In this page:

note: if you're looking for an acronym you can find it using the ctrl+f  function.

Some basic definitions

Cell  The geographic coverage area in which a particular call is handled by an individual base station.

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)- Digital cellular communication system used in many countries based on a variation of TDMA technology.

WAP (Wireless Area Protocol)- A language system designed for cell-phones, pagers, PDAs, and other small display wireless devices to display Web pages.

Circuit Switching A communication paradigm in which a dedicated communication path is established between two hosts, and on which all packets travel. The telephone system is an example of a circuit switched network.

Packet Switching  A communication paradigm in which packets are individually routed between hosts, with no previously established communication path.

Uplink Transmission channel that carries signals from a station on earth to a communications satellite or other airborne transmitter.

Downlink Transmission channel that carries signals from a communications satellite or other airborne transmitter to a station on earth.

Base station The central radio transmitter/receiver that maintains communications with a mobile radiotelephone with a given range.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)- The logical configuration of hardware components that includes direct connection to through the Internet. This sort of arrangement allows certain users reasonable access to a fully operational corporate network via the Internet.

FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access)- The use of frequency division to provide multiple and simultaneous transmissions to a single transponder.

TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access)- Method of cellular communications which allows alternating transmission on one channel by dividing time into time "slices" and giving one "slice" to every transmission.

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frequently used acronyms:

 2G           Second generation; generic name for second generation of digital mobile networks
                  (such as GSM, and so on)

ATM       Asynchronous Transfer Mode

ARQ       Automatic Repeat Request

AUC        Authentication Center

BG          Border gateway

BGP        Border Gateway Protocol

BSC        Base Station Controller

BSS        base station subsystem

BSSGP   BSS GPRS Application Protocol

BTS        Base transceiver station

CI            Cell Identifier

DHCP     Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

DNS       Domain Name System

EIR          Equipment Identity Register

Ethernet LAN protocol synonymous with IEEE 802.3 standard

FEC        Forward Error Correction

Gb           Interface between a SGSN and a BSS

Gc           Interface between a GGSN and a HLR

Gd           Interface between a SMS-GMSC and a SGSN, and between a SMS-IWMSC and a SGSN

Gf            Interface between a SGSN and an EIR

GGSN    Gateway GPRS Support Node

Gi            Reference point between GPRS and an external packet data network

GMSC    Gateway mobile services switching center

Gn           Interface between two GSNs within the same PLMN

Gp           Interface between two GSNs in different PLMNs

GPRS     General Packet Radio Service; upgrade to existing 2G digital mobile networks to
                 provide higher-speed data services

Gr           Interface between a SGSN and a HLR

Gs           Interface between a SGSN and a MSC/VLR

GSN       GPRS Support Node (xGSN)

GTP        GPRS Tunneling Protocol

HDLC     High-Level Data Link Control

HLR        Home location register

IP            Internet Protocol

ISDN      Integrated Services Digital Network

ISP          Internet service provider

LA           Location Area

LLC        Logical Link Control

MAC       Medium Access Control

MS          Mobile station

MSC       Mobile services switching center

NS          Network Service

PCU        Packet control unit

PDN        Packet data network

PDP        Packet Data Protocol

PLL         Physical Link Layer

PLMN     Public Land Mobile Network; generic name for all mobile wireless networks
                 that use earth base stations rather than satellites; the mobile equivalent of the PSTN

P-TMSI   Packet Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity

QoS        Quality of service

RA           Routing Areas

RAI         Routing Area Identity

RADIUS Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service

RFL         RF Layer

RLP         Radio Link Protocol

RLC        Radio Link Control

SGSN     Serving GPRS Support Node

SLA        Service-Level Agreements

SMS       Short message service

SMSC    Short message service center

SNDCP  Subnetwork Dependent Convergence Protocol

SS7         Signaling System Number 7

TCP        Transmission Control Protocol

TDMA    Narrowband digital TDMA standard; uses same frequencies as AMPS,
               thus is also known as D-AMPS or digital AMPS

UDP        User Datagram Protocol, provides a simple but unreliable messages service

Um          Interface between the MS and the GPRS fixed network part

VLR        Visitor location register

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