Glossary Of Wireless Terminology   1G (First Generation) The first generation of cellular wireless (1G) was based on analog technology. The systems were designed only to carry voice technology. 2G (Second Generation) Second-generation (2G) technology converts voice to digital data for transmission over the air and then back to voice. Most 2G systems provide 9.6–14.4-Kbps circuit-switched data service. 2.5G 2.5G refers to technology that is added to a 2G network to provide packet-data service. In practice, 2.5G is synonymous with the GPRS technology that has been added to GSM networks. 3G (Third Generation) Third-generation (3G) systems have been designed for both voice and data. By International Telecommunications Union (ITU) definition, 3G systems must provide a minimum of 144-Kbps packet-data service. AMPS, Analog Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) has been available since 1976 when it was first used on a trial basis in the U.S. and then commercialized in the early 1980s. With AMPS, each channel can handle a single voice call. In order to add more capacity to an AMPS cellular system, more channels per cell site or more cell sites must be added. ANSI-41 ANSI-41 is a protocol standardized by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for enabling cdmaOne, cdma2000 and TDMA subscribers to roam between different wireless service operators’ systems to make and receive voice calls. ANSI-136 ANSI-136 is called TDMA in the Americas. See TDMA Standards, D-AMPS. Carrier A wireless network operator is often referred to as a carrier. Carrier is also a technical radio term for the radio wave that carries voice or data. CDMA Technologies Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is a spread-spectrum technology that spreads multiple conversations across a wide segment of the spectrum as opposed to splitting a channel into time slots. With CDMA, unique digital codes are used to differentiate subscribers that are simultaneously using the same spectrum. CdmaOne The original CDMA as first deployed by Qualcomm is the technology that is in use today in all CDMA networks that have not been upgraded to cdma2000. CdmaOne is 10–12 times more efficient than analog and 4–5 times more efficient than GSM.[1] CDMA makes use of 1.25-MHz radio channels. In U.S. cellular systems, 30-KHz channels are aggregated to provide 1.25-MHz channels. Cdma2000 1x Cdma2000 1x, the next generation of CDMA, supports between 1.5 and 2 times the number of voice channels as a standard CDMA system as well as 144-Kbps packet-data services. Cdma2000 1x is 21 times more efficient than analog cellular and 4 times more efficient than TDMA networks. (Cdma2000 1x data speeds will increase from 144 Kbps to 288 Kbps by the end of 2002.) Cdma2000 1x EV-DO This is the next EVolution of cdma2000. “DO” indicates Data-Only and this system is capable of data speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps. This upgrade to cdma2000 requires a second 1.25-MHz channel that is used exclusively for data. Most cdma2000 network operators are expected to combine 1x and 1x EV-DO channels in their systems to provide varying voice and data capacities as required by customer demand. Cdma2000 1x EV-DV This standard is under development. Motorola has been leading the standards effort. The technology is being specified to provide data-rate speeds of 1.2 Mbps for mobile users, with peak data speeds up to 5.2 Mbps for stationary users. This standard will also support voice in addition to data. Cdma2000 3x The 3x designation was created because some countries specify that new 3G technologies must use at least 5 MHz of spectrum. Cdma2000 3x combines 3 cdma2000 1x carriers to be used within 5 MHz of wireless spectrum. FOMA Freedom Of Mobile multimedia Access (FOMA) is the name of NTT DoCoMo’s WCDMA service. FOMA is a modified version of UMTS Release 99 with an initial data rate of 64 Kbps. It is expected that NTT DoCoMo will transition to the final release of UMTS in 2003 or later. UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a part of the International Telecommunications Union’s IMT-2000 vision of a global family of third-generation (3G) mobile communications systems. This version of 3G is a WCDMA technology being developed primarily by Europe’s GSM community. UMTS is the planned 3G technology for GSM networks worldwide. WCDMA Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) is a version of CDMA that uses 10 MHz of wireless spectrum: a 5-MHz uplink from the mobile terminal and a 5-MHz downlink to the mobile terminal. The version of WCDMA used by NTT DoCoMo in Japan is called FOMA or J-WCDMA; the European version is referred to as UMTS or E-WCDMA. CDPD Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) is an add-on technology that enables first-generation analog systems to provide packet data. CDPD is an IP network that runs at 19.2 Kbps with throughputs typically less than 10 Kbps. CDPD has been implemented in the U.S. by AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless. Channel A channel is the amount of wireless spectrum occupied by a specific technology implementation. For cellular, there is a transmit side and a receive side. For example, a 5-MHz channel uses 5 MHz to transmit and 5 MHz to receive for a total of 10 MHz of wireless spectrum. EDGE Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) is a technology being promoted by the TDMA and GSM communities that is capable of both voice and 3G data rates. EDGE is being considered by AT&T Wireless and Cingular Wireless as a 3G solution. EDGE is still in the lab and field trials have not confirmed its capabilities. Erlang An Erlang is a unit of telephone voice use that specifies the total capacity or average