Cellular & Wireless Glossary
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Call Waiting: A feature that allows a user to be notified of another incoming call while a call is already in progress.

Caller I.D.: A call-screening feature that allows the user to pinpoint the origin of an incoming call prior to answering the phone.

Calling 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.

Carrier: A Company providing wireless telecommunications services, using equipment to transmit the frequencies upon which the cellphone calls, signals and data are carried.

CDMA (code division multiple access): A spread spectrum approach to digital transmission. With CDMA, each conversation is digitized and then tagged with a code. Also known as IS-95A or cdmaOne.

Cell: The basic geographic unit of a cellular system and the basis for the generic industry term "cellular." A city or county is divided into small "cells," each of which is equipped with a low-powered radio transmitter/receiver. The cells can vary in size depending on terrain and capacity demands.

Cell Site: The transmission and reception equipment that connects a cellular phone to the network.

Cellular: The type of wireless communication that is most familiar to mobile phones users. Called "cellular" because the system uses many base stations to divide a service area into multiple "Cells".

Channel: A path for electrical transmission between two or more points without common carrier-provided terminal equipment; also called a link, line, circuit or facility

Coverage Area: The area which a wireless network company offers service for their cell phone subscribers.

Cross-talk: Energy-leak from one channel to another. On the telephone network you hear somebody else's conversation. If transmitting data, a noise source.

Digital: Information represented by non-continuous values or signals sent between cell phones. It is binary, or consists of 0 and 1.

Dual Band: A wireless phone which is capable of operating on two different frequencies, 800MHz cellular and 1900 MHz PCS.

Dual mode: Describes a handset that works on both analog and digital networks.

Email: The ability to send and receive text messages through a wireless handset (cellphone).

ESN (Electronic Serial Number): A unique ID number embedded in a wireless phone by its manufacturer to minimize chance of fraud. The Mobile Telephone Switching Office validates the ESN with each call.

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