iCellPhone
Cellphones, Cellphone Service, Glossary of Cellphone Terms
iCellPhone Glossary Page 3
Learn about the technology. An informed buyer makes better decisions.Glossary Page 3 (O-S)
Off-peak: The period of time after the business day has ended during which carriers may offer reduced airtime charges.
Paging: A wireless device feature that allows reception of a signal or alphanumeric message.
PCS (Personal Communications Services): Another newer form of wireless telecommunications services. PCS uses a 1.9 GHz radio frequency band and use all digital technology for transmission and reception.
Peak: Highest-usage period of the business day when a cellular system carries the most calling traffic.
PIN (Personal Identification Number): Used together with SIM card technology to place calls using prepaid cell phones.
Portable: A one-piece, self-contained cellular telephone. The newest portable model phones are so small ? weighing as little as 3.1 ounces ? that they can be folded up and carried in a suit pocket or purse. Portables normally have built-in antennas and a rechargeable battery.
POTS (Plain-Old-Telephone-Service): The technical name for the traditional wired, land based telephone service.
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Prepaid Cellular or Prepaid Wireless: A system allowing subscribers to pay in advance for wireless services.
Protocol: The special set of rules for communicating that the transmitting receivers use in a telecommunication connection when they send signals back and forth.
PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network): The formal name for the world-wide telephone network.
Radio-frequency Fingerprinting: An electronic process that identifies each individual wireless handset by examining its unique radio transmission characteristics. Fingerprinting is used to reduce fraud since the illegal phone can not duplicate the legal phone's radio-frequency fingerprint.
Repertory Dialing: Sometimes known as "memory dialing" or "speed-calling." A feature that allows the caller to recall from 1-to-99 (or more) phone numbers from a phone's memory with the touch of just one, two or three buttons.
RF (Radio Frequency): A radio signal.
RFI (Radio Frequency Interference): A signal that interferes with radio communications causing noise and/or signal dropout.
Ringback Tone: The sound tone you hear when you are placing a call and are waiting for the phone to be answered. The standard tone is an on and off ringing sound. On some phones users have the ability to choose the tone.
Ringtone: A sound from your phone used to signal an incoming call or message. On most newer phones additional sounds can be downloaded from the wireless system or by data cable. These sounds can take the form of anything you want, the most popular sounds are music.
Roaming: The ability to use a cellular phone outside of a usual service area - when traveling, for example.
RSA (rural service area): One of the 428 FCC designated rural markets across the United States.
Service plan: A rate plan selected by subscribers when they start up cellular service, usually consisting of a base rate for system access and a per-minute rate for usage. Service plans are designed to provide the most cost-effective rates for different types and amounts of usage by the cellular subscriber.
SMS (Short Messaging System): A feature of some cellphones that allows users to receive and transmit short text messages using their wireless phone. Also called "text messaging."
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Spectrum: The entire range of electromagnetic frequencies
Standby time: The amount of time one can leave a fully charged cellular phone turned on before the phone will completely discharge the batteries. See talk time.
Subscriber: A user of wireless service bought from a service provider.