use of a telephone system. One Erlang is equivalent to the continuous usage of a telephone line. GAIT GSM ANSI-136 Interoperability Team (GAIT) is a technology that enables GSM and TDMA networks to interoperate. Special handsets must be manufactured (often called “GAIT phones”) and used in conjunction with GAIT networking. Currently there are no GAIT handsets, nor are there any GAIT networks in operation. I-mode I-mode is a technical specification and business model developed by Japan’s NTT DoCoMo for delivery of Web-type content to wireless handsets. IP Internet Protocol (IP) is the network layer for the TCP/IP protocol suite that is the basis of the Internet. IP is also widely used on Ethernet networks. ITU The International Telecommunications Union (ITU), headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland is an international organization within which governments and the private sector coordinate global telecom networks and services. MAP Mobile Application Part (MAP) is a standard of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) for enabling GSM subscribers that roam between different wireless service operators’ networks to make and receive voice calls. MVNO A Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) functions as a wireless service operator in the marketplace though it does not own an actual wireless network. Examples of MVNOs are Virgin Mobile, Energis and Tesco in the UK. Host Network Operator (HNO) is a related term. The HNO is the actual owner and operator of the wireless network, which includes the towers and all of the switching equipment.  PCS Personal Communications Services (PCS) was a name given by the FCC to a new set of wireless services and spectrum allocated in the 1990s. Today, in popular use, it refers to the 1900-MHz cellular frequency band. POPs In wireless parlance, the number of wireless POPs refer to the total population covered by a wireless service operator’s license. SMS Short Messaging Service (SMS) is available on many 2G and all 3G wireless networks. With SMS, subscribers can send short text messages (usually about 160 characters) to and from wireless handsets. Enhancements are being made to support rich text and graphics. SS7 Signaling System 7 (SS7) is the protocol used in the public switched telephone system for setting up calls and providing services such as 800 numbers, call forwarding, caller ID and local number portability. TDMA Standards Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) is a family of technologies. GSM, TDMA, iDEN, PDC and PHS are all based on dividing a radio channel into time slots. Each time slot can handle one call. These technologies differ in radio channel sizes and the number of time slots. D-AMPS Referred to as TDMA, D-AMPS is used by wireless network operators in North and South America. TDMA occupies the same amount of spectrum per analog channel (30 KHz) and is used in place of an analog channel to increase the number of calls to 4 or 5 per channel depending upon the implementation. Also called ANSI-136. GSM Global System for Mobility (GSM) is a TDMA digital technology deployed first in Europe. Today 65-70% of all wireless voice networks use GSM technology. GSM is less efficient than TDMA since it requires a 200-KHz channel, and its capacity is 3 to 4 times that of analog service GPRS GSM Packet Radio Service or General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is an upgrade to a GSM network that adds packet data to the voice network. GPRS uses the same time slots as voice calls and each time slot is capable of approximately 9.6 Kbps of data throughput. A GPRS network that offers 28.8 Kbps down to the phone and 9.6 Kbps from the phone back to the network is using three time slots down and one up. GPRS network operators and vendors tend to add the two speeds together when discussing data speeds. This example would be called a system with 38-Kbps data capability. iDEN iDEN is a Motorola proprietary version of TDMA with a unique “push-to-talk” two-way radio capability. Nextel Communications is the largest iDEN operator in the U.S. PDC Personal Digital Cellular (PDC) is a version of TDMA technology used exclusively in Japan. PHS Personal HandyFone System (PHS) is also a Japan-only TDMA technology. Originally, the difference between PDC and PHS systems was that PDC was true cellular while PHS provided voice and data access but did not support moving from one cell to another. PHS became the favorite wireless technology for teenagers because of its low cost. Several years ago, groups of teens could be seen standing on street corners under PHS cells talking on their PHS phones. WAP The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is a set of standards that enables a wireless device to browse content from specially-coded Web pages. The WAP 2.0 specification integrates capabilities of the rival i-mode standard. Wireless Operator “Wireless operator” is a general term that refers to either a wireless network operator or a wireless service operator. The wireless network operator, also called a “carrier,” maintains the radio towers and infrastructure for a cellular system. Wireless service operators sell wireless service to subscribers and contract with wireless network operators to provide their service. Outside of Europe, the wireless network operator and wireless service operator functions are combined within one company that is referred to as the “carrier” or wireless operator. Wi-Fi Wi-Fi stands for “Wireless Fidelity” and is a logo provided by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Association (WECA) for the 802.11b wireless Ethernet standard. Compatible PC cards and base stations can use the Wi-Fi logo. It is a mark of compatibility