AXE
 

An open architecture, Ericsson’s communications platform. A system for computer-controlled digital exchanges that constitute the nodes in large public telecommunications networks. The basis for Ericsson’s wireline and mobile systems.

bandwidth
 

The information-carrying capacity of a communications channel. Usually expressed in Hertz (cycles per second) for analog circuits and in bits per second (bps) for digital circuits.

base station
 

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

Bluetooth
 

A radio technology developed by Ericsson and other companies built around a new chip that makes it possible to transmit signals over short distances between telephones, computers and other devices without the use of wires. Read more at http://www.bluetooth.com

bps
 

bits per second - meaning data transmission speed, the number of pieces of information transmitted per second.

broadband
 

This term has a number of meanings. It was coined originally to describe a channel with more bandwidth than a standard voice grade channel which is usually a 48KHz link.

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)
 

A technology for digital transmission of radio signals between, for example, a mobile telephone and a radio base station. In CDMA, a frequency is divided into a number of codes. See also IS-95.

CDMA2000
 

Cdma2000 is a radio transmission technology for the evolution of narrowband cdmaOne/IS-95 to 3rd-generation adding up multiple carriers. See also WCDMA for single carrier/direct spread technology.

Cellular Mobile Telephone System
 

System where each geographic area is covered by a base station. This area is known as a cell. Each telephone in the cell communicates with the base station. If the phone moves to another cell, the call is automatically transferred to the base station in the new cell.

A switched circuit is only maintained while the sender and recipient are communicating, as opposed to a dedicated circuit which is held open regardless of whether data is being sent or not.

the geographical reach of a mobile phone network or system.

 

D-AMPS (Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System)
 

Earlier designation of American standard for digital mobile telephony used primarily in North America, Latin America, Australia and parts of Russia and Asia. Now known as TFMA. See also TDMA and IS-136.

DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications)
 

A common standard for cordless personal telephony originally established by ETSI, a European standardization body. DECT is a system for cordless business communications.

digital
 

where information - speech, for example - is encoded before transmission. Digital networks are rapidly replacing analog ones as they offer improved sound quality, secure transmission and can handle data as well as voice. Digital networks include mobile systems GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, d-amps and the cordless DECT system.

dual band
 

dual band mobile phones can work on networks that operate on different frequency bands. This is useful if you move between areas covered by different networks. For example GSM 900, GSM 1800.

dual mode
 

dual mode mobile phones work on more than one network (for example, TDMA and AMPS, GSM and dect).

EDGE
 

A technology that gives GSMA and TDMA similar capacity to handle services for the third generation of mobile telephony. EDGE was developed to enable the transmission of large amounts of data at a high speed, 384 kilobits per second.

EPOC
 

An operating system for mobile terminals, developed by Symbian (a joint-venture with Ericsson, Matsushita, Nokia, Motorola and Psion).

ergonomics
 

Study of equipment design in order to reduce user fatigue and discomfort

ERMES
 

European Radio Messaging System - a pan-European wide area paging network working in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

ETACS
 

Extended Total Access Communications System - the analog mobile phone network developed in the UK and available in Europe and Asia.

ETSI (European Telecommunications Standardization Institute)
 

The European standardization body for telecommunications.

extranet
 

The extension of a company's intranet out onto the Internet, e.g. to allow selected customers, suppliers and mobile workers to access the company's private data and applications via the World Wide Web. Generally an extranet implies real-time access through a firewall of some kind.

Fast Packet Switching
 

An emerging, packet-orientated, digital technology that differs from traditional packet switching in a number of ways. The most obvious is that it transmits all data in a single packet format whether the information is video, voice or data. Fast packet switching uses short, fixed length packets (cells) and - via hardware switching - is capable of speeds between 100,000 and 1,000,000 packets/second.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
 

Regulatory body governing communications technologies in the US.

GHz
 

Gigaherz - A frequency measurement which equals one billion hertz. One hertz equals one cycle per second.

GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)
 

A packet-linked technology that enables high-speed (115 kilobit per second) wireless Internet and other data communications.

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)
 

Originally developed as a pan-European standard for digital mobile telephony, GSM has become the world’s most widely used mobile system. It is used on the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequencies in Europe, Asia and Australia, and the MHz 1900 frequency in North America and Latin America.

GSM 1800
 

also known as DCS 1800 or PCN , GSM 1800 is a digital network working on a frequency of 1800 MHz. It is used in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Australia.

GSM 1900
 

also known as PCS 1900, GSM 1900 is a digital network working on a frequency of 1900 MHz. It is used in the US and Canada and is scheduled for parts of Latin America and Africa.

GSM 900
 

GSM 900, or just GSM, is the world's most widely used digital network and now operating in over 100 countries around the world, particularly in Europe and Asia Pacific.

Hand-over
 

The passing of a call signal from one base station to the next as the user moves out of range or the network software re-routes the call.

HSCSD (High Speed Circuit Switched Data)
 

A circuit-linked technology for higher transmission speeds — up to 57 kilobits per second — primarily in GSM systems.

Hz
 

Hertz - radio frequency measurement (one hertz = one cycle per second).

