Select the first letter of the word from the list above to jump to
appropriate section of the glossary.
FemtoWatt
(10ˉ¹5)
1,000 FemtoWatts = 1 PicoWatt pW (10ˉ¹²)
1,000
PicoWatts = 1 NanoWatt nW (10ˉ9)
1,000 NanoWatts = 1 MicroWatt
µW (10ˉ 6)
1,000 MicroWatts = 1 MilliWatt mW (10ˉ³)
1,000
MilliWatts = 1 Watt W
Square Meter = 10,000 square centimeters 10 to the
power of 4 104
1G -
The first generation of analogue mobile phone technologies including AMPS,
TACS and NMT
2.5G - The enhancement
of GSM which includes technologies such as GPRS
2G - The second generation of digital mobile phone
technologies including GSM, CDMA IS-95 and D-AMPS IS-136
3G - The third generation of mobile phone technologies
covered by the ITU IMT-2000 family
- A
-
Abatement
order – can be issued by the council to cease or desist with an
activity
Absorption.
- In radio wave propagation, attenuation of a radio wave due to dissipation of
its energy, i.e., conversion of its energy into another form, such as heat.
Acceptable
Risk – The risk that has minimal detrimental effects or for which the
benefits outweigh the potential hazards. Always query the numbers.
Air
interface - In a mobile phone network, the radio transmission path between
the base station and the mobile terminal
Airtime
- The amount of time a subscriber spends using his/her mobile phone
ALL
- acute lymphoblastic leukemia
AM
- Amplitude Modulation
AML
-acute myeloblastic leukemia
Analogue
- A signaling method that uses continuous changes in the amplitude,
frequency, voltage of a radio transmission to convey information.
Anecdotal
Evidence – A collection of stories derived from descriptions of cases or
events rather than systematically collected data that can be submitted to
statistical tests and can be useful to generate hypotheses.
Antenna
- A passive device designed to radiate and receive electromagnetic energy.
A-thermal
– Non-heating
Athermal
effect - Any effect from electromagnetic energy on a body other than a
heat related effect.
Background
Noise – naturally occurring Schumann resonance maintains bio-rhythms in
humans, animals, plants and living organisms. Some areas have
increased/decreased naturally occurring radiation from minerals in the area,
but manmade radiation is increasing background noise in areas.
Bandwidth
- A term meaning both the width of a transmission channel in terms of
Hertz and the maximum transmission speed in bits per second that it will
support. FCC rules require suppression of the signal outside the band to
prevent interference.
Battery
- A chargeable device which provides the mobile phone with power. A
variety of battery technologies have been used for mobile phones including
nickel cadmium (NiCad), nickel metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium ion
(Li-ion)
Battery
status/Battery charge display - An indication of the amount of battery
life remaining
BCCH
- Broadcast Control Channel; the logical channel used in cellular networks
to broadcast signalling and control information to all mobile phones within
the network
BHCA
- Busy Hour Call Attempts; the number of call attempts made during a
network’s busiest hour of the day
Biomarker,
Biological Marker – A cellular or molecular indicator of exposure, health
effects, or susceptibility. Biomarkers can be used to measure internal
dose, biologically effective dose, early biological response, altered
structure or function, susceptibility.
Bit
- A bit is the smallest unit of information technology. As bits are made
up using the binary number system, all multiples of bits must be powers of two
i.e. a kilobit is actually 1024 bits and a megabit 1048576 bits. Transmission
speeds are given in bits per second (bit/s)
Blind
Study – where observers and/or subjects are kept ignorant of the group to
which the subjects are assigned.
Blood–brain
barrier. - A functional concept developed to explain why many substances
that are transported by blood readily enter other tissues but do not
enter the brain; the "barrier" functions as if it were a continuous membrane
lining the vasculature of the brain. These brain capillary endothelial cells
form a nearly continuous barrier to entry of substances into the brain from
the vasculature.
