2G

In mobile telephony, second-generation protocols use digital encoding and include GSM, D-AMPS (TDMA) and CDMA. 2G networks are in current use around the world. These protocols support high bit rate voice and limited data communications. They offer auxiliary services such as data, fax and SMS. Most 2G protocols offer different levels of encryption and are within the 880-915 MHz, 925-960 MHz, 1710-1785 MHz or 1805-1880 MHz bands.

2.5G

In mobile telephony, 2.5G protocols extend 2G systems to provide additional features such as packet-switched connection (GPRS) and enhanced data rates (HSCSD, EDGE).

3G

In mobile telephony, third-generation protocols support much higher data rates, measured in Mbps, intended for applications other than voice. 3G networks trials started in Japan in 2001. 3G networks are expected to be starting in Europe and part of Asia/Pacific by 2002 and in the US later. 3G will support bandwidth-hungry applications such as full-motion video, video-conferencing and full Internet access. The next third generation of wireless technology beyond personal communications services. The World Administrative Radio Conference assigned 230 megahertz of spectrum at 2 GHz for multimedia 3G networks. These networks must be able to transmit wireless data at 144 kilobits per second at mobile user speeds, 384 KBPS at pedestrian user speeds and 2 megabits per second in fixed locations.

ActiveSync

The synchronization program by Microsoft for Windows Mobile and other Windows CE-based devices.

Analog

The simple way to transmit speech, which is translated into electronic signals of different frequency and/or amplitude. The first networks for mobile phones, as well as broadcast transmissions, were analog. Due to being longer established in some countries, analog networks may offer better coverage than digital networks, however analog phones are less secure and suffer more from interference where the signal is weak. Analog systems include AMPS, NMT and ETACS.

Beam

Information can be transfer and exchange between mobile devices in a mean of infrared beam.

Bluetooth

A global initiative by Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba to set a standard for cable-free connectivity between mobile phones, mobile PCs, handheld computers and other peripherals. It will use short-range radio links in the 2.gGHZ Instrumentation Scientific and Medical (ISM) "free band".

CDMA

Code-Division Multiple Access, a digital cellular technology that uses spread-spectrum techniques. CDMA allows multiple frequencies to be used simultaneously (Spread Spectrum). CDMA uses the full available spectrum in every channel. Individual conversations are encoded with a pseudo-random digital sequence. CDMA consistently provides better capacity for voice and data communications than other commercial mobile technologies, allowing more subscribers to connect at any given time, and it is the common platform on which 3G technologies are built.
The CDMA idea was originally developed for military use over 30 years ago.

Content Provider

A company that provides services to mobile phone users or network operators. These services could be shopping, web surfing, chat rooms, playing games, accessing data such as music and books through a server.

Crystal

Code-name for a half VGA reference design for Symbian OS.

Digital

A way of encoding information. On digital networks, data doesn’t need to go though the extra step of being converted to an analog signal, voice is sampled and coded in a way similar to how it is recorded on a CD. Digital networks are fast replacing analog ones as they offer improved sound quality, secure transmission and can handle data directly as well as voice. Digital networks include mobile systems GSM, D-AMPS, CDMA, TDMA and UMTS.

Digital Certificate

An encrypted code issued to two or more parties by a certification authority, and used to verify these parties' identities through the exchange of their public keys.

Digital Signature

A digital signature provides verification to the recipient that the file came from the person who sent it, and it has not been altered since it was signed.

Direct Push Technology

"Push" refers to the email servers' ability to "push" (forward) an email to the phone as soon as it received by the School's email servers. The servers do this by sending a system text message to the phone when a new email is received in the user's Inbox. Receipt of the text message by the phone causes it to make a connection to the servers to synchronize email. The current push service involves additional requirements in the user's mobile service options and results in additional costs as the charge for each notification text message is borne by the user. A new improved push technology that does not use notification text messages has been installed on the School's email servers. This alternative technology, known as Direct Push, does away with the additional cost and complication of notification text messages.

Dual band

Dual band mobile phones can work on networks that operate on different frequency bands. This is useful if you move between areas covered by different networks. Some networks operate on two bands, for instance GSM-1800 in town centers and GSM-900 in the rest of the country.

Dual mode Dual Mode/2SIM

A feature on some wireless phones that allows the handset to operate on both analog and digital networks. Dual mode mobile phones have more than one air interface and hence can work on more than one network. One example is phones that operate on both digital and analog networks. They are quite useful if you want the advantages of a digital phone, but regularly visit areas where analog is the only service available.

