ICT Definitions
Plain-English definitions of 582 telecoms, fibre, 5G and network terms, A to Z.
A
- A/B Testing
- Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1)
- Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF)
- Access Network (AN)
- Access Terminal Box (ATB)
- Access Transport Node (ATN)
- ACID (Database Transactions)
- Active Antenna System (AAS)
- Active Ethernet (AE)
- Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR) Codec
- Address Harvesting
- Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
- Adjacent and Co-channel Interference
- Adjacent Channel Leakage Ratio (ACLR)
- Administered Incentive Pricing (AIP)
- ADSS and OPGW Cables
- Agile
- Amortisation
- Analogue Line
- Analogue Telephone Adaptor (ATA)
- Antenna Array
- Antenna Azimuth and Elevation
- Antenna Gain (dBi and dBd)
- Application-to-Person Messaging (A2P)
- Application Identifier (AID)
- Application Layer
- Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
- Asymmetric Encryption
- Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
- ATM and Broadband PON (APON and BPON)
- Authentication, Authorisation and Accounting (AAA)
- Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC)
- Autonomous System (AS)
- Average of Period (AOP)
B
- Baseband
- Base Station RF Test Terms (3GPP TS 38.104)
- Basic Rate Interface (BRI)
- Beamforming
- Beam Steering
- Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD)
- Bit Error Rate (BER)
- Bitstream Access
- Block Edge Mask (BEM)
- Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)
- Bound Profile Package
- Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS)
- BT
- Building Block Approach (Country Risk Premium)
- Business Support Systems (BSS)
- Busy Hour Call Attempts (BHCA)
C
- Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS)
- Calling Name Presentation (CNAP)
- Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)
- Carrier Aggregation (CA)
- CDMA
- Centralised and Distributed RAN (C-RAN and D-RAN)
- Centralised Unit (CU)
- Centralised Unit Control Plane (CU-CP)
- Centralised Unit Multicast (CU-MC)
- Centralised Unit User Plane (CU-UP)
- Central Office (CO)
- Certificate Issuer (CI)
- Certificate Revocation List (CRL)
- Channelisation
- Channel Quality Indicator (CQI)
- Channel State Information (CSI)
- Cipher-based MAC (CMAC)
- Circuit Switched Fallback (CSFB)
- Circuit Switching
- Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP)
- Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS)
- Cloud Packet Core
- Coase Theorem
- Communication Service Consumer (CSC)
- Communication Service Provider (CSP)
- Communications Provider (CP)
- Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT)
- Conducted Output Power
- Consumer Surplus
- Content and Application Users (CAUs)
- Content Delivery Network (CDN)
- Control Plane (CP)
- Coordinated MultiPoint (CoMP)
- Core Network (CN)
- Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
- Credit Default Swap (CDS) Spread
- CUPID Codes
- Customer Edge (CE)
- CX Routers
- Cyber Essentials
D
- D-Side Cabling
- Dark Fibre
- DASH7 Alliance Protocol (D7A)
- Data Centre Tiers
- Data Link Layer
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
- Data Packet Network (DPN)
- Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018)
- Data Protection Officer (DPO)
- Data Radio Bearer (DRB)
- dBm
- Deanonymisation Attack
- Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC)
- Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS)
- Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM)
- Depreciation
- Device Management (DM)
- Diameter
- Dictionary Attack
- Differential Delay
- Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
- Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM)
- Digital Switchover (DSO)
- Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT)
- Direct Internet Access (DIA)
- Distributed Antenna System (DAS)
- Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)
- Distributed LRIC and Distributed SAC (DLRIC and DSAC)
- Distributed Unit (DU)
- Distribution Network (FTTH)
- Distribution Point (DP)
- Diversionary Works
- DNS Root Servers
- DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC)
- Domain Name System (DNS)
- Downlink (DL)
- Drop Cable
- Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS)
- Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
E
- E.164 Number Mapping (ENUM)
- E1 Application Protocol (E1AP)
- Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)
- Earth Exploration and Space Research Services
- Earth Stations in Motion (ESIM)
- EBITDA
- Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP)
- Efficient Market
- Electronic Programme Guide (EPG)
- Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC)
- Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA)