Bluetooth
- A low power, short range wireless technology designed to provide a
replacement for the serial cable. Operating in the 2.4GHz ISM band, Bluetooth
can connect a wide range of personal, professional and domestic devices such
laptop computers and mobile phones together wirelessly.
Broadband
- evolving digital technologies that provide consumers a signal switched
facility offering integrated access to voice, high-speed data service,
video-demand services, and interactive delivery services.
Calibrate
– correlate readings of instruments/equipment with a standard.
Usually done internationally in certified laboratories
CAMEL
- Customised Application for Mobile network Enhanced Logic; an IN feature
in GSM networks that enables users to carry personal services with them when
roaming into other networks that support CAMEL
Capacity
- A measure of a cellular network’s ability to support simultaneous
calls
Case
Control study – one set of subjects usually numbering 200 of exposed
measured against another control group of the same number supposedly
non-exposed. see Cohort Study and Population based
study.
Cause
and Effect – have yet to be established with the Sun and Skin Cancer but
there is a strong association. Many Epidemiology studies will fail to
establish cause and effect, although they can provide powerful circumstantial
evidence. A cause is termed “necessary” when it must always precede and
effect which need not be the sole result of the one cause. A cause is
termed “sufficient” when it inevitably initiates or produces an effect.
CB
- Cell Broadcast
CDR
- Call Detail Records; the record made within the cellular network of all
details of both incoming and outgoing calls made by subscribers, The CDR is
passed to the billing system for action
Cell
- The area covered by a cellular base station. A cell site may sectorise
its antennas to service several cells from one location Cell site. Or the
facility housing the transmitters/receivers, the antennas and associated
equipment
Cell
splitting - The process of converting a single cell to multiple cells by
sectorising the antennas in the cell site or constructing additional cells
within a cell site
Cellphone
– Cell Phone or Mobile Phone -
Cellsite
– Mobile Base Stations -Telecommunication base station with
antennae for sending and receiving telephone frequencies/calls then fed to the
networks by cables or microwave links. Antennas may be attached to
buildings, other structures or stand alone, some are even camouflaged in
Church steeples, clock towers, beneath street lights or replicating trees.
Cellular
Technology - This term, often used for all wireless phones regardless of
the technology they use, derives from cellular base stations that receive and
transmit calls. Both cellular and PCS phones use cellular technology.
CID
- Caller Identification
Circuit
switching - A method used in telecommunications where a temporary
dedicated circuit of constant bandwidth is established between two distant
endpoints in a network. Mainly used for voice traffic; the opposite of packet
switching
Cluster
– Aggregation of relatively uncommon events or diseases in space and/or
time in amounts that are believed or perceived to be greater than could be
expected by chance, often perceived on the basis of anecdotal evidence which
should be thoroughly investigated to establish whether a true cluster
exists.
CNS
- central nervous system
Coaxial
Link – cable/wire/fibre optic link as opposed to microwave link
Cohort
Study – Follow-up, longitudinal or prospective study - The analytic
method of epidemiologic study in which subsets of a defined population can be
identified who are, have been, or in the future may be exposed or not or
exposed in different degrees, to a factor or factors hypothesized to influence
the probability of occurrence of a given disease or other outcome.
Mainly observing large numbers over long periods comparing incidence rates in
groups with differing exposure levels.
Common
Carrier - In the telecommunications arena, the term used to describe a
telephone company.
Common
Technical Regulation; part of the ETSI standardisation process
Community
Antenna Television, CATV - A service through which subscribers pay to have
local television stations and additional programs brought into their homes
from an antenna via a coaxial cable.
Conductance
- The reciprocal of resistance. Expressed in siemens (S).
Conductivity,
electrical - The scalar or vector quantity which, when multiplied by
the electric field strength, yields the conduction current density; it is the
reciprocal of resistivity. Expressed in siemens per metre (S m¯¹ ).
Continuous
wave – A wave whose successive oscillations are identical in steady-state
conditions.
