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Access
fee:
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A
special fee that local telephone companies are allowed to
charge all telephone customers for the right to connect with
the local phone network. Cellular subscribers pay this fee
along with a 3 percent federal telephone excise tax.
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Airtime:
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| Actual
time spent talking on the cellular telephone. Most carriers
bill customers based on how many minutes of airtime they use
each month. Airtime charges during peak periods of the day
vary from about 20 cents to more than 40 cents per minute,
depending on the service plan selected. Most carriers offer
reduced rates for off-peak usage. |
Alphanumeric:
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| A
message or other type of readout containing both letters ("alphas")
and numbers ("numerics"). In cellular, "alphanumeric
memory dial" is a special type of dial-from-memory option
that displays both the name of the individual and that individual's
phone number on the cellular phone handset. The name also
can be recalled by using the letters on the phone keypad.
By contrast, standard memory dial recalls numbers from number-only
locations. |
Analog:
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| The
traditional method of modulating radio signals so that they
can carry information. AM (amplitude modulation) and FM (frequency
modulation) are the two most common methods of analog modulation.
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Authentication:
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| A
fraud prevention technology that takes a number of values
to create a shared, secret value used to verify a user's authenticity.
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Caller I.D.:
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| A
call-screening feature that allows the user to pinpoint the
origin of an incoming call prior to answering the phone. |
Cell:
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| The
basic geographic unit of a cellular system and the basis for
the generic industry term "cellular." A city or
county is divided into small "cells," each of which
is equipped with a low-powered radio transmitter/receiver.
The cells can vary in size depending on terrain and capacity
demands. By controlling the transmission power and the radio
frequencies assigned from one cell to another, a computer
at the Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) monitors the
movement and transfers (or hands off) the phone call to another
cell and another radio frequency as needed. |
Digital
modulation: |
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| A
method of decoding information for transmission. Information,
or in this case, a voice conversation is turned into a series
of digital bits - the 0s and 1s of computer binary language.
At the receiving end, the information is reconverted. |
ESN
(Electronic Serial
Number): |
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| Each
cellular phone is assigned a unique ESN, which is automatically
transmitted to the cellular tower station every time a cellular
call is placed. The Mobile Telephone Switching Office validates
the ESN with each call. |
FCC:
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| Federal
Communications Commission. The Government agency responsible
for regulating telecommunications in the United States, located
in Washington, D.C. |
Frequency
reuse: |
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| The
ability to use the same frequencies repeatedly across a cellular
system, made possible by the basic design approach for cellular.
Since each cell is designed to use radio frequencies only
within its boundaries, the same frequencies can be reused
in other cells not far away with little potential for interference.
The reuse of frequencies is what enables a cellular system
to handle a huge number of calls with a limited number of
channels. |
Handoff:
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| The
process by which the Mobile Telephone Switching Office passes
a cellular phone conversation from one radio frequency in
one cell to another radio frequency in another. The handoff
is performed so quickly that users usually never notice. |
Hands-free:
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| An
important safety feature that's included with most of today's
mobile phones. It permits drivers to use their cellular phone
without lifting or holding the hand-set to their ear. |
Message
alert: |
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| (Also
referred to as "call-in-absence" indicator) A light
or other indicator announcing that a phone call came in; an
especially important feature if the cellular subscriber has
voice mail. |
Mobile phone:
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| (Also
called a car phone) The type of cellular phone that's installed
in a car, truck or van. There are three main types of cellular
phones being sold today: mobile, transportable and portable.
A mobile unit is attached to the vehicle, draws its power
from the vehicle's battery and has an external antenna. |
MTSO:
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| Mobile
Telephone Switching Office. The central switch that controls
the entire operation of a cellular system. It is a sophisticated
computer that monitors all cellular calls, tracks the location
of all cellular-equipped vehicles traveling in the system,
arranges handoffs, keeps track of billing information, etc.
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No-answer
transfer: |
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| A
service feature (provided by some cellular carriers in combination
with call-waiting) that automatically transfers an incoming
cellular call to another phone number if the cellular subscriber
is unable to answer. |
NAM
(Number Assignment
Module): |
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| The
NAM is the electronic memory in the cellular phone that stores
the telephone number. Phones with dual- or multi-NAM features
offer users the option of registering the phone with a local
number in more than one market. |
Off-peak:
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| The
period of time after the business day has ended during which
carriers may offer reduced airtime charges. |
PCS
(Personal
Communications Services): |
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| Another
form of wireless telecommunications services. |
Peak:
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| Highest-usage
period of the business day when a cellular system carries
the most calling traffic. |
Portable:
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| A
one-piece, self-contained cellular telephone. The newest portable
model phones are so small - weighing as little as 3.1 ounces
- that they can be folded up and carried in a suit pocket
or purse. Portables normally have built-in antennas and a
rechargeable battery. See also Mobile and Transportable. |
Repertory
dialing: |
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| Sometimes
known as "memory dialing" or "speed-calling."
A feature that allows you to recall from 1-to-99 (or more)
phone numbers from a phone's memory with the touch of just
one, two or three buttons. |
Roaming:
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| The
ability to use your cellular phone outside your usual service
area - when traveling, for example. |
Service plan:
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| 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. |
Standby time:
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| The
amount of time you can leave your fully charged cellular portable
or transportable phone turned on before the phone will completely
discharge the batteries. See talk time. |
Talk time:
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| The
length of time you can talk on your portable or transportable
cellular phone without recharging the battery. The battery
capacity of a cellular portable or transportable is usually
expressed in terms of so many minutes of talk time OR so many
hours of standby time. When you're talking, the phone draws
additional power from the battery. |
Transportable:
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| The
transportable cellular phone is a standard mobile phone that
can be removed from the vehicle and used by itself with an
attached battery pack. The entire unit is generally mounted
or built into a custom carrying case to make it easy to carry.
Although technically "portable," the transportable
should not be confused with smaller, one-piece cellular phones.
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Voice-activated
dialing: |
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| A
feature available only on selected phones that permits you
to dial numbers by calling them out to your cellular phone,
instead of dialing them manually. This function is especially
convenient for making calls from your vehicle while driving.
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Voice mail:
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| (Also
called voice messaging) A computerized answering service that
automatically answers your call, plays a greeting in your
own voice and records a message. After you retrieve your messages,
you can delete, save, reply to or forward the messages to
someone else on your voice mail system. |
