Glossary

AMPS

Advanced Mobile Phone Service (USA analog cellular standard)

APCO

Association of Public Communications Officers (USA)

CDMA

Code Division Multiple Access

CDPD

Cellular Digital Packet Data (for AMPS networks)

DataTAC*

Motorola standard for wireless packet data networks

D-AMPS

Digital Advanced Mobile Phone Service (USA standard), also known as IS-136 TDMA.

DECT

Digital Enhanced Cordless Telephony (using TDMA)

DPCS

Digital Personal Communication Service

ERMES

Enhanced Radio Message System

ETSI

European Telecommunications Standards Institute

FCC

Federal Communications Commission (USA)

FPLMTS

Future Personal Land Mobile Telecommunications Service

FDMA

Frequency Division Multiple Access

GPRS

General Packet Radio Services (GSM)

GPS

Global Positioning System

GSM

Global System for Mobile Communications. Usually refers to the European standard GSM operating on 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands, but in North America refers to the 1900 MHz band.

GSM 900

GSM networks operating in the 900 MHz band

GSM 1800

GSM networks operating in the 1.8 GHz band (also known as PCN and DCS 1800)

GSM 1900

GSM networks operating in the 1.9Ghz band (also known as PCS 1900). Primarily in North America.

HSCSD

High Speed Circuit Switched Data (GSM)

HTML

Hyper-Text Mark-up Language (Internet)

IS-136 TDMA

USA cellular standard, also known as D-AMPS

ISDN

Integrated Services Digital Network

LAN

Local Area Network

MDI

Mobile Data Initiative

Messenger  

Racal standard for wireless packet data networks

Mobitex*

Ericsson standard for wireless packet data networks

NMT

Nordic Mobile Telephone system. Analog standard similar to AMPS.

PAMR

Public Access Mobile Radio

PCIA

Personal Communications Industry Association

PCMCIA

Personal Computer Memory Card International Association

PCN

Personal Communications Networks (Europe)

PCS

Personal Communications Services operating in the 1.9 GHz band. Primarily in North America. Includes three technologies: GSM 1900, CDMA and TDMA (IS-136, or D-Amps).

PDC

Personal Digital Cellular (Japan) used to be called JDC.

PHS

Personal Handyphone System (Japan)

PMR

Private Mobile Radio

PTO

Public Telecommunications Operator

ROI

Return On Investment

SIM

Subscriber Identification Module (GSM)

SMR

Specialized Mobile Radio (USA)

SMS

Short Message Service

TACS

Total Access Communications System (900 MHz.) Analog standard similar to AMPS.

TDMA

Time Division Multiple Access (IS-136, also known as D-Amps.)

TETRA

Trans-European Trunked Radio

UMTS

Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service

WWW

World Wide Web

X.25

International standard for packet switched networks