Control
Group – Subjects, with whom comparison is made in a case control study,
randomized controlled trial or other variety of epidemiologic
study.
Control
signal - A signal sent to a cellular phone from a base station or vice
versa which carries information essential to the call but not including the
audio portion of a conversation
Copper
Wire – used because of it’s great conductivity to carry transmissions but
gradually being replaced by Fibre Optic.
Corona
Ions – ionosed air from the likes of cellsite antenna when inhaled may
cause similar problems passive smokers have
CT
- Cordless Telephony
CT0
- Zero generation cordless telephony; the earliest domestic cordless
phones which used analogue technology and which had severe limitations in
terms of range and security, replaced by DECT
Current
density – A vector in which the integral over a given surface is equal to
the current flowing through the surface, the mena density in a linear
conductor is equal to the current divided by the cross-sectional area of the
conductor, in ampere per square metre (A m¯²).
Data
capable - Mobile phones which have the capability to enable transmission
of data from a laptop computer or PDA via the phone
dBW
- Decibel (dB) Watt. A decibel is a convenient means of
expressing the increase or decrease in power at two points. A dBW expresses a
power in relation to a reference level of 1 Watt. To convert a
power expressed in dBW into a power in Watts: Watts = 10(dBW)/10)
Example: 20dBW = 102 = 100W
DECT
- Digitally Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications system, a second
generation digital cordless technology standardised by ETSI
Depth
of penetration - For a plane wave electromagnetic field (EMF), incident on
the boundary of a good conductor, depth of penetration of the wave is the
depth at which the field strength of the wave has been reduced to 1/e, or to
approximately 37% of its original value.
Dielectric
constant - See permittivity.
Digital
- a method of representing information as numbers with discrete values;
usually expressed as a sequence of bits
Digital
Television (DTV) - A new technology for transmitting and receiving
broadcast television signals. DTV provides clearer resolution and improved
sound quality.
Direct
Broadcast Satellite (DBS/DISH) - A high-powered satellite that transmits
or retransmits signals which are intended for direct reception by the public.
The signal is transmitted to a small earth station or dish (usually the size
of an 18-inch pizza pan) mounted on homes or other buildings.
Dosimetry
- Measurement, or determination by calculation, of internal electric field
strength or induced current density, of the specific energy absorption, or
specific energy absorption rate distribution, in humans or animals exposed to
electromagnetic fields.
Dual
Band - The capability of GSM infrastructure elements and handsets to work
across both the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands with seamless handover between the
two frequency bands, offering operators major capacity gains
Duplex
- The wireless technique where one frequency band is used for traffic from
the network to the subscriber (the downlink) and another, widely separated,
band is used for traffic from the subscriber to the network (the uplink)
EDGE
- Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution; effectively the final stage in
the evolution of the GSM standard, EDGE uses a new modulation schema to enable
theoretical data speeds of up to 384kbit/s within the existing GSM spectrum.
An alternative upgrade path towards 3G services for operators, such as those
in the USA, without access to new spectrum. Also known as Enhanced GPRS
(E-GPRS)
EIRP
- Equivalent isotropic radiated power. This is the power that would
have to be emitted in all directions to produce a particular intensity and so
takes account of the transmitter power plus the characteristics of the
antenna. A mathematical concept used by engineers e.g. 80 Watts into an
antenna leads to less than 80 Watts out of the antenna, but the EIRP could be
22dBW.
Electric
field strength - The force (E) on a stationary unit positive charge at a
point in an electric field; measured in volt per metre (V m¯¹ ).
Electromagnetic
energy - The energy stored in an electromagnetic field. Expressed in joule
(J).
ELF
- Extremely low frequency; frequency below 300 Hz.
E-Mail
- Also called electronic mail, refers to messages sent over the Internet.
E-mail can be sent and received via newer types of wireless phones, but you
generally need to have a specific e-mail account.
EMF
– Electric, magnetic and electromagnetic field.