EDGE

Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution. A radio interface technology with enhanced modulation designed to provide Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and time division multiple access (TDMA) networks with the capacity to rival third-generation (3G) cellular networks. It is an integral part of the migration of GSM and TDMA networks to 3G. (Many vendors and industry groups substitute "Global" for "GSM" in the expanded term, to avoid the impression that the technology is applicable only to GSM networks.) EDGE is being developed to support mobile services with maximum data rates of around 384 Kbps. In real-life conditions, throughputs will be considerably lower (e.g., 64 Kbps) but much faster than today's GSM and TDMA networks. EDGE can allow operators without a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) license to stay competitive in wireless data markets. GSM network operators also may deploy it, even if they win a 3G license, to provide low-cost services to automotive and machine-to-machine applications. See 3G, GSM, TDMA and UMTS.

Encryption

The process of systematically encoding a bit stream before transmission so that an unauthorized party cannot decipher it.

GPRS

General Packet Radio Systems. GPRS is hailed as the 2.5 for mobile phones. It is a radio technology for GSM networks that adds packet-switching protocols, shorter set-up time for ISP connections, and offer the possibility to charge by amount of data sent rather than connect time. GPRS promises to support flexible data transmission rates typically up to 20 or 30 Kbps (with a theoretical maximum of 171.2 Kbps), as well as continuous connection to the network. A 2.5G enhancement to GSM, GPRS is the most significant step towards 3G, needing similar business model, and service and network architectures.
GPIs will give you a permanent connection at about 50kbps or so to your mobile phone.

GPS Navigation System

A portable system for wireless tracking, mapping and navigation for travelers, drivers and tourists. The system offers audible navigation, large font turn-by-turn directions, area maps and thousands of detailed places of interests.

GSM

Short for Global system for Mobile Communications, it is the mobile phone platform used in Europe and much of the rest of the world- though it is not mainstream in the USA. Dual band phones are capable of operating on other bandwidths aboard. GSM is a time division multiplex (TDM) system. Implemented on 800, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz frequency bands.

HSDPA

High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, is a new protocol for mobile telephone data transmission. It is known as a 3.5G (G stands for generation) technology. Essentially, the standard will provide download speeds on a mobile phone equivalent to an ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) line in a home, removing any limitations placed on the use of your phone by a slow connection. It assists an evolution and improvement on W-CDMA, or Wideband Code Division Multiple Access, a 3G protocol. HSDPA improves the data transfer rate of at least five over W-CDMA. HSDPA can achieve theoretical data transmission speeds of 8-10 Mbps (megabits per second). Though any data can be transmitted, applications with high data demands such as video and streaming music are the focus of HSDPA. HSDPA improves on W-CDMA by using different techniques for modulation and coding. It creates a new channel within W-CDMA called HS-DSCH, or high-speed downlink shared channel, which performs differently than other channels and allows for faster downlink speeds. It isn't possible to send data from the phone to a source using HSDPA. The channel is shared between all users, which let the radio signals to be used most effectively for the fastest downloads.

HSUPA (HIGH SPEED UPLINK PACKET ACCESS)

is a UMTS / WCDMA uplink evolution technology currently being standardized in 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The new HSUPA mobile telecommunications technology is directly related to HSDPA and the two are complimentary to one another. HSUPA opens further areas for innovations and new business possibilities.

HSUPA enhances advanced person-to-person data applications with higher and symmetric data rates, like mobile e-mail and real-time person-to-person gaming. Traditional business applications along with many consumer applications will benefit from enhanced uplink speed. HSUPA will initially boost the UMTS / WCDMA uplink up to 1.4Mbps and in later releases up to 5.8Mbps.

IP

Internet Protocol - A communication protocol using packet-switching technique to transmit data over the Internet.

IMAP4

Internet Messaging Access Protocol. A remote mailbox access protocol. It enables efficient operation such as downloading only essential data by first acquisitioning the e-mail header prior to actual e-mail download.

IrDA

A suite of protocols for infrared (IR) exchange of data between two devices, up to 1 or 2 meters apart (20 to 30 cm for low-power devices). IrDA devices typically have throughput of up to either 115.2 Kbps or 4 Mbps. IrDA protocols are implemented in Symbian OS phones, many PDAs, printers and laptop computers.

Java

Industry standard object-oriented language and virtual machine, invented by Sun Microsystems and formally released in 1996. Java is an ideal language for network applications and applets. Sun's Java specifications include many Java APIs and platforms, including the JavaPhone API and PersonalJava platform, which are included in Symbian OS.

JavaPhone

A Java API specification controlling contacts, power management, call control, and phonebook management, intended specifically for the programmability requirements of mobile phones.

MMS

Multimedia Message Service, a method of transmitting graphics, video clips, sound files text messages over wireless networks using the WAP protocol.