- Elliptic Curve Key Agreement (ECKA)
- Email Protocols (POP3, IMAP and SMTP)
- Embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC)
- End of Period (EOP)
- Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP)
- Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB)
- eNodeB (eNB)
- Equi-Proportional Mark-Up (EPMU)
- Equivalence of Inputs and Outputs (EoI and EoO)
- eSIM Certificates and Keys
- Ethernet
- Ethernet MAC Address
- Ethernet over DWDM (EoDWDM)
- Ethernet PON (EPON)
- European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)
- Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS)
- Evolved Packet Core (EPC)
- Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)
- Excess Construction Charges (ECC)
- Experiential Networked Intelligence (ENI)
- Extended Market Engagement (EME)
F
- F1 Application Protocol (F1AP)
- Feeder Network (FTTH)
- Femtocell
- Fibre Access Terminal (FAT)
- Fibre Distribution Cabinet (FDC)
- Fibre Distribution Terminal (FDT)
- Fibre Termination Box (FTB)
- Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC)
- Fibre to the Home (FTTH)
- Fibre to the Premises (FTTP)
- Fibre to the X (FTTx)
- Fibre Voice Access (FVA)
- Field Mountable Connector (FMC)
- Field Strength
- File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
- FIPS 140-2
- Fixed-Satellite Service (FSS)
- Forward Error Correction (FEC)
- Forwarding Equivalence Class (FEC)
- Free Cash Flow (FCF)
- Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS)
- Frequency Range (FR1 and FR2)
- Frequency Reuse
- Fronthaul
- FTTH Cabinet
G
- G.fast
- Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN)
- Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK)
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
- Gigabit and Megabyte (Units)
- Gigabit Ethernet (GE)
- Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON)
- Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
- GlobalPlatform (GP)
- GPRS Roaming Exchange (GRX)
- GPRS Tunnelling Protocol User Plane (GTP-U)
- Ground Conductivity
- GSM Association (GSMA)
H
- Heterogeneous Network (HetNet)
- High-Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF)
- High-Speed Broadband (HSBB)
- High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS)
- Holdover
- Home Gateway (HGW)
- Home Location Register (HLR)
- Home Subscriber Server (HSS)
- Home Termination Box (HTB)
- Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ)
- Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
I
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- IEEE
- Impulse Noise Protection (INP)
- Incremental Cost
- Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU)
- Indoor Fibre Cabinet
- Information Security Certifications
- Inline Amplifier (ILA)
- Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB)
- Integrated Access Device (IAD)
- Integrated Circuit Card Identifier (ICCID)
- Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
- Inter-Exchange Connectivity (IEC)
- Interconnection Border Control Function (IBCF)
- Interior and Exterior Gateway Protocols (IGP and EGP)
- Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
- International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)
- International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)
- International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT)
- International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
- Internet Backbone Tiers (Tier 1, 2 and 3 Networks)
- Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)
- Internet Exchange Point (IXP)
- Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP)
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Internet Protocol (IP)
- Internet Protocol Security (IPsec)
- Internet Service Provider (ISP)
- Invitation to Tender (ITT)
- IP Address
- IP Address Allocation
- IP Datagram
- IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)
- IP Packet Exchange (IPX)
- IPstream
- IP Telephony (IPT)
- IP Transit
- IPv6 VPN Provider Edge (6VPE)
- IS-IS
- ISM Band
- ISO/IEC 27701
- ISO 9001
- Issuer Security Domain (ISD)
- ITIL
- ITU-R Recommendation Series
- ITU-T G.652 Fibre
- ITU ICT Indicators
- IXP Route Server
J
K
L
- Label Switched Path (LSP)
- Label Switching Router (LSR)
- Land Mobile Radio (LMR)
- Latency
- Layer 2 Switch
- Leased Lines Access
- Licensed Assisted Access (LAA)
- Licensed Shared Access (LSA)
- Lifecycle Management (LCM)
- Local Area Network (LAN)
- Local Loop Unbundling (LLU)
- Local Profile Assistant (LPA)
- Location and Tracking Area Codes (LAC and TAC)
- Long Term Evolution (LTE)
- Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN)
- LTE-M (eMTC)
M
- Machine-to-Machine (M2M)
- Main Distribution Frame Site (MDF Site)
- Main Lobe
- Marginal Utility
- Massive MIMO (M-MIMO)
