Transcript Catchy Title

Phone-glish
A short dictionary of
mobile communication in Australia
developed by Louise and Bob Bannister
for Women With Disabilities Australia
June 2008
2
Home
•Help
•Disclaimer
•Browse
3
Disclaimer
Welcome to Phone-glish, a PowerPoint tool
to help you make sense of phone jargon.
It is a simple glossary of
telecommunications terms in alphabetical
order.
Unfortunately it won’t solve all your phone
confusion - it only gives brief explanations.
So WWDA accepts no responsibility for any
action taken on reliance of Phone-glish
contents.
4
Help
Click on any underlined word to find
out more about that term.
Click here
to go to the
Click here main page
to go to the
Click here to
previous
go to the
entry, in
next entry,
alphabetical
in
order
alphabetical
order
Click here
to go to
this page
Click here
to go to
the
previous
page you
viewed
Click here
to find out
about us
5
Browse
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv
w x y z 0-10
6
A-C
•ADSL
•AMTA
•Bluetooth
•Broadband
•Cable
•Caller ID
•Call waiting
•Cap
•CDMA
•Communications
device
•Conference call
•Computer
•Cordless Phone
7
ADSL
ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber
Line. It is a type of Broadband connection which
uses your landline and a modem to link to the
Internet.
ADSL is usually faster than a dial-up connection,
and you can use your phone at the same time that
you are connected to the Internet.
The speed of your connection depends on how close
you are to the telephone exchange.
ADSL2 and ADSL2+ are faster types of ADSL and
cost more to use.
8
AMTA
AMTA stands for Australian Mobile
Telecommunications Association.
It is an organisation that represents
Australia’s mobile telecommunications
industry.
Their web site is at
http://www.amta.org.au/.
9
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is the name of one type of local
wireless network.
It works over distances of a few metres, and
so is ideal for replacing the multitude of
cables that usually join computer equipment
(keyboards, mice and printers) together.
It can also be used to link mobile phones to
the same sorts of devices such as ear
pieces.
10
Broadband
Broadband is a high-speed way of
transmitting data.
Any data transmission faster than dial-up
speeds is considered to be broadband.
It can be used for Internet, but also for
video and phone connections.
Some types of broadband are ADSL, Cable,
and satellite.
11
Cable
Cable is a type of broadband data
connection.
‘Cable broadband’ is provided via a
cable landline to your house or
business.
Most cables can carry Internet and
television services at the same time.
12
Caller ID
Caller ID shows you the incoming number of
the person who is phoning you.
You can use this to decide whether to
answer a call or not.
That phone number is stored on a mobile
phone’s ‘call history’ so you can phone back.
You can also hide your Caller ID, so the
person you are phoning cannot see your
phone number.
You will need to contact your phone service
provider to find out how to do this.
13
Call Waiting
Call Waiting is the beeping sound you hear
when you are already on the phone and a
second person calls.
Depending on which phone service you
have, you can choose to switch over to the
second call, or call back when you are
finished.
Contact your service provider to find out
how to switch on, or switch off, ‘Call
Waiting’.
CAUTION: Make sure you ask how much
extra it will cost to use the ‘Call Waiting’
service before you decide if it is worthwhile.
14
Cap
A capped phone service can limit how much you
pay each month for your phone.
Suppose that your mobile phone service is ‘capped’
at $30 per month, with $100 credit.
This really means that the cost of the mobile phone
is $30 per month, and you have credit for $70 of
free calls.
If you use $80, you have exceeded the CAP by $10,
so that your bill for the month will be $40 ($30 plus
the excess of $10).
Confusing, huh?
CAUTION: There are many, many capped plans
available. Generally the lower the size of the CAP,
the higher the cost of your calls.
15
CDMA
CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple
Access. It is a way for mobile devices to
talk to each other.
In Australia, there were two CDMA
networks. One, run by 3 and Hutchison,
closed down in 2005. The other, run by
Telstra, was used mostly in regional
Australia, and closed down on 28 April 2008.
The Telstra CDMA network has been
replaced by NextG.
CDMA is still used in some other countries.
16
Communication device
A communication device may be a
phone, cordless phone, mobile phone,
satellite phone, computer, laptop,
handheld computer or other device
that is linked to a network that allows
you to communicate.
