Mobile Broadband and Mobile Data Connection Glossary
Broadband: Broadband or high-speed Internet access gives users access to the internet and internet-related services. Broadband speeds vary widely depending upon the particular type and level of service subscribed to and often vary from as low as 200 kilobits per second (kbps), to six megabits per second (Mbps), or even more.
3G broadband: What is 3G broadband? It’s currently the most favored method nearly all mobile phones and mobile computers access the internet via a signal from a mobile internet service provider. It is referred to as 3G because it is the ‘third generation’ of mobile technology. [LeadingPrimary] European and American internet service providers have 3G available for mobile users.
Anti-spam: Used to prevent e-mail spam; which is also known as junk e-mail or electronic junk mail. Email spam usually involves transmitting nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by e-mail. A common acronym for spam is UBE which stands for unsolicited bulk e-mail. There are numerous anti-spam techniques.
Anti-spam methods are broken into four general categories: those that require actions by individuals, those that can be automated by e-mail administrators, those that are automated by e-mail senders and those employed by researchers and law enforcement officials.
Anti-virus: This is software that attempts to guard computers, laptops, and mobile phones from malicious internet (including email) transmitted malware. Malware is malicious software applications often intended to be intrusive or damaging. Computer viruses, Trojan horses and worms are typical forms of malware.
Malware is not just an annoyance, it often ruins computers and cell phones while potentially stealing personal data.
There are a lot of bad people out there making problems and some kind of anti-virus software application is mandatory on a broadband-enabled computers, laptops, and or mobile phones.
Namebrand anti-virus software applications such as Norton or McAfee are sometimes included by mobile internet service providers and supplied for free. Other people rely on free versions of products like Avast and AVG. One way or another – the reality is an anti-virus software program is necessary to protect computers, notebooks, and mobile phones.
Anti-spyware: Spyware is broad category of malicious software that will implant itself on computers, and cell phones across broadband internet connections. Spyware is designed to intercept or take partial control of a computer or cell phone operation without permission from the device’s owner or legitimate user. Spyware is malicious computer software applications that surreptitiously obtain, monitor and report data from a user’s computer without their knowledge or permission. This can include private data such as details of sites visited, and even e-mail.
Capping: In mobile data connection terminology capping describes a cap, or limitation, on the data allowed to download per conditions a specific contract. IF the cap is exceeded, additional fees often apply.
Dongle: In mobile data connection terminology dongle is the word that typically is used to to describe the small device that plugs into another internet-enabled device to pick-up a mobile broadband signal. Also sometimes called a ‘stick’, these devices plug easily into a USB port on a notebook or PC and contain a SIM card from a mobile internet connection supplier, in the same way a smartphone accesses data and the internet.
Bandwidth Download speed: Bandwidth Download speed refers to how quickly a file (of information) can be downloaded from a remote source. This mobile network term describes how fast a connection can deliver data to a computer. To “download” something means to put it on your computer, commonly through the internet. The download speed is measured by how much of the file is transferred to you over a certain amount of time. It used to be most download speeds were measured in kb/s, kilobytes per second, or thousands of (data) bytes per second; but fortunately currently it is more typical to measure this connection speed it megabytes or millions of bytes per second.
Femtocells: Femtocells use data connection and boost the 3G signal to make mobile phones – and devices with a dongle – perform better. A femtocell is a wireless access point that provides localized 3G broadband coverage. Typically it is very small base station that receives network supplier or ISP signals and boosts it around a small area, such as your house, office or event center. They very likely are going to become very common and will be important in location based services and marketing.
Firewall: A firewall is a software component used to stop outside access on computers, laptops or mobile phones via the internet. The firewall will analyze arriving data that connect to the computers, laptops or cell phones, and if it doesn’t meet the settings allocated to it, the data transfer will be suspended.
Firewall virus software applications are often included with anti-virus software applications as well as sometimes being available free versions. Firewall software programs should work with anti-spyware, anti-virus, and anti-spam software to be most effective.
Fixed-line: Fixed-line broadband is a term used to describe either cable or ADSL internet connections. The term is primarily used to differentiate fixed-line broadband from mobile broadband which is wireless and uses a mobile data connection signal network.
Gb (or gigabit): Giga means one billion. Gb (note the small b) an abbreviation of gigabit, a unit used to express internet data speed (also sometimes written as Gbps, or gigabits per second). Current broadband connections are measured in Mb (megabits per second) – there are 1024Mb in 1Gb.
GB (or Gbps, or gigabyte): GB is a contraction of gigabyte, which is often used to describe the size of computer files and memory storage capacity. There are 1024 bytes in a kilobyte (KB), 1024 kilobytes in a megabyte (MB), and 1024 megabytes in a gigabyte. For comparison, a small Notepad file is typically measured in bytes, a basic Word document in kilobytes, a music file in megabytes and a DVD movie in gigabytes.
HSPA, HSDPA, HSUPA: HSPA is an acronym for ‘high speed packet access’. HSDPA is an acronym for ‘high speed download packet access’ and HSUPA stands ‘high speed upload’ packet access’, each describes the same technology either sending or receiving data. It is the latest advancement in quality for mobile broadband usage, working on various 3G mobile broadband networks to improve the speed of data transfer.
HSPA Evolved, HSPA+: The next generation of HSPA is Evolved HSPA (or HSPA+) with possible mobile broadband speeds up to 42Mb.
ISP:ISP is an acronym for internet service provider.
Kb (or kilobit): Kb is short for kilobit, which is a term used to express the speed at which data travels across an internet connection also written as Kbps, or kilobits per second. This was typically used to measure dial-up internet speeds and still appears with slower mobile broadband connections.
LTE: LTE stands for Long Term Evolution, and is one of the next generation of mobile broadband technology. It is reputed to be capable of data transfer rates 15 to 100 times faster than current 3G mobile networks.
Mb (or Mbps, or megabit): Mb is short for Megabit, and also written as Mbps, which stands for megabits per second. Mb commonly is used to express the measurement of internet speeds. A Mb is 1024Kb, while there are 1024Mb in a Gb.
MB (or megabyte): MB is short for for megabyte, which is a term used to describe the size of computer files and storage capacity.
Mi-Fi (or MiFi): Is a wireless router that, like a dongle, receives a mobile broadband signal. However, unlike a dongle (which plugs directly into a laptop or other internet enabled device), the Mi-Fi device distributes the signal wirelessly using Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi: Pronounced ‘why-fye’, Wi-Fi is short for Wireless Fidelity. It is a trademarked term of the Wi-Fi Alliance certified as working in tandem with other products that belong to a class of wireless local area network (WLAN) devices based on the IEEE 802.11 standards.
In mobile network terms, the most common usage is when referring to Wi-Fi hotspots: places such as hotels, airports and cafes that supply internet connectivity either free or for a fee. Because of the close relationship with its underlying standard, the abbreviation Wi-Fi is often used synonymously for IEEE 802.11 technology.
WiMAX: This term is a contraction of Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access – a new broadband technology that has potential to provide a wireless broadband alternative without the need for cables. Similarly to LTE, WiMAX is being touted as the next generation of mobile broadband.
WLAN: WLAN is a contraction of for wireless local area network, and is more typically called Wi-Fi.
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