According to Federal Communication Commission, 3rd
Generation systems provides access, by means of one or more radio
links, to a wide range of telecommunication services supported by the
fixed telecommunication networks and to other services that are specific
to mobile users. A range of mobile terminal types will be encompassed,
linking to terrestrial and/or satellite-based networks, and the terminals
may be designed for mobile or fixed use. Third generation wireless is the
name commonly used to refer to the next generation mobile wireless
telecommunications services. The 3G family of services, and the systems
that will provide them, are intended to reflect a high degree of
commonality and are to be compatible with each other.
These services will support mobile and fixed users employing a wide
range of devices including small pocket terminals, handheld telephones,
laptop computers, and fixed-receiver equipment. Third generation services
are envisioned to be ubiquitous throughout the globe, as available in a
remote part of a developing country as they are in an urban area in a
highly developed country. Seamless roaming is a key attribute. Access to
services is expected to be uniform. Furthermore, the user will be able to
roam from an urban to a suburban and into a rural setting without loss of
basic services.
Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) is the infrastructure
technology most Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Time
Division Multiple Access (TDMA) carriers are expected to use to migrate
their services to 3G capabilities. Most Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)
carriers are expected to move to 3G capabilities with cdma2000.
A new radio communications technology that will provide high-speed
mobile access to Internet-based services. It will enhance and extend
mobility in many areas of our lives.
In the near future, mobility won't be an add-on: it will become a
fundamental aspect of many services. We'll expect high-speed access to the
Internet, entertainment, information and electronic commerce (e-commerce)
services wherever we are – not just at our desktop computers, home PCs
or television sets.
3G services will add an invaluable mobile dimension to services that
are already an integral part of modern business life. These include the
Internet, intranets, video-conferencing, and the interactive sharing of
office applications to manage sales, appointments and business documents.
Glossary:
1X
From cdma2000 1X (IS-2000). First phase of 3G for cdma2000 networks.
1XEV
From cdma2000 1X EV (IS-2000 B). Evolutionary phase for 3G for
cdma2000 networks. Divided into two phases: 1XEV-DO (Data Only) and
1XEV-DV (Data and Voice.)
3G
Abbreviation for Third Generation - the collective name used to describe
mobile systems able to support a wide range of Mobile Internet services,
operating with greater bandwidth.
3GPP
The Third Party Partnership Project, set up to expedite the development of
open, globally-accepted technical specifications for UMTS.
3GPP2
The Third Party Partnership Project set up to expedite the development of
open, globally-accepted technical specifications for cdma2000.
AAA
Autthentication, Authorization and Accounting. One of three nodes in the
cdma2000 Packet Core Network (PCN.)
ALI
ATM Line Interface. Interface between ATM and 3G systems. ATM is one of
the transport network technologies being used to connect next generation
communications networks, where wireline and wireless are integrated.
AMPS
Advanced Mobile Phone Service is the term created by AT&T’s Bell Laboratories (prior to the break-up of the Bell
System in 1984) to refer to its wireless technology. The AMPS standard has been the foundation for the industry in the United
States, although it has been slightly modified in recent years. "AMPS-compatible" means equipment designed to work with
most wireless phones.
ANSI
American National Standards Institute
API
Application Programming Interface. An open interface that makes it easier
for third party developers to create new applications
ARIB
Association of Radio Industry Business, the standards-setting body for
Japan.
ATM
Asynchronous Transfer Mode - a type of networking that supports high
bandwidth throughput and simultaneous transfer of voice, video and data.
AUC/AC
Authentication Center - part of the Home Location Register (HLR) in 3G
systems, this performs computations to verify and authenticate the user of
mobile phones.
BTS
Base Transceiver Station. The equipment housed in cabinets and co-located with antennas. Cabinets include heating and air-conditioning units, electrical supply, telephony connection and back-up power. (Also known as Radio Base Station.)
BSC
Base Station Controller. A key network node in 3G systems that supervises
the functioning and control of multiple Base Transceiver Stations
CAMEL
Customized Application of Mobile Enhance Logic - an ETSI standard for GSM networks that enhances the provision of IN (Intelligent Network) services.
