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Glossary of Terms

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C

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A

• Activation

  Configuration of a wireless phone so that it is ready to be used to transmit and receive calls on the wireless network.

  
  

• Airtime

  The basic unit of charge is minutes of airtime. Subscribers are charged airtime both when they originate and when they receive calls.

  
  

• Alphanumeric Display

  A display, usually LCD, that has the ability to display both text and numbers. Most often found on the front of a wireless handset or pager.

  
  

• AMPS

  An analog cellular phone service standard used in the US and other countries.

  
  

• Analog

  A method of modulating radio signals so that they can carry information such as voice or data.

  
  

• Annual System Access Fee

  The Annual System Access Fee recovers overhead costs, licensing costs and cellular access costs that are charged to Tbaytel Mobility. This fee is billed to you on the anniversary of the start date of your cellular service. Each cell phone is subject to an Annual System Access Fee. This fee will appear under the section of your bill named, "Other Charges and Credits".

  
  

• Antenna

  A length of wire that radiates or captures radio signals; the distinctive "pig tail" needed to operate a cellular car phone.

  
  

• Area Code

  A three digit telephone number prefix assigned to a calling area.

  
  

• Automatic Call Delivery

  A service feature that allows a user to receive calls when roaming outside of the phone's home coverage area.

  
  

B

• Band

  A portion of the radio frequency spectrum. Cellular communications take place in the 800 MHz region of the UHF band.

  
  

• Bandwidth

  Describes the transmission capacity of a medium in terms of a range of frequencies. A greater bandwidth indicates the ability to transmit a greater amount of data over a given period of time.

  
  

• Broadband

  Describes a communications medium capable of transmitting a relatively large amount of data over a given period of time. A communications channel of high bandwidth.

  
  

C

• Caller ID

  A feature that displays a caller's telephone number before the call is answered. Ensure auto-answer is turned off.

  
  

• Carrier

  A company that provides telecommunications services.

  
  

• CDMA

  A digital communication technology used by some carries to provide PCS service. Other technologies used are TDMA and GSM. Code Division Multiple Access operating at the 800 MHz frequency band, CDMA has the highest capacity of any digital technology to date. Tbaytel Mobility offers CDMA digital service.

  
  

• Cell

  A section of the coverage area, usually one to ten miles in radius, and the basic geographical element upon which cellular service is based. Conceptually, the cell is hexagon-shaped; in actuality its shape depends on geographic considerations.

  
  

• Cell Site

  The base station of a cell, which includes an antenna and low-powered transceivers and computerized equipment to service mobile units in that cell.

  
  

• Cellular to Landline Calls

  The Tbaytel Mobility network is fully integrated with the Tbaytel system; when placing or receiving calls, customers are unaware of the computerized switching between networks which takes place.

  
  

• Channel

  The radio channel or frequency at which a radio telephone conversation is transmitted.

  
  

• Clone

  A wireless phone that has been programmed to mimic another wireless phone. Often used to defraud a wireless carrier by placing illegal calls without any intention of payment.

  
  

• Coverage Area

  The geographic area served by a wireless system. Same as service area.

  
  

• CROSS TALK

  A signal leak from one channel to another often the cause of noise and distortion.

  
  

D

• Decibal

  A unit of measure to express relative difference in power or intensity of sound.

  
  

• Digital

  A method of encoding information using a binary code of 0s and 1s. Most newer wireless phones and networks use digital technology. True digital cellular commonly refers to CDMA based digital wireless technology.

  
  

• Dual Band

  A feature on some wireless phones that allows the handset to operate using either 800 MHz cellular or the 1900 MHz PCS frequencies.

  
  

• Dual Mode

  A feature on some wireless phones that allows the handset to operate on both analog and digital networks.

  
  

E

• Email

  The ability to send and receive text messages through a wireless handset.

  
  

• ESN

  The unique serial number of a cellular phone that identifies it to the cellular system for the purpose of placing and receiving calls.