- Maximum Likelihood (ML)
- MBMS over Single Frequency Network (MBSFN)
- Media and Entertainment (M&E)
- Media and Signalling Convergent Architecture (MCCA)
- Media Gateway (MGW)
- Medium Access Control (MAC)
- Metallic Local Loop
- Metallic Path Facility (MPF)
- Microwave Link
- MikroTik Routers (CHR and CCR)
- Minimum Investment Unit (MIU)
- Mixed Bundling
- Mobile-Satellite Service (MSS)
- Mobile Communications Provider (MCP)
- Mobile Network Operator (MNO)
- Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN)
- Mobile Switching Centre (MSC)
- Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE)
- Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO)
- Mobility Management Entity (MME)
- Modified Internal Rate of Return (MIRR)
- Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS)
- MPLS Interconnection
- MPLS Label Distribution Protocol (LDP)
- MPLS Transport Profile (MPLS-TP)
- Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC)
- Multi-cell/Multicast Coordination Entity (MCE)
- Multi-Cell Point-to-Multipoint (MC-PTM)
- Multi-Service Access Node (MSAN)
- Multicast
- Multicast Control Channel (MCCH)
- Multicast Function (MCF)
- Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD)
- Multicast Traffic Channel (MTCH)
- Multi Exit Discriminator (MED)
- Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS)
- Multiple Dwelling Unit (MDU)
- Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO)
- Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)
N
- Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT)
- National Emergency Telecommunications Plan (NETP)
- Neighbour Discovery Protocol (NDP)
- Net Present Value (NPV)
- Network-Attached Storage (NAS)
- Network-to-Network Interface (NNI)
- Network Address Translation (NAT)
- Network Cabinet
- Network Externalities
- Network Function (NF)
- Network Function Virtualisation (NFV)
- Network Interface Card (NIC)
- Network Layer
- Network Operator (NOP)
- Network Sharing (MORAN, MOCN and GWCN)
- Network Slice as a Service (NSaaS)
- Network Slice Subnet (NSS)
- Network Slicing
- Network Terminating Equipment (NTE)
- Network Time Protocol (NTP)
- New Radio (NR)
- Next Generation (NG)
- Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP)
- Next Generation Network (NGN)
- NextGen RAN (NG-RAN)
- Non-Standalone (NSA)
- Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT)
- NR NodeB (gNB)
- Number Translation Services (NTS)
O
- Open Mobile Alliance (OMA)
- Open RAN (O-RAN)
- Operation and Maintenance (O&M)
- Operations Support Systems (OSS)
- Opportunity Cost
- Optical Cross-Connect Cabinet (OCC)
- Optical Distribution Box (ODB)
- Optical Distribution Frame (ODF)
- Optical Distribution Network (ODN)
- Optical Line Terminal (OLT)
- Optical Network Terminal (ONT)
- Optical Packet Metro (OPM)
- Optical Splitter
- Optical Splitter Box (OSB)
- Optical Splitter Frame (OSF)
- Optical Termination Box (OTB)
- Optical Transport Network (OTN)
- Order Management (OM)
- OSI Model
- Outdoor Fibre Cabinet
- Over The Air (OTA)
P
- Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP)
- Packet Loss
- Packet Loss Priority (PLP)
- Page Load Time (PLT)
- Passive Active Cabinet (PAC)
- Passive Optical Network (PON)
- Password Salting and Key Stretching
- Patch Panel
- Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
- PDN Gateway (PGW)
- Peering
- Pence Per Minute (PPM)
- Phase Shift Keying (PSK)
- Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH)
- Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH)
- Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH)
- Physical HARQ Indicator Channel (PHICH)
- Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA)
- Physical Layer (PHY)
- Physical Network Function (PNF)
- Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH)
- Physical Resource Block (PRB)
- Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)
- Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)
- Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS)
- Point-to-Multipoint (PTM)
- Point-to-Point (PTP)
- Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)
- Point of Presence (POP)
- Point of Sale (POS)
- Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF)
- Power Spectral Density (PSD)
- Power Supply Identifier (PSID)
- Pre-Shared Key (PSK)
- Presentation Layer
- Primary Cross-Connection Point (PCP)
- Primary Rate Interface (PRI)
- Primary Synchronisation Signal (PSS)
- Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR)
- Private Branch Exchange (PBX)
- Producer Surplus
- Product Certification Marks (BSMI, ICES, RCM, VCCI, UL)
- Profile Policy Rule (PPR)
- Profit and Profitability
- Protocol Data Unit (PDU)
- Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM)
- Provider Edge (PE)
- Public Data Network (PDN)
- Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
- Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN)
- Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
- Public Warning System (PWS)
- Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)
- Pure Bundling
Q
R
- Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID)
- Radio Access Network (RAN)
- Radio Access Technology (RAT)
- Radio Bearer (RB)
- Radio Frequency (RF)
- Radio Interface Technology (RIT)
- Radio LAN (RLAN) and WLAN
- Radio Link Control (RLC)
- Radio Resource Control (RRC)
- Radio Resource Management (RRM)
- Radio Unit (RU)
- RAN Multicast Area (RMA)
- Ransom Pricing
- Reactive Near Field
- Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)
- Receive Only Mode (ROM)
- Regulatory Asset Base (RAB)
- Release (Rel)
- Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS)
- Remote Concentrator
- Remote Radio Head (RRH)
- Remote Radio Unit (RRU)
- Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP)
- Repetitive Electrical Impulse Noise (REIN)
- Report on Compliance (ROC)
- Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
- Rich Communication Services (RCS)
- Right When Tested (RWT) Charge
- Road Works
- Round Trip Time (RTT)
- Route Flapping
- Route Leaks and Route Security
- Route Maps
- Router
- Routing
- Routing Loops
S
- S1 and NG Interfaces
- Scrambling Code
- Secondary Cross-Connection Point (SCP)
- Security Accreditation Scheme (SAS)
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
- Self-Organising Network (SON)
- Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP)
- Service Level Agreement (SLA)
- Service Specific Face Plate (SSFP)
- Serving Gateway (S-GW)
- Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN)
- Session Border Controller (SBC)
- Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)
- Session Keys (S-ENC and S-MAC)
- Session Layer
- Session Management Function (SMF)
- Shared Metallic Path Facility (SMPF)
- Short Message Peer-to-Peer (SMPP)
- Side Lobe
- Signalling Connection Control Part (SCCP)
- Signalling Gateway (SGW)
- Signalling Relay Function (SRF)
- Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR)
- SIGTRAN
- Single Cell Point-to-Multipoint (SC-PTM)
- Single Family Unit (SFU)
- Single Input Single Output (SISO)
- Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI)
- Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC)
- Slice/Service Type (SST)
- Slice Differentiator (SD)
- Softswitch
- Software-Defined Networking (SDN)
- Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
- Spectrum Abbreviations (WRC-19)
- Spectrum Allocation, Allotment and Assignment
- Standalone (SA)
- Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP)
- Sub-Loop Unbundling (SLU)
- Subcarrier Spacing (SCS)
- Submarine Line Terminal Equipment (SLTE)
- Subnetwork
- Subscription Manager Data Preparation (SM-DP+)
- Subscription Manager Discovery Server (SM-DS)
- Symmetric Encryption
- Synchronisation
- Synchronisation Protocol (SYNC)
- Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH)
- Synchronous Optical Network (SONET)
- System Architecture Evolution (SAE)
T
- Technical Report (TR)
- Technical Specification (TS)
- Technical Specification Group (TSG)
- Telecommunications Emergency Preparedness and Response Policy (TEPRP)
- Television (TV)
- Terminal Box (TB)
- Terminal Value (TV)
- Ternary Content-Addressable Memory (TCAM)
- Terrestrial Broadcast (TB)
- Terrestrial Broadcast Service Area (TB-SA)
- Tie Cables
- Time Division Duplex (TDD)
- Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)
- Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)
- Time Related Charges (TRCs)
- Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
- Transmit Power Control (TPC)
- Transport Layer
- Transport Network Layer (TNL)
- TV White Space (TVWS)
- Two-Sided Market
- Tying
U
- Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications (URLLC)
- Ultra-Wideband (UWB)
- Unicast, Multicast and Anycast Addresses
- Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
- Unique Device Identifier (UDID)
- Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM)
- Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA)
- Uplink (UL)
- User-to-Network Interface (UNI)
- User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
- User Equipment (UE)
- User Plane (UP)
- User Plane Function (UPF)
V
W
- Waterbed Effect
- Wavelength Division Multiplexing PON (WDM-PON)
- Wayleave
- Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)
- Wholesale Broadband Access (WBA)
- Wholesale Broadband Connect (WBC)
- Wholesale Line Rental (WLR)
- Wholesale Local Access (WLA)
- Wi-Fi
- Wide Area Network (WAN)
- Work Package (WP)
- World Wide Web (WWW)
- World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)