EMR
– Electro Magnetic Radiation
Epidemiology
– The study of the distribution of health- related states or events in
specified populations and the application of this study to control of health
problems. Using a Population based study, a Case Control Study. Se
Cohort Study, Population based study and Case Control study.
Erlang
- A dimensionless unit of average traffic density in a telecommunications
network
ERMES
- Enhanced Radio Messaging System; a paging technology developed by ETSI
which was intended to allow users to roam throughout Europe. Adopted by a
number of European and Middle Eastern countries, ERMES, like paging in
general, was overtaken by the ubiquity of GSM
ERP
- Effective Radiated Power
ESN
- Electronic Serial Number; a 32-bit number that uniquely identifies a
mobile phone
ETSI
- European Telecommunications Standards Institute: The European group
responsible for defining telecommunications standards
Far
field - The region where the distance from a radiating antenna exceeds the
wavelength of the radiated EMF; in the far-field, field components (E and H)
and the direction of propagation are mutually perpendicular, and the shape of
the field pattern is independent of the distance from the source at which it
is taken.
FCC
- Federal Communications Commission; the US regulatory body for
telecommunications
FDMA
- Frequency Division Multiple Access-a transmission technique where the
assigned frequency band for a network is divided into sub-bands which are
allocated to a subscriber for the duration of their calls
Fibre
Optic – transmission of information by means of infra-red light signals
along thin glass fibre, replacing copper wire and other cabling systems.
Field
Strength - In radio wave propagation, the magnitude of a component of
specified polarization of the electric or magnetic field, usually the
root-mean-square value of the electric field.
Field
Strength Meter - Equipment to measure the field strength, see
Spectrum Analyser, Calibrate and Field Strength
Frequency
band of operation - Cellular radio networks operate in one of three bands
in the UK; 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2 GHz.
Frequency
Modulation (FM) - A signaling method that varies the carrier frequency in
proportion to the amplitude of the modulating signal.
Frequency
-The
number of complete cycles of an electromagnetic wave in a second measured in
units of Hertz (Hz)
GHz
(Gigahertz) - A unit of frequency equal to one billion Hertz per
second = Thousand million Hz (cycles per second). e.g.: 2.2 GHz =
2,200,000,000 or 2.2 x 109
GMPCS
- Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite
GMSC
- Gateway Mobile Services Switching Centre; the gateway between two
networks
GPS
- Global Positioning System - a location system based on a constellation
of US Department of Defense satellite system that lets those on the ground, on
the water or in the air determine their position with extreme accuracy.
Depending on the number of satellites visible to the user can provide
accuracies down to tens of metres. Now being incorporated as a key feature in
an increasing number of handsets.
GSM
- Global system for Mobile Communications or Groupe Speciale Mobile, CEPT
committee which began the GSM standardisation process. The
international, operating standard for the current generation of digital
cellular mobile communications. Enables mobile phones to be used across
national boundaries. The Ofcom publishes details of the technical
requirements for GSM technology operating in the UK in the form of UK
Interface Requirement [IR2014] The second generation digital
technology originally developed for Europe but which now has in excess of 71%
of the world market. Initially developed for operation in the 900MHz band and
subsequently modified for the 850, 1800 and 1900MHz bands.
Handoff
- The transfer of control of a cellular phone call in progress from one
cell to another, without any discontinuity
Hands-free
- The operation of a cellular phone without using the handset; usually
installed in vehicles.
HCS
- Hierarchical Cell Structure; the architecture of a multi-layered
cellular network where subscribers are handed over from the macro to the micro
to the pico layer depending on the current network capacity and the needs of
the subscriber
Height
of Antenna above ground - In terms of metres above ground level.
High
Definition Television, HDTV - An improved television system which provides
approximately twice the vertical and horizontal resolution of existing
television standards. It also provides audio quality approaching that of
compact discs.