OS

Operating System: historically, the minimal set of software needed to manage a device's hardware capability and share it between application programs. Practically, "OS" is now used to mean all software including kernel, device drivers, comms, graphics, data management, GUI framework, system shell application, and utility applications. This would define Windows, Palm OS and MacOS as operating systems. Symbian provides an operating system – Symbian OS – tailored for data-enabled mobile phones.

Platform

A set of technology, which acts as a foundation for real-world applications, or higher-level platforms. Symbian OS includes C++ APIs, a leading Java implementation, an application suite and integration with wireless and other communications protocols.

POP3

An e-mail protocol used to retrieve e-mail from a remote server over an Internet connection.

QWERTY

General name for such "lock-ins" in technology and economics, also known as "path-dependence" . It is held to result from "switching costs". These take two forms. One is what we might call pure switching costs; the opportunity cost of obtaining, installing and learning to use a new technology. The other form of switching cost is due to "network externalities," or "external increasing returns". The more common QWERTY keyboards are, the more useful it is to learn them or the Dvorak keyboard.. QWERTY layout really is the most efficient, and indeed even that Microsoft Windows is the best of all possible operating systems.

SIM

Subscriber Identity Module. A small, programmable smart card containing a cellular service subscriber's identity key. The SIM contains codes to identify a subscriber to a digital mobile service and the details of the special services the subscriber has elected to use. The SIM may be fixed within the phone, or removable (enabling users to swap phones without changing their subscriptions). The SIM is the key to security on Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks.

Smartphone

A generic name for voice centric mobile phones with information capability.

SMS

Short Message Service. Popularly known as "text messages". Available on digital GSM networks allowing text messages of up to 160 characters to be sent and received via the network operator's message center to your mobile phone, or from the Internet, using a so-called "SMS gateway" website. If the phone is powered off or out of range, messages are stored in the network and are delivered at the next opportunity. Analysis said it would be the main revenue generator for 3G operators.

Streaming

Technical term for digital audio or video transmissions via the Internet. The sound and image data are sent as a data stream to the subscriber, hence the term "streaming". A variety of deferred data streams can be output from a streaming media server on the Net. Each receiver can thus receive the same content deferred. Normally, a packet- switched or asymmetric transmission method is used.

Symbian Connect

The PC-based Symbian Connect is a system for data synchronization, file management, printing via PC, application installation from a PC, and other utility functions allowing Symbian OS phones to integrate effectively with PC and server-based data.

Symbian OS

Symbian’s advanced open standard operating system for data enabled mobile phones. It includes a multi-tasking multithreaded core, a user interface framework, data services enablers, application engines and integrated PIM functionality and wireless communications

Synchronization

Type of transmission in which the transmission and reception of all data is synchronized by a common clock and the data is usually transmitted in blocks rather than individual characters. Can also mean that the data stream has the same capacity in both directions.

TDMA

Time Division Multiple Access: a digital wireless telephony transmission technique. TDMA allocates each user a different time slot on a given frequency. GSM, D-AMPS, PDC and DECT use TDMA in one form or another. It is generally used for D-AMPS. TDMA networks are operated in the US, Latin America, New Zealand, parts of Russia and Asia Pacific.

Unicode

A 16-bit character encoding scheme allowing characters from Western European, Eastern European, Cyrillic, Greek, Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Urdu, Hindi and all other major world languages, living and dead, to be encoded in a single character set. The Unicode specification also includes standard compression schemes and a wide range of typesetting information required for worldwide locale support.

USIM

Universal Subscriber Identity Module. An enhancement of the subscriber identity module (SIM) card used in Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks. The USIM is designed to be used in third-generation (3G) networks. It is inserted into a 3G-compliant mobile phone to provide network authentication and additional functions.

VGA

Video Graphics Array: “standard” screen size of 640 by 480 pixels.

WCDMA

Wide-band CDMA: a CDMA protocol and now adopted for third-generation use by ETSI in Europe. WCDMA supports very high-speed multimedia services such as full-motion video, Internet access and video conferencing.

WAP

Wireless Application Protocol; a set of communication protocol standards to make accessing online services from a mobile phone simple.

Wi-Fi

Short for 'wireless fidelity'. A term for certain types of wireless local area networks (WLAN) that use specifications conforming to IEEE 802.11b. Wi-Fi has gained acceptance in many environments as an alternative to a wired LAN. Many airports, hotels, and other services offer public access to Wi-Fi networks so people can log onto the Internet and receive emails on the move. These locations are known as hotspots.

Windows Mobile

gives you mobile versions of Microsoft Office with Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook e-mail, contacts, and calendar.