IMT-2000 (International Mobile Telecommunications)
 

A term used by the International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations agency, to describe the third generation mobile telephony due to be ready in 2000. Can also be applied to mobile telephone standards that meet a number of requirements in terms of transmission speed and other factors.

Intelligent Network

ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network)
 

A technology which offers high speed transmission of voice, data and video through existing fixed line infrastructure.

Internet capability
 

enables you to access the Internet, surf the Web and send e-mail.

The Internet protocol defines how information travels between systems across the Internet.

Intellectual Property Rights

IS-41
 

Inter-network connection protocol for connecting systems based on both analog and digital US standards.

IS-54
 

Original TDMA digital standard. Implemented in 1992 and then upgraded to the latest IS-136 digital standard in 1996.

A digital mobile telephony standard based on CDMA technology. See also CDMA.

IS-136
 

A digital mobile telephony standard based on TDMA technology. See also TDMA and D-AMPS.

LAN (Local Area Network)
 

A small data network covering a limited area, such as within a building or group of buildings.

Modem
 

Abreviation of modulator/demodulator, the modem converts digital computer signals into analog form for transmission over analog telephone systems.

MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group)
 

The group that has defined the standards for compressed video transmission. Can also refer to the file format itself.

 

mobile phone network
 

a mobile phone network or system consists of a network of cells. Each cell is served by a radio base station from where calls are forwarded to and received from your mobile phone by wireless radio signals.

NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephony)
 

The common Nordic standard for analog mobile telephony as established by the telecommunications administrations in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark in the early 1980s. NMT systems have also been installed in some European countries, including parts of Russia, and in the Middle East and Asia.

operator
 

Company that operates a telephone network, for example AT&T, Vodaphone and BT.

paging
 

single direction radio service for alerting subscribers and leaving messages.

Packet Switching
 

PHS (Personal Handyphone System)
 

Digital mobile telephone system according to Japanese standard in the frequency range 1900Mhz.

Pico Cell
 

Very small cell in a mobile network for boosting capacity within buildings.

PIN (Personal Identification Number)
 

a code used for all GSM-based phones to establish authorization for access to certain functions or information. The PIN code is delivered together with your subscription.

PMR (Private Mobile Radio)
 

Generally for use within a defined user group such as the emergency services or by the employees of a mining project.

PSTN
 

Public Switched Telecom Network

PTT
 

Historically, the Ministry of Post, Telecommunications and Telegraph. Now a term to describe the incumbent, dominant operator in a country, many of which are being or have been privatised.

Radio Link
 

Makes it possible to wireless connect a base station to telephone switches and other units in an infrastructure.

Repeater
 

Receives radio signals from the base station. They are then amplified and re-transmitted to areas where radio shadow occurs. Repeats also work in the opposite direction, i.e. receiving radio signals from mobile telephones, then amplifying and re-transmitting them to the base station.

roaming
 

within your home network, this means that your mobile phone automatically sets up communication procedures with different radio base stations when on the move. International roaming means that you can use networks other than your own when traveling abroad.

router
 

A data switch that handles connections between different networks. A router identifies the addresses on data passing through the switch, determines which route the transmission should take and collects data in so-called packets which are then sent to their destinations.

routing
 

The forwarding of data packets in packet-switched networks, to the intended address.

Satellite phone
 

Ericsson will launch satellite phones in 1999. They will operate both on either GSM/AMPs networks, and via satellite, in areas where there is no coverage.

SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy)
 

A standard for digital signal transmission within transport networks.

service provider
 

A company that provides services and subscriptions to telephone, mobile phone and Internet users.

Signal Booster
 

Compensates for loss of effect (weakening of the signal in the co-axial cable) between the outer antenna and the phone. Applies to both incoming and outgoing signals.

SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module card)
 

a small printed circuit board that must be inserted in any GSM-based mobile phone when signing on as a subscriber. It contains subscriber details, security information and memory for a personal directory of numbers.

SMS (short message service)
 

available on digital networks allowing messages of up to 160 characters to be sent and received via the network operator's message center to your mobile phone.

Symbian
 

A joint venture with Motorola, Nokia and Psion aimed at assuming a leadership role in the rapidly expanding Wireless Information Device market. Symbian is developing the operating system EPOC. See also http://www.symbian.com

Synchronous
 

Type of transmission in which the transmission and reception of all data is synchronized by a common clock and the data is usually transmitted in blocks rather than individual characters. Can also mean that the data stream has the same capacity in both directions.

synchronous mode
 

standard for data transmission - data is transferred without start and stop bits together with a clock signal to synchronize the receiver. This mode gives higher data throughput than asynchronous mode, but can be less secure.

mobile system
 

a mobile phone system or network consists of a network of cells. Each cell is served by a radio base station from where calls are forwarded to and received from your mobile phone by wireless radio signals.

TACS (Total Access Communication System)
 

A mobile telephone standard originally used in Britain for the 900 MHz frequency band.

TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access)
 

A number of trademarks are mentioned here. Following are some of the trademarks owned by Ericsson:

 

• AXE®
• Bluetooth
• BusinessPhone™
• Consono®
• EriEye®
• Eripax®
• Eripower®
• Giraffe®
• MacroDens®
• Make Yourself Heard™
• MD110®
• Mini-Link™
• OneBox™
• Telecool®