HLR
- Home Location Register; the database within a GSM network which stores
all the subscriber data. An important element in the roaming process
IARC
-International Agency for Research on Cancer
ICNIRP
– International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, a self
appointed group that have set some guidelines that many countries throughout
the world follow when setting safety standards. Many international
scientists oppose these guidelines on the grounds that the safety limits set
are too high and fail to protect people. Check out past and present
members and you will see the same names that appear as experts for
industry.
I-mode
- A service developed by Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo, I-mode delivers a
huge range of services to subscribers and has proved enormously popular with
some 30 million regular users. The revenue sharing model used for I-mode is
being adopted by other operators as the basis for the new services enabled by
GPRS and 3G
Impedance,
wave -The ratio of the complex number (vector) representing the transverse
electric field at a point to that representing the transverse magnetic field
at that point. Expressed in ohm (Ώ).
Incidence
– The number of instances of illness commencing, or of persons falling ill,
during a given period in a specified population, see Incidence Rate
Incidence
Rate – The rate at which new events occur in a population.
Infrared
data port - A facility on a mobile phone to allow information to be
exchanged with other devices e.g. a PC using infra red technology
Interactive
Video Data Service, IVDS - A communication system, operating over a short
distance, that allows nearly instantaneous two-way responses by using a
hand-held device at a fixed location. Viewer participation in game shows,
distance learning and e-mail on computer networks are examples.
Internet
- A loose confederation of autonomous databases and networks. Originally
developed for academic use the Internet is now a global structure of millions
of sites accessible by anyone
Intranet
- A private network which utilises the same techniques as the Internet but
is accessible only by authorised users
Iridium
- A low earth orbit satellite communications system developed initially by
Motorola.
ISO
- International Standards Organisation
ISP
- Internet Service Provider
Java
- A programming language developed by Sun Microsystems Java is
characterised by the fact that programs written in Java do not rely on an
operating system
Judicial
review – Usually to deal with the process followed (ie sticking to
the rules and regulations) rather than the content or information
presented.
Land
Mobile Service - A public or private radio service providing two-way
communication, paging and radio signaling on land.
Landline
- Traditional wired phone service.
LANS
- Local Area Network Services
Latency
Period – Delay between exposure to a disease-causing agent and the
appearance of manifestations of the disease. After exposure to ionizing
radiation, for instance, there is a latent period of 5 years on average,
before development of leukemia, and more than 20 years before development of
certain other malignant conditions.
LMSS
- Land Mobile Satellite Service
LOS
- Line of Sight
Magnetic
field strength - An axial vector quantity, H, which, together with
magnetic flux density, specifies a magnetic field at any point in space, and
is expressed in ampere per metre (A m¯¹ ).
Magnetic
flux density - A vector field quantity, B, that results in a force that
acts on a moving charge or charges, and is expressed in tesla (T).
Magnetic
permeability - The scalar or vector quantity which, when multiplied by the
magnetic field strength, yields magnetic flux density; expressed in henry per
metre (H m ¯¹). Note: For isotropic media, magnetic permeability is a scalar;
for anisotropic media, it is a tensor quantity.
Malignant
– very virulent and tending to spread and recur after removal (cancerous).
Masts-
Cellsites
Maximum
licensed power - In EIRP dBW per channel. The maximum licenced power is
the maximum power any one antenna is allowed to transmit per channel. In
practice, most transmitters would operate substantially below this limit.
MHz
(Megahertz) - A Million Hz (cycles per second). e.g. 900 MHz =
900,000,000 or 900 x 106
Microsites
– smaller and/or lower powered cellsites – typically in high volume calling
areas like city centres and malls or to handle very localized coverage
issues.
Microwave
Link – Wireless way of sending signals from one transmitter to another,
linking caller with recipient. Alternative is to receive call from
cellphone then send it down wires either fibre optic/coaxial/copper wire rout
to another cellsite then to receiver.