  
  

H

• Handshake

  Signals between a wireless phone and a wireless system to accomplish call setup.

  
  

• Home Coverage Area

  A designated area within which cellular calls are local and do not incur roaming or long distance charges.

  
  

• Home Area

  The area in which the customer's telephone number is registered determined by the exchange, or first (3) digits of the customer's seven digit (7) telephone number. Thus, if the customer's number is (807) 623-4400, " 623" is the exchange, identifying the customer's Home City.

  
  

• Home Registered Area

  The area out of which a mobile telephone number is assigned.

  
  

I

• Industry Canada

  The federal government agency that regulates radio frequencies in Canada

  
  

L

• Landline

  Traditional wired telephone service.

  
  

• LCD

  A flat panel screen used to display numbers and/or characters. Often found on a wireless handset.

  
  

• LED

  A light on a handset to alert the user of various conditions.

  
  

• Local Calling

  The area in which you can place a call without being charged a long distance fee.

  
  

M

• MSA

  An area defined by the U.S. government for use in grouping census data and other statistics. MSAs include a city of at least 50,000 people or an urbanized area of at least 100,000 people and the counties that include these areas. Not all areas of the US are in an MSA. The FCC used these area definitions to license cellular telephone service carries. There are 306 regions of the US designated as MSAs.

  
  

• Milliwatt

  One thousandth of a watt - measure of power for cellular phones. Hand-held portable cellular phones usually have a maximum output power of 600 milliwatts. Fixed cellular phones usually have a maximum output power of 31000 milliwatts (3 watts).

  
  

• MIN

  Mobile Identification Number

  
  

• Mobile Telephone Exchange

  A switching office interface between the cell sites and the wireline network. It serves as the central co-ordinator and controller, as well as the switching equipment for a cellular telephone system.

  
  

N

• NAM

  Numeric Assignment Module. A type of integrated circuit programmed to contain information specific to a cellular phone including its ESN and phone number.

  
  

P

• PCs

  Used to describer a newer class of wireless communications services recently authorized by the FCC. PCs systems use a different radio frequency (the 1.9 GHz band) than cellular phones and generally use all digital technology for transmission and reception. Often referred to as Digital Cellular Service.

  
  

R

• Radio Frequency Fingerprinting

  An electronic process that identifies each individual wireless handset by examining its unique radio transmission characteristics. Finger printing is used to reduce fraud since the illegal phone cannot duplicate the legal phone's radio-frequency fingerprint.

  
  

• RF

  A radio signal.

  
  

• Roaming

  The act of placing or receiving calls in a cellular service area, other than the subscriber's home area. Tbaytel Mobility offers roaming capabilities throughout its cellular network across Canada as well as cross-border roaming through agreements with cellular systems in the us and abroad.

  
  

• Roamer Access Number

  A number to be dialled prior to dialling a Tbaytel Mobility subscriber's phone when the subscriber is roaming.

  
  

• Roaming Agreement

  An agreement among wireless carriers allowing users to use their phone on systems other than their own home systems. Roaming Fee charged for roaming.

  
  

S

• Service Area

  The geographic area covered by radio coverage from the Tbaytel Mobility system.

  
  

• Standby Time

  The time a phone is on but not actively transmitting or receiving a call.

  
  

T

• Talk Time

  The time a phone is on and actively transmitting or receiving a call.

  
  

• TDMA

  A digital communication technology used by some carriers to provide PCs service. Other technologies used are CDMA and GSM.

  
  

• Toll Charge

  Charges for placing long distance calls.

  
  

• Toll Free Calling Area

  An area in which calls can be placed without incurring long distance charges.

  
  

• Transceiver

  A radio transmitter and receiver combined to form a single unit. A cellular phone uses a transceiver to send signals to, and receive them from the cell site.

  
  

W

• Wireline Co

  The "traditional" phone company, or a corporation that owns the local phone company. Wireline companies in Canada include Tbaytel, Bell Canada, Manitoba Tel and so on.

  
  

 

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