. No longer in use

Penetration
The percentage of the total population which owns a mobile phone

PHS / PHP
Personal HandyPhone System/Phone; a digital cordless technology developed in Japan which achieved great success. Deployed by NTT DoCoMo and other Japanese operators PHS offered two-way communications, data services and Internet access and eventually won some 28 million customers. Now in decline as cellular’s wide area capabilities offer better service

PIN
Personal Identifier Number

PKI
Public Key Infrastructure

PLMN
Public Land Mobile Network; any cellular operator’s network

PMR
Private Mobile Radiocommunications; two-way radio technology widely used for despatch and delivery services, taxi companies and the like. See TETRA

POCSAG
Post Office Code Standardisation Group; a now defunct industry grouping which standardised pager addressing systems

PoP
Points of Presence; a method of measuring the value of a cellular licence; the approximate number of potential customers within a geographical area

POTS
Plain Old Telephone Service

PROM
Programmable Read Only Memory

PSK
Phase Shift Keying

PSRCP
Public Safety Radio Communications Project; an initiative by the UK Government to standardise all emergency services communications on to a single digital technology (see TETRA)

PSDN
Public Switched Data Network

PSPDN
Public Switched Packet Data Network

PSTN
Public Switched Telephone Network

PSU
Power Supply Unit

PTO
Public Telecommunication Operator

PTT
Posts, Telephone and Telegraph Administration

PTT
Push-to-Talk; a feature of PMR systems

PWT
Personal Wireless Telecommunications; a variant of DECT developed for use in the USA


PCN
Personal Communications Networks; an outdated term for GSM services in the 1800MHz band

PDA
Personal Digital Assistant; a sophisticated handheld device with advanced display facilities and a range of business-oriented software programs

Phone book
A list of personal names and numbers stored in a mobile phone’s internal memory or in the SIM card. These numbers can be called by accessing the appropriate memory and making a single key stroke

PIN
Personal Identity Number; a number, usually four digits, that must be keyed into a mobile phone to make it work. A security measure to prevent unauthorised usage

P-Java (Personal Java) a Java API and specification for running Java applications on small devices.

Packet a piece of data transmitted over a packet-switching network such as the Internet or wireless Internet; a packet includes not just data but also its destination.

Packet Switching a type of communication that splits information into “packets” of data for transmission. This is efficient, as it only uses radio spectrum when it’s actually sending something, rather than keeping an open channel at all times (as is done in circuit switching). Packet switching is a core component to 3G technology.

Passive Matrix Display an LCD technology that uses a grid to supply the charge to each particular pixel on the display. An STN screen has a slower refresh rate than a TFT screen, but it’s cheaper. Also called a SuperTwist Nematic of STN display.

PC Card (PCMCIA) a removable, credit-card sized devices that may be plugged into slots in PCS and wireless communication devices to provide fax or modem functions or network cards.

PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) a group of hardware manufacturers and vendors responsible for developing standards for PC Cards (also called PCMCIA cards.)

PCN:

also known as DCS 1800 or GSM 1800, PCN is a term used to describe a wireless communication technology in Europe and Asia.

PDA (personal digital assistant) a portable, handheld computing device that acts as an electronic organizer. PDAs are typically used for managing addresses, appointments, to-do lists and notes, but some newer models support wireless Internet access, e-mail, and other interactive applications. Also referred to as Handheld Computers. PDAs come in two major flavors - Palm and Pocket PC.

PIN (Personal Identification Number) a numeric code or password that may be required by a service provider in order to make outgoing calls or obtain access to certain applications and data. This code is always associated to a SIM card, not a phone and is designed to help guard against cellular fraud.

PTT (Push-To-Talk) a two-way communication service that works like a “walkie talkie”. This feature, found on Motorola iDEN phones from Nextel and Telus Mobility’s Mike, allow communication in only direction at a time unlike a cell phone that allows for simultaneous conversations. New PTT systems are now being introduced that use VoIP technology to provide PTT service digitally over 3G data networks

PUK (Personal Unblocking Code) used to unblock a blocked SIM card, this code is given during the subscription of a phone

PWR:
represents the on/off (power) key on some wireless devices.

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Q


QAM - Quadrature Amplitude Modulation

QAPS - Quadrature Amplitude Phase Shift Keying

QCELP - Quadrature Code Excited Linear Prediction

QoS - Quality of Service

( a broad term to describe the performance attributes of an end-to-end connection)

QPSK - Quadrature Phase Shift Keying

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R

RACH - Random Access Channel
RACE - Research in Advanced Communications in Europe


RAM - Random Access Memory

RAP3G- Radio Application Processor 3rd Generations
RCC - Radio Common Carrier



Reuse:
The assignment of frequencies or channels to cells so that adjoining cells do not use the same frequencies and cause interference whereas more distant cells can use the same frequencies. Reuse expands the capacity of a cellular network by enabling the use of the same channels throughout the network




RELP - Regular pulse Excitation Linear Prediction coding


RF AMP = Radio Frequency Amplifier

RFP - Radio Fixed Part
(equivalent to a base station in a DECT system)

RNC
Radio Network Controller; the element which controls the Node Bs within a UMTS network. It is roughly analogous to a BSC in a GSM network
RP - Radio Part

Roaming:
A service unique to GSM which enables a subscriber to make and receive calls when outside the service area of his home network e.g. when travelling abroad

Router:
A device which forwards information in a network on a connectionless basis

RRM - Radio Resource Management, part of the UMTS infrastructure

RT - Remote Terminal

RX :- signal received