Microwaves
- Electromagnetic radiation of sufficiently short wavelength for which
practical use can be made of waveguide and associated cavity techniques in its
transmission and reception. Note: The term is taken to signify radiations or
fields having a frequency range of 300 MHz – 300 GHz.
MMS
- Multimedia Messaging Service; an evolution of SMS, MMS goes beyond text
messaging offering various kinds of multimedia content including images, audio
and video clips
MNO
- Mobile Network Operator
Mobile
Base Stations – Cellsites, Microsites and Picosites
Mobile
Phone – cell phone see cellphone
Modulation
- The process of imposing an information signal on a carrier. This can be
done by changing the amplitude (AM), the frequency (FM) or the phase, or any
combination of these
Morbidity
Rate – incidence or prevalence rates of disease.
Mortality
Rate – Death rate.
MPEG
- Motion Picture Experts Group; MPEG4 is a technology for compressing
voice and video so that the information can be transmitted over normally
difficult links such as mobile radio
MSC
- Mobile Switching Centre; the switching centre of a mobile phone network,
the MSC has interfaces to the BSCs, HLR, VLR and other MSCs
Multiplexing
- A telecommunications technique where several channels can be combined to
share the same transmission medium. The most common forms are Time Division
Multiplexing (TDM) and Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)
Near
field - The region where the distance from a radiating antenna is less
than the wavelength of the radiated EMF. Note: The magnetic field strength
(multiplied by the impedance of space) and the electric field strength are
unequal and, at distances less than one-tenth of a wavelength from an antenna,
vary inversely as the square or cube of the distance if the antenna is small
compared with this distance.
Network
- Any connection of two or more computers that enables them to
communicate. Networks may include transmission devices, servers, cables,
routers and satellites. The phone network is the total infrastructure for
transmitting phone messages.
No
Service - An indication on the display of a cellular phone that indicates
that the user is in an area where cellular service is unavailable for a
variety of reasons.
Non-ionizing
radiation (NIR) - Includes all radiations and fields of the
electromagnetic spectrum that do not normally have sufficient energy to
produce ionization in matter; characterized by energy per photon less than
about 12 eV, wavelengths greater than 100 nm, and frequencies lower than 3 x
10¹5 Hz.
NRL
– National Radiation Laboratory, a member usually sits on the New Zealand
Safety Standard setting committee and lately NRL have been giving evidence on
behalf of industry on the EMR issue.
Number
Portability - A term used to describe the capability of individuals,
businesses and organizations to retain their existing telephone number(s) ––
and the same quality of service –– when switching to a new local service
provider.
Occupational
exposure - All exposure to EMF experienced by individuals in the course of
performing their work.
Operator
Service Provider (OSP) - A common carrier that provides services from
public phones, including payphones and those in hotels/motels.
Packet
switching - A communication system wherein the information is transmitted
in packets of a set size. These packets have address headers and find their
way to their destination by the most efficient route through the network.
Compared to circuit switching where a connection is occupied until the traffic
exchange is completed, packet switching offers considerable efficiencies as
connections can be used by a number of users simultaneously
PACS
- Personal Access Communication System; a digital cordless technology
developed initially by Bell Labs in the US, PACS was designed to compete with
DECT
Paging
System - A one-way mobile radio service where a user carries a small,
lightweight miniature radio receiver capable of responding to coded signals.
These devices, called "pagers," emit an audible signal, vibrate or do both
when activated by an incoming message.
PAMR
- Public Access Mobile Radio; Commercial service using trunking techniques
in which multiple groups of users can set up their own closed systems within a
shared public network
Pathogen
– Organism capable of causing disease (literally, causing a pathological
process).
PCMCIA
- Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Association the body responsible
for defining the standards and formats for memory expansion cards for laptop
computers and PDAs. Now extended to cover cards for mobile phones
PCS
1900 - Personal Communications Systems 1900MHz; the terminology used in
the US to describe the new digital networks being deployed in the 1900MHz
band; rarely used today
Peer
Review – Research and manuscripts that are looked at by other scientists
in the same field to check validity, accuracy, scientific and technical merit
before publishing or presentation at scientific meetings. Some countries
also peer review the proposed research before funds are allocated.
