2G Second generation of mobile telephony systems. Uses digital transmission to support voice, low-speed data communications, and short messaging services.
2.5G In mobile telephony, 2.5G protocols extend 2G systems to provide additional features such as packet-switched connections (GPRS) and higher-speed data communications.
3G Third generation of mobile systems. Provides high-speed data transmission and supports multimedia applications such as full-motion video, video-conferencing and internet access, alongside conventional voice services.
3.5G 3.5G refers to evolutionary upgrades to 3G services starting in 2005-2006 that provide significantly enhanced performance. High Speed Downlink Packet Access is expected to become the most popular 3.5G technology (see HSDPA).
3G LTE See LTE
3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project. The 3GPP was formed in December 1998 as a collaboration agreement bringing together a number of telecommunication standards bodies, referred to as Organizational Partners. The original aim of the 3GPP was to produce globally applicable technical specifications for third-generation mobile systems based on evolved GSM core networks and the radio access technology UTRA (Universal Terrestrial Radio Access).
Access network Electronic Communications Network which connects end-users to a service provider; running from the end-user’s premise to a Local Access Node and supporting the provision of access based services. It is sometimes referred to as the local loop or last mile.
Additional charges Consumers are sometimes required to pay additional amounts of money (‘additional charges’), over and above the headline prices they expect. For example, they may pay more in order to pay bills by cash or cheque, rather than by direct debit (through a ‘non-direct debit’ charge). Other examples include: paying an early termination charge to terminate a contract early, or paying extra to receive a fully itemised bill.
ADR Alternative Dispute Resolution.
ADSL Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. A digital technology that allows the use of a standard telephone line to provide high-speed data communications. Allows higher speeds in one direction (towards the customer) than the other.
Blog Short for weblog. A weblog is a journal (or newsletter) that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Blogs generally represent the personality of the author or the website.
Broadband A service or connection generally defined as being ‘always on’ and providing a bandwidth greater than narrowband.
CAB Citizens Advice Bureaux. Citizens Advice is an independent charity and membership organisation with Bureaux across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They provide information and advice through face-to-face, telephone and email services and online at www.citizensadvice.org.uk.
Consumer Direct A telephone and online consumer advice service, supported by the Department for Business and Regulatory Reform. www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/.
CAGR Compound Annual Growth Rate. The average annual growth rate over a specified period of time. It is used to indicate the investment yield at the end of a specified period of time. The mathematical formula used to calculate CAGR = (present value/base value) (1/#of years) – 1
Communications Act Communications Act 2003, which came into force in July 2003.
Cashback A type of sales incentive where a retailer promises the payment of a certain amount of money to the customer when the customer takes out a mobile contract.
CPS Carrier Pre-selection. The facility offered to customers which allows them to opt for certain defined classes of call to be carried by an operator that has been selected in advance and has a contract with the customer. CPS does not require the customer to dial a routing prefix or use a dialler box.
Data packet In networking, the smallest unit of information transmitted as a discrete entity from one node on the network to another.
Digital switchover The process of switching over the current analogue television broadcasting system to digital, as well as ensuring that people have adapted or upgraded their televisions and recording equipment to receive digital TV.
Dongle A physical device, attached to a PC's USB port, which adds hardware capabilities.
Downlink speed Also downlink or download. Rate of data transmission from a network operator’s access node to a customer, typically measured in Megabits per second.
DSL Digital Subscriber Line. A family of technologies generally referred to as DSL, or xDSL, capable of transforming ordinary phone lines (also known as 'twisted copper pairs') into highspeed digital lines, capable of supporting advanced services such as fast Internet access and video-on-demand. ADSL, HDSL (high data rate digital subscriber line) and VDSL (very high data rate digital subscriber line) are all variants of xDSL).
Enterprise Act Enterprise Act 2002, which, among other things contains consumer protection legislation. Ofcom is one of the designated enforcers of the Enterprise Act. More information on the Enterprise Act can be found on OFT's website www.oft.gov.uk.
General Conditions Set of conditions applying to communication providers, imposing legal obligations on providers.
GPRS General Packet Radio Service, a packet data service provided over so-called 2.5G mobile networks.
GSM Global Standard for Mobile Telephony, the standard used for 2G mobile systems.
Headline connection speed The theoretical maximum data speed that can be achieved by a given broadband. A number of factors, such as the quality and length of the physical line from the exchange to the customer, mean that a given customer may not experience this headline speed in practice.
HSPA Jointly, downlink and uplink mobile broadband technologies are referred to as HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) services.
HSDPA High Speed Datalink Packet Access, an evolution of 3G mobile technology, often known as 3.5G, which offers higher data speeds.
Interconnection The linking of one Public Electronic Communications Network to another for the purpose of enabling the persons using one of them to be able (a) to communicate with users of the other one; (b) to make use of services provided by means of the other one (whether by the provider of that network or by another person).
International roaming A service offered by mobile operators that allows customers to use their phone abroad. The home operator has agreements with foreign operators that allows customers to make and receive calls, send and pick up text messages, and use some of the other mobile services (such as access to voicemail or topping-up credit on pre-pay phones). The exact services available and the charges for their use vary between operators.
Internet A global network of networks, using a common set of standards (e.g. the Internet Protocol), accessed by users with a computer via a service provider.
Internet-enabled mobile phone A mobile phone which allows its user to access the internet via in-built access technology such as GPRS or WCDMA.
IP (Internet Protocol) The packet data protocol used for routing and carriage of messages across the Internet and similar networks.
ISP Internet Service Provider. A company that provides access to the internet.