This means having an exchange of
information between two or more
points.
17
Computer
A computer is a device which processes
many sorts of data.
At first they were gigantic in size and filled
whole rooms. Then we learned to make
them smaller and smaller, so they could fit
into our offices, and then into our lounge
rooms and bedrooms.
Now they are so small they fit on our laps
and in our pockets. They help run our
phones, cars, banks and supermarkets.
In fact these days they are pretty well
unavoidable.
18
Conference Call
A conference call allows people with different phone numbers
at different locations to talk together during the same phone
call, instead of having a conversation with just one person.
You might use them for important family meetings, to have a
committee meeting for your club, or talk with staff at a
remote office.
Your Service Provider can tell you how to organise a
Conference Call. You may have to start an account with a
Conference Call company such as ‘Genesys’, ‘MyConference’
and ‘Quorum’.
CAUTION: Conference Calls can be very expensive. The
person who organises the Call will be sent the Bill for the cost
of the Conference Call.
19
Cordless Phone
A cordless phone allows you to use your phone
while you move around your home or business.
It has two parts, a base station and a handset. The
base station stays plugged into both the landline
(via the phone attachment on the wall) and to the
electricity supply.
The cordless phone handset will only work within a
short distance (50-100 metres) of the base station.
To move around more, you will need a mobile
phone.
20
D-G
•Data
•Disability Equipment Programs
•Dial-up modem
•Disability Services
•Ethernet
•GSM
21
Data
Data is any information that can be
sent from one communications device
to another.
Data can include text, voices, pictures
and video.
Data is sent from one device to
another over a network.
22
DEP
Disability Equipment Programs (DEP) are programs
available to provide specialised telecommunications
equipment to people with special needs so they can
access a standard phone service. Telstra’s DEP is
considered to be the main program. Optus’ DEP is
a smaller program.
If you are not a Telstra customer, your Service
Provider should be able to rent equipment from the
Telstra DEP on your behalf. Make enquiries about it.
There are other disability services available.
23
Dial-Up modem
A dial-up modem connects to the Internet
using your landline.
Dial-up internet connections are generally
slow to transfer data, and you can’t use
your phone while connected to the Internet.
Any connection which transfers data faster
than dial-up is called broadband.
See also ADSL.
24
Disability Services
•National Relay Service (NRS)
•Disability Equipment Program (DEP)
•Telstra Disability Services (information you
should check out)
•Teletypewriters (TTY)
•Disability Enquiry Hotline
http://www.telstra.com.au/disability/catalogue/apply.htm
•Directory Assistance Helpline
(an easy read explanation)
http://www.bca.org.au/natpol/Telstra_Disability_Services.htm
#_Toc153270812
25
Ethernet
Ethernet is the name of the most
commonly used type of Local Area
Network (LAN).
Ethernet LANs are used in offices to
link computers together using wires.
See also WiFi.
The plug for an Ethernet cable looks
like the one for your home phone but
is just a bit bigger.
26
GSM
GSM stands for Global System for
Mobile Communications.
World-wide GSM is the most common
way that mobile phones talk to each
other.
GSM pioneered SMS. It also uses
TDMA.
27
H-L
•Hotspot
•iDEN
•Internet
•ISP
•LAN
•Landline
•Laptops
28
Hotspot
Hotspot is a place that offers a public
WiFi service. They are usually cafes,
restaurants, libraries, or airports.
If you have a WiFi device, you can
access the Internet at such places,
usually for a fee.
29
iDEN
iDEN is a system developed by the company
Motorola that puts mobile phone and twoway radio functions into the one device.
Think of it as a mobile phone mixed with a
walkie-talkie.
The walkie-talkie can be used over a greater
range than most mobile phone systems. It is
“trunked”, meaning that communication is
kept private to a small group.
30
Internet
The Internet is a network made up by
linking computers and other devices
from all around the world.
You access the Internet through an
ISP.
31
ISP
ISP stands for Internet Service
Provider. It is a company or
organisation that connects you to the
Internet.
32
LAN
LAN stands for Local Area Network.
A computer network that allows
several devices in the same house or
building to talk to each other.
33
Landline
A landline is a wire that comes into
your house or business. It can be used
for both telephone and data.
It most cases it is your “home phone“.
You rent a landline from a service
provider.
See ADSL, Cable, Dial-up, Twisted pair
34
Laptops
A laptop is a small computer, but one not small
enough to fit in your pocket.
If it fits in your pocket, it is a Palmtop.
Laptops usually have an inbuilt Modem to connect
to the Internet. The connection can use a physical
link via an Ethernet cable from computer to the
phone plug, or via a wireless connection using WiFi.
It may be able to talk to a number of other devices
like a digital camera or mobile phone using the
wireless Bluetooth system.
35
M-N
•Mobile network
•Mobile phone
•Multimedia
•Mobile phone standard
•Network
•Next G
•Modem
•MMS
•National Relay Service
36
Mobile network
Mobile Networks connect your mobile phone
or computer to other phones or the
Internet.
They are run by a Service Provider.
To use a Mobile Network, you need a mobile
phone and to choose a mobile network
service provider to subscribe to.
Which one you choose will depend on the
Phone Plans they offer and how much you
want to pay.
A SIM card in the phone connects you to the
Mobile Network, and stores all information
about your phone use.
37
Mobile Phone
Mobile phones differ from ordinary
phones in that they do not need a
landline to work; and differ from
cordless phones in that they can be
used a long way from a base station.
Mobile Phones use a Mobile Network.
Mobile phones offer all POTS services,
plus 2G and 3G services.
38
Mobile phone standard
There are many different ways in which mobile
phones can talk to each other. Each is governed by
a different ‘Standard’.
It can be thought of as a way to allow people to
talk in a crowded room. TDMA restricts when
people can talk, so that only one pair are speaking
at once. CDMA allows more people to talk at the
same time, but each connected pair talks a
different ‘language’, so that there is no confusion
between the different ‘conversations’.
See CDMA, GSM, iDEN, NextG, TDMA, 3G
39
Modem
A modem is usually a box that plugs in
between your computer and your landline. It
also plugs into the power point.
A modem allows you to send and receive
data.
Most mobile phones can also work as a
modem when connected to a computer.
See Dial-up, ADSL.
40
MMS
MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging
Service.
It is sending pictures, spoken
messages or short videos via a phone.
MMS is different from SMS, which can
only be used for text.
41
Multimedia
Multimedia is messages and
documents that have more than just
writing and text.
Multimedia includes sounds, pictures
and video.
Multimedia is a type of data.
42
National Relay Service
The National Relay Service (NRS) is an
Australia-wide telephone access service
provided for people who are deaf or have a
hearing or speech impairment. It is also
available to anyone who wants to call
someone with a hearing or speech
impairment (via TTY).
The NRS website is:
http://www.relayservice.com.au/
There are other disability services available.
43
Network
A network is a way of linking phones,
computers and other devices together.
See also: Bluetooth, Ethernet,
Internet, LAN, Mobile Network, WAN.
44
NextG
®
Telstra’s 3G mobile network.
It is the largest mobile network in
Australia.
Telstra’s CDMA customers were
encouraged to move to NextG when
the Telstra CDMA network closed on 28
April 2008.
®
45
O-R
•Optus
•Optus’ DEP
•Overseas
•Palmtop
•Phone
•Post paid
•POTS
•Prepaid
46
Optus
Optus is the second largest telecommunications
company in Australia.
It is owned by Singapore Telecommunications.
Optus owns Virgin Mobile.
It has its own network, but uses Telstra Wholesale
to provide network services where its customers
are not covered by the Optus network.
It is a Mobile Network provider, a Service Provider
for home phones, and an Internet Service Provider.
More information can be found at
http://www.optus.com.au/home.
47
Optus’ DEP
Optus operates a small Disability Equipment
Program (DEP) offering a number of equipment
solutions such as TTYs and Volume Control
Handsets. Optus also provide advice on mobile
phones for hearing aid users.
More information on the DEP is at:
http://www.optus.com.au/portal/site/aboutoptus/m
enuitem.813c6f701cee5a14f0419f108c8ac7a0/?vgn
extoid=ad08a47491954010VgnVCM10000029a67c0
aRCRD&vgnextchannel=d4078f