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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #

Select the first letter of the word from the list above to jump to appropriate section of the glossary. If the term you are looking for starts with a digit or symbol, choose the '#' link.

- A -

ATM
(Asynchronous Transfer Mode)		 An information transfer standard that is one of a general class of packet technologies that relay traffic by way of an address contained within the first five bytes of a standard fifty-three-byte-long packet or cell. The ATM format can be used by many different information systems, including local area networks, to deliver traffic at varying rates, permitting a mix of voice, data and video (multimedia).
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- B -

Backbone The through-portions of a transmission network, as opposed to spurs which branch off the through-portions.
Bandwidth The relative range of analog frequencies or digital signals that can be passed through a transmission medium, such as glass fibers, without distortion. The greater the bandwidth, the greater the information carrying capacity. Bandwidth is measured in Hertz (analog) or Bits Per Second (digital).
Bit Error Rate A measure of transmission quality stated as the expected probability of error per bit transmitted.
Broadband A high-capacity communications apparatus.

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- C -

Capacity The highest possible transmission speed that can be carried on a channel; can be expressed as raw speed or net throughput.
CLEC
(Competitive Local Exchange Carrier)		 A company that competes with LECs in the local services market.

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- D -

Digital Describes a method of storing, processing and transmitting information through the use of distant electronic or optical pulses that represent the binary digits 0 and 1. Digital transmission/switching technologies employ a sequence of discrete, distinct pulses to represent information, as opposed to the continuously variable analog signal.
DS-0, DS-1, DS-3 Standard telecommunications industry signal formats, which are distinguishable by bit rate (the number of binary digits {0 and 1} transmitted per second). DS-0 service has a bit rate of 64 kilobits per second and typically transmits only one voice conversation at a time. DS-1 service has a bit rate of 1.544 megabits per second and typically transmits 24 simultaneous voice conversations. DS-3 service has a bit rate of 45 megabits per second and typically transmits 672 simultaneous voice conversations.
DWDM (Dense Wave Division Multiplexing) A technique for transmitting 8 or more different light wave frequencies on a single fiber to increase the information carrying capacity.
DS-3 miles A measure of the total capacity and length of a transmission path, calculated as the capacity of the transmission path in DS-3s multiplied by the length of the path in miles.

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- E -

End-to-End service Interexchange service that connects one user site with another usually through a intermediary interexchange carrier.

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- F -

Frame Relay A high-speed, data-packet switching service used to transmit data between computers. Frame Relay supports data units of variable lengths at access speeds ranging from 56 kilobits per second to 1.5 megabits per second. This service is well-suited for connecting local area networks, but is not presently well suited for voice and video applications due to the variable delays which can occur. Frame Relay was designed to operate at high speeds on modern fiber optic networks.
Full Duplex Simultaneous two-way communication path.

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- G -

Gbps Gigabits per second, which is a measurement of speed for digital signal transmission expressed in billions of bits per second.

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- H -

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- I -

Interexchange What is sent between two different LATAs
ISP
(Internet Service Provider)		 A company that provides business and consumers with access to the internet.
Interexchange Carrier A company providing inter-LATA or long distance services between LATAs on an intrastate or interstate basis.

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- J -

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- K -

Kbps Kilobits per second, which is a measurement of speed for digital signal transmission expressed in thousands of bits per second.

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- L -

Local Area Network (LAN) A local network of multiple interconnected computers and devices. The most common LAN topologies are ethernet, token rings and FDDI.
Local Access and Transport Areas (LATAs)
The approximately 200 geographic areas that define the areas between which the RBOCs currently are prohibited from providing long distance services.
LEC (Local Exchange Carrier) A company historically providing local telephone services.
Local Loop A circuit that connects an end user to the LEC central office within a LATA.

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- M -

Macro Capacity Fiber Network The Qwest next generation fiber network.
Multiplexing An electronic or optical process that combines a large number of lower speed transmission lines into one high speed line by splitting the total available bandwidth into narrower bands (frequency division), or by allotting a common channel to several different transmitting devices, one at a time in sequence (time division).

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- N -

Node Generic label for devices that access a network.

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- O -

OC-3, OC-12, OC-48 and OC-192 OC is a measure of SONET transmission optical carrier level, which is equal to the corresponding number of DS-3s (e.g. OC-3 is equal to 3 DS-3s and OC-48 is equal to 48 DS-3s).

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- P - Q -

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- R -

Regeneration/amplifier Devices which automatically re-transmit or boost signals on an out-bound circuit.

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- S -

SONET
(Synchronous Optical Network Technology) 		An electronics and network architecture for variable-bandwidth products which enables transmission of voice, data and video (multimedia) at very high speeds.
SONET ring A network architecture which provides for instantaneous restoration of service in the event of a fiber cut by automatically rerouting traffic the other direction around the ring. This occurs so rapidly (in 50 milliseconds) it is virtually undetectable to the user.
Shared Tenant Services (STS) The provision of PBX services to multiple customers located in the same building or group of buildings. External calls can be placed and received over common lines and intra company calls can be made without the use of outside LEC lines.
Switched Service Carriers A carrier that sells switched long distance service and generally refers to a carrier that owns its switch.
Switchless resellers A carrier that does not own facilities or switches, but purchases minutes in high volumes from other carriers and resells those minutes.

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- T -

Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) A method of mixing multiple signals on a single channel by transmitting in tightly controlled time slots.
Trunk A high-capacity communications channel between two switches.

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- U - V -

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- W -

Wide Area Network (WAN) Remote computer communications system. Utilized mostly among geographically distributed computing sites. WANs are slower than LANs but have the capacity to serve as a communications "backbone."

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- X - Y - Z -

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- # -

10XXX Service The ability for a user to access any carrier's long distance network by dialing the carrier's Carrier Identification Code (CIC) which is a 1 plus 0 plus three specifically designed digits, thereby bypassing the user's primary interexchange carrier.

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