Permittivity
- A constant defining the influence of an isotropic medium on the forces of
attraction or repulsion between electrified bodies, and expressed in farad per
metre (Fm¯¹); relative permittivity is the permittivity of a material or
medium divided by the permittivity of vacuum.
Picosites
– even smaller than microsites and cellsites.
PIN
- Personal Identity Number; a number, usually four digits, that must be
keyed into a mobile phone to make it work. A security measure to prevent
unauthorised usage
Plane
wave - An electromagnetic wave in which the electric and magnetic field
vectors lie in a plane perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation, and
the magnetic field strength (multiplied by the impedance of space) and the
electric fieldstrength are equal.
PMR
- Private Mobile Radiocommunications; two-way radio technology widely used
for despatch and delivery services, taxi companies and the like. See TETRA
Population
based study – conducted on a population of usually a million or more
people looking at available data like hospital admissions for certain known
illnesses. Leukemia is mainly studied as much is known of the onset and
progress of the disease, and the incidence in children is thought to be void
of many contributing factors. Results need to be
statistically significant and replicated in other studies before much weight
is given to the results. Very few towns/cities or countries keep
accurate data with enough detail to be of much use for more than basic
research. With radiation, exposure levels can very within the community
and seldom can you find a million people exposed to the same amount from the
same frequency, for the same length of time. See Case Control study and
Cohort Study
Power
density - In radio wave propagation, the power crossing a unit area normal
to the direction of wave propagation; expressed in watt per square metre (Wm
¯²).
Poynting
vector - A vector, the flux of which through any surface represents the
instantaneous electromagnetic power transmitted through this surface; also
called power density.
PSU
- Power Supply Unit
Public
exposure - All exposure to EMF experienced by members of the general
public, excluding occupational exposure and exposure during medical
procedures.
QoS
- Quality of Service; a broad term to describe the performance attributes
of an end-to-end connection
RACH
- Random Access Channel; uplink only, allows the MS to request an SDCCH in
response to a page or for a call
Radiofrequency
(RF) - Any frequency at which electromagnetic radiation is useful for
telecommunication, radio or television usually in the frequency range 300 Hz –
300 GHz.
Resonance
- The change in amplitude occurring as the frequency of the wave approaches or
coincides with a natural frequency of the medium; whole-body absorption of
electromagnetic waves presents its highest value, i.e. the resonance, for
frequencies (in MHz) corresponding approximately to 114/L, where L is the
height of the individual in metres.
Reuse
- The assignment of frequencies or channels to cells so that adjoining
cells do not use the same frequencies and cause interference whereas more
distant cells can use the same frequencies. Reuse expands the capacity of a
cellular network by enabling the use of the same channels throughout the
network
Roaming
- The ability to make and receive calls on the same mobile phone when
travelling outside the area of the home network operator, e.g. when travelling
abroad
Root
mean square (rms) - Certain electrical effects are proportional to the
square root of the mean of the square of a periodic function (over one
period). This value is known as the effective, or root-mean-square (rms)
value, since it is derived by first squaring the function, determining the
mean value of the squares obtained, and taking the square root of that mean
value.
Router
- A device which forwards information in a network on a connectionless
basis
SAR
- Specific Absorption Rate
Satellite
- A radio relay station that orbits the earth. A complete satellite
communications system also includes earth stations that communicate with each
other via the satellite. The satellite receives a signal transmitted by an
originating earth station and retransmits that signal to the destination earth
station(s). Satellites are used to transmit telephone, television and data
signals originated by common carriers, broadcasters and distributors of cable
TV program material.
Service
Provider - A telecommunications provider that owns circuit switching
equipment.