CAP
CAMEL Application Part
CDMA
Code Division Multiple Access. A technology for digital transmission of radio signals between, for example, a mobile telephone and a radio base
station. In CDMA, a frequency is divided using codes, rather than in time or
through frequency separation. Implemented in 800 and 1900 MHz systems
around the world. A spread-spectrum approach to digital transmission. With
CDMA, each conversation is
digitized and tagged with a code. The mobile phone is then instructed to decipher only a particular code to pluck the right
conversation off the air. The process can be compared in some ways to an English-speaking person picking out in a crowded
room of French speakers the only other person who is speaking English.
cdma2000
cdma2000 is a radio transmission technology and backbone technology for
the evolution of cdmaOne/IS-95 to 3G. CDR Call Data Recording - a feature
in a telephone system that allows it to collect and record information on
incoming and outgoing calls.
CORBA
Common Object Request Broker Architecture - provides standard
object-oriented interfaces between ORBs (Object Request Broker), as well
as to external applications and application platforms.
EDGE
Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution. EDGE is a technology that gives
GSM and TDMA similar capacity to handle services for 3G. EDGE was
developed to enable the transmission of large amounts of data at rates of
384kbit/s.
EIR
Equipment Identity Register. A database used to verify the validity of
equipment being used in mobile networks. It can provide security features
such as blocking of calls from stolen mobile phones and preventing
unauthorized access to the network. Black-listed equipment prevents call
completion.
EPOC
This is an operating system for mobile multimedia terminals developed by
Symbian (a joint-venture between Ericsson, Matsushita, Nokia, Motorola and
Psion).
ETSI
European Telecommunications Standards Institute - ETSI's purpose is to
define standards that will enable the global market for telecommunications
to function as a single market.
GGSN
Gateway GPRS Support Node. One of the two main GPRS nodes, which
provides the interface between the radio network and the IP network.
GSM
Global System for Mobile communication - the largest digital mobile
standard in use today. Implemented in 400MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz and
1900MHz frequency bands. - Groupe Speciale Mobile (now translated in English as Global Standard for Mobile). The Pan-European digital wireless
system standard.
GPRS
General Packet Radio Service - an enhancement for GSM and TDMA core
networks that introduces packet data transmission. GPRS uses radio
spectrum very efficiently and provides users with "always on" connectivity
and greater bandwidth.
GTP
GPRS Tunneling Protocol - creates a secure connection in the IP
environment, by encapsulating encrypted data in an IP packet.
HA
Home Agent. One of three nodes in a cdma2000 Packet Core Network
(PCN.)
HLR
Home Location Register. A permanent database used in mobile systems to
identify subscribers and to contain subscriber data related to features and
services.
IETF
Internet Engineering Task Force - one of two technical working bodies of the
Internet Activities Board, tasked with developing new TCP/IP standards for
the Internet.
IMT-2000
International Mobile Telecommunications 2000. The ITU initiative for
standardizing radio access to the global telecommunications infrastructure,
through both satellite and terrestrial systems, serving fixed and mobile
users in public and private networks - in other words, 3G.
IN
Intelligent Network - the capability in a public telecom network that allows
new services to be developed quickly and introduced on any scale.
IOS
Interoperability Standard. The standard used to define open interfaces in
cdmaOne and cdma2000 networks
IP
Internet Protocol - data protocol used in the Internet.
IS-136
The standard behind TDMA networks
Ipv4
Internet Protocol version four - the version of IP most commonly deployed
today.
Ipv6
Internet Protocol version six - which will, among other things, add
significantly to the address capacity, security and real-time capability of IP.
IPSec
One of the most widely used IP tunneling security protocols.
IS-2000
Standard for cdma2000
IS-95
Specification used for air interface of cdmaOne networks
ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network. A digital public
telecommunications network in which multiple services (voice, data, images
and video) can be provided via standard terminal interfaces.
ITU
International Telecommunications Union - the part of the United Nations
responsible for co-ordinating global telecommunications activities,
especially in the area of standards.
Iu
UMTS interface between the core network and the RAN (radio access
network).
IWF
Interworking Function for CDMA data using Simple IP.
LA
Location Area.
MAP
Mobile Application Part. Part of the SS7 protocol used in GSM. MAP
standards address registration of roamers and intersystem hand-off
procedures.
MGw
Media Gateway - a network node that enables a variety of circuit-switched
services to interoperate with packet-based IP networks.
MPLS
Multi Protocol Label Switching. An evolving standard for speeding up
IP-based data communications over ATM networks.
MSC
Mobile Switching Center - a switch providing services and co-ordination
between mobile users in a moblie network and external networks.
O&M
Operations & Maintenance. Support for the day to day running of a network.
OSA
Open System Architecture - enables seamless transfer of information
between different systems.
OSS
Operations Support System. Methods & procedures that directly support the
daily operation of a telecoms network.
PBN
Packet Backbone Network - the physical network carrying packet data (IP)
traffic.
PCN
Packet Core Network. Packet data network for cdma2000.
PCS
Personal Communications Services - the collective term for US mobile
telephone services in the 1900MHz frequency band.
PDC
Personal Digital Cellular - a Japanese standard for digital mobile telephony
in the 800MHz and 1500MHz bands.
PDP
Packet Data Protocol - network protocol for handling transfer of packet
data.
PDSN
Packet Data Serving Node. One of three nodes in a cdma2000 PCN.
PLMN
Public Land Mobile Network. A mobile network established to provide
services.
QoS
Quality of Service. A generic term that in IP networking refers to different
levels of prioritization of data packets over a network.
RADIUS
Remote Authentication Dial In User Service - used in mobile networks to
authenticate authorized users.
RAN
Radio Access Network. The portion of a mobile network that handles
subscriber access, including radio base stations and concentration nodes.
RNC
Radio Network Controller - manages the radio part of the network in UMTS.
RTT
Radio Transmission Technology
SMS
Short Message Service -- mobile-to-mobile text messaging in GSM
SMS-C
Short Message Service Center. Handles management of incoming and
outgoing SMS.
SGSN
Serving GPRS Support Node. The SGSN handles the data traffic of users in a geographical service area and is one of the two types of node implemented in a GPRS environment.
TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. Usually abbreviated to IP,
the 'language' used by the Internet.
TDMA
Time Division Multiple Access - a digital radio technique that divides radio
spectrum between users using "timeslots", rather than (only) frequency
separation or codes, used in GSM and TDMA (IS-136) mobile networks.
TDMA is also the term used to describe the digital enhancement of the
AMPS analog standard, formerly known as D-AMPS (Digital Advanced
Multiple Access). Also, a method of digital wireless communications transmission allowing a large number of
users to access (in sequence) a single radio frequency channel without interference by allocating unique time slots to each
user within each channel.
TIA
Telecommunications Industry Association - a US telecoms standards body.
TMForum
The Telecommunicaitons Management Forum - an industry body working to
encourage and develop global standards for telecoms management
systems.
Transportable: A standard 3-watt mobile phone which can be removed from a car 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 the handheld, one-piece wireless phone.
UMTS
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System - a 3G standard, being
developed under the auspices of ETSI, and intended mainly for the
evolution of GSM networks.
UTRAN
UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network - the name of the WCDMA radio
network in UMTS.
USC
User Service Center.
VPN
Virtual Private Network - a "private" communications network that uses
public network resources, for example to interconnect PBXs and LANs.
Voice mail: (Also called voice messaging) A computerized answering service that answers a call, plays a greeting and records
a message. Depending on the sophistication of the service, it also can notify you via a pager that you have received a call. After
you have retrieved your messages, you can delete them, save them or forward them to someone else on your voice mail
system.
Voice-activated dialing: A feature which permits you to dial a phone number by speaking it to your wireless phone instead of
punching it in yourself. The feature contributes to convenience as well as driving safety.
VoIP
Voice over Internet Protocol. A technology for transmitting voicecalls over
IP-based networks. Also called IP telephony.
WAP
Wireless Application Protocol - a protocol that enables Internet services to
be delivered to small-screen mobile devices. WAP is the first step towards
true Mobile Internet, and was initiated by Ericsson.
WCDMA
Wideband Code Division Multiple Access - the radio interface technology
that will be used in most 3G systems around the world. WCDMA is
optimized to support multiple high-speed mobile multimedia services such
as full-motion video, Internet access and videoconferencing.
WIN
Wireless Intelligent Networking. A TIA standard for ANSI-41 networks that
enhances the provision of IN (Intelligent Network) services.
Wireless: Describing radio-based systems allowing transmission of telephone and/or data signals through the air without a
physical connection, such as metal wire or fiber optic cable.
Wireline cellular carrier: (Also called the Block "B" carrier) Under the FCC’s initial wireless licensing procedures, the Block
B carrier is the local telephone company. The FCC reserved one of the two systems in every wireless market for the local
telephone, or wireline, company. After initial licensing, the distinction can disappear. The local phone company can sell its
wireless system to anyone.
VHE
Virtual Home Environment. Home Environment (HE) is a term used to
describe the service provider (operator or ISP). Virtual Home Environment is a concept for personalized service portability across network boundaries and between terminals. Users are consistently presented with the same
personalized features, user interface and services in any network and on
any terminal (within the capabilities of the terminal), wherever the user may
be located.