Leased Line A transmission facility which is leased by an end user from a public carrier, and which is dedicated to that user's traffic.
LLU (Local Loop Unbundling) LLU is the process where the incumbent operators (in the UK) it is BT and Kingston Communications) make their local network (the lines that run from customers premises to the telephone exchange) available to other communications providers. The process requires the competitor to deploy its own equipment in the incumbent’s local exchange and to establish a backhaul connection between this equipment and its core network.
Local Loop The access network connection between the customer's premises and the local PSTN exchange, usually a loop comprised of two copper wires.
LTE (Long Term Evolution). Part of the development of 4G mobile systems that started with 2G and 3G networks. Aims to achieve an upgraded version of 3G services having up to 100 Mbps downlink speeds and 50 Mbps uplink speeds.
Mis-selling Covers a range of sales and marketing activities including the omission of relevant and/or provision of false or misleading information to consumers, applying unacceptable pressure on consumers to change supplier and in extreme cases slamming. Mis-selling can work against the interests of both consumers and competition and can undermine the confidence in the industry as a whole.
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service. The next generation of mobile messaging services, adding photos, pictures and audio to text messages.
Mobile Broadband Various types of wireless high-speed internet access through a portable modem, telephone or other device.
Mobile service providers MNOs and MNVOs
MNO Mobile Network Operator (e.g, in the UK, Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-Mobile, '3')
Mobile termination rate The ‘per minute’ fees that mobile phone companies charge other carriers to deliver incoming calls to users on their networks.
MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3) A standard technology and format for compressing a sound sequence into a very small file (about one-twelfth the size of the original file) while preserving the original level of sound quality when it is played.
MP3 Player A device that is able to store and play back MP3 files.
MVNO Mobile Virtual Network Operator - an organisation which provides mobile telephony services to its customers, but does not have allocation of spectrum or its own wireless network (e.g. Virgin Mobile, Tesco Mobile, BT Mobile, Fresh, Blyk).
MSP Mobile Service Provider
OAT Ofcom Advisory Team - the team within Ofcom responsible for advising and dealing with complaints and enquiries from members of the public.
Ofcom Office of Communications - the regulator for the communications industries, created by the Communications Act.
OFT Office of Fair Trading - the consumer and competition authority of the UK (www.oft.gov.uk)
Off-net call – mobile-to-mobile call from one mobile network and terminating on a different mobile network.
On-net call – mobile-to-mobile call from one mobile network and terminating on the same mobile network.
Narrowband A service or connection providing data speeds up to 128kbit/s, such as via an analogue telephone line, or via ISD.
PDA Personal Digital Assistant .
Peer-to-peer distribution The process of directly transferring information, services or products between users or devices that operate on the same hierarchical level.
Phone-paid services Premium rate goods and services that we can buy by charging the cost to our phone bills and pre-pay phone accounts.
PhonepayPlus (previously known as ICSTIS) regulates phone-paid services in the UK. Under the Communications Act 2003, Ofcom has responsibility for the regulation of premium rate services. In December 2007 it was confirmed that PhonepayPlus will act as the agency which carries out the day-to-day regulation of the PRS market on Ofcom's behalf. www.phonepayplus.org.uk
Service provider A provider of electronic communications services to third parties whether over its own network or otherwise.
SIM Subscriber Identity Module – a small smart card type device that has details of the mobile subscriber including public telephone number and the numbers required by the network to recognise and authenticate the subscriber.
SMS Short Messaging Service – facility to send text messages of up to 160 alphanumeric characters between compatible devices.
SIM-only a monthly mobile contract which is sold without a handset.
Slamming An extreme form of mis-selling, where customers find themselves with a service from a new provider, or new contract from their existing provider, without their knowledge and consent
SMP Significant Market Power – is a position held on a relevant market, by an operator for example, either individually or jointly with others, equivalent to dominance. That is a position of economic strength affording the entity in question the power to behave to an appreciable extent independently of competitors, customers and ultimately consumers.
Telecommunications, or 'Telecoms' Conveyance over distance of speech, music and other sounds, visual images or signals by electric, magnetic or electro-magnetic means.
Trading Standards The Trading Standards Service enforce the laws that govern goods and services bought, hired and sold, including Trade Descriptions Act 1968, The Consumer Protection Act 1986, The Consumer Credit Act 1974,Enforcement provisions under Part 8 of the Enterprise Act 2002.
UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. The 3G mobile technologies most commonly used in the UK and Europe.
Usage caps Monthly limits on the amount of data which broadband users can download, imposed by some ISPs.
USO Universal Service Obligation. This is a series of requirements, currently upon BT and Kingston Communications, to provide every household in the UK with access to a landline telephone.
VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol. A technology that allows users to send calls using Internet Protocol, using either the public Internet or private IP networks.
Voluntary Code Best practice guidelines/principles on sales and marketing which the mobile service providers introduced in July 2007.
WAP Wireless Application Protocol.
WiFi hotspot A public location which provides access to the internet using WiFi technology.
WiMAX A wireless MAN (metropolitan area network) technology, based on the 802.16 standard. Available for both fixed and mobile data applications.
Wireless LAN or WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) Short range wireless technologies using any type of 802.11 standard such as 802.11b or 802.11a. These technologies allow an over-the-air connection between a wireless client and a base station, or between two wireless clients.
WLR Wholesale Line Rental A regulatory instrument requiring the operator of local access lines to make this service available to competing providers at a wholesale price.
XHTML (EXtensible HTML) A markup language for Web pages from the W3C. XHTML combines HTML and XML into a single format (HTML 4.0 and XML 1.0).