SIM
- Subscriber Identity Module; A smart card containing the telephone number
of the subscriber, encoded network identification details, the PIN and other
user data such as the phone book. A user’s SIM card can be moved from phone to
phone as it contains all the key information required to activate the
phone
Specific
energy absorption (SA) - The energy absorbed per unit mass of biological
tissue, expressed in joule per kilogram (J kg¯¹); specific energy absorption
is the time integral of specific energy absorption rate. see SAR Values
Specific
energy absorption rate (SAR) - The rate at which energy is absorbed in
body tissues, in watt per kilogram (W kg¯¹). see SAR Values
Spectrum
- The range of electromagnetic radio frequencies used in the transmission
of sound, data and television.
Standby
time - The length of time a battery can power a mobile phone when it is
switched on but not making or receiving calls
Statistical
Significance – Statistical methods allow an estimate to be made of the
probability of the observed or greater degree of association between
independent and dependent variables under the null hypotheses. >From this
estimate, in a sample of given size, the statistical “significance” of a
result can be stated usually by the P Value.
Survival
Rate – The proportion of survivors in a group eg of patients, studied and
followed over a period, alive at the beginning and end of the study.
Talk-time
- The length of time a battery can power a mobile phone when making or
receiving calls
Telematics
- A wireless communications system designed for the collection and
dissemination of information, particularly refers to vehicle-based electronic
systems, vehicle tracking and positioning, on-line vehicle navigation and
information systems and emergency assistance.
Telphony
- The science of transmitting voice over a telecommunications network.
TETRA
- Terrestrial Trunked Radio; a European developed digital private mobile
radio technology which is now being extensively deployed worldwide, operating
in the microwave frequency range.
TFTS
- Terrestrial Flight Telephone System
Thermal
– Heating as apposed to non-thermal/athermal/ non-heating of tissue.
TMSI
- Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity; covers the IMSI to prevent
over-the-air interception and tracing
Transmitter
Power - Specified in terms of Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP
dBW) per channel.
Tri-band
- Refers to a mobile phone able to operate on the three internationally
designated GSM frequencies- 900, 1800 and 1900MHz
TRX
- Transmitter/receiver (transceiver)
Types of transmission -
This is
specified in terms of the technology used. Two types of cellular technologies
operate in the UK; GSM and UMTS
UMTS
- Universal Mobile Telecommunication System. The next evolution of
mobile phone technology and expected to result in widespread use of video
phones and access to multimedia information. The Ofcom publishes details
of the technical requirements for UMTS technology operating in the UK in the
form of UK Interface Requirement [IR2019]. The European entrant for 3G;
now subsumed into the IMT-2000 family as the WCDMA technology.
Unbundling
- The term used to describe the access provided by local exchange carriers
so that other service providers can buy or lease portions of its network
elements, such as interconnection loops, to serve subscribers.
UWB
- Ultra Wide Band
WAP
- Wireless Application Protocol; a de facto standard for enabling mobile
phones to access the Internet and advanced services. Users can access websites
and pages which have been converted by the use of WML into stripped-down
versions of the original more suitable for the limited display capabilities of
mobile phones
WARC
- World Administration Radio Conference; an ITU conference held at regular
intervals to determine the allocation of spectrum for various services
Wavelength
- The distance between two successive points of a periodic wave in the
direction of propagation, at which the oscillation has the same phase.
WHO
- World Health Organization
WLAN
- Wireless Local Area Network; a short range radio network normally
deployed in traffic hotspots such as airport lounges, hotels and restaurants.
WLAN enables suitably equipped users to access the fixed network wirelessly,
providing high speed access (up to 11Mbit/s download) to distant servers. The
key WLAN technologies are the IEEE802.11 family and ETSI HIPERLAN/2
WLL
- Wireless Local Loop; a technique for providing telephony and low speed
data services to fixed customers using wireless. Regarded as having
considerably potential for rapidly addressing the telecommunications gap in
developing countries. A number of different WLL solutions have been marketed
based on cellular and cordless technologies
WWW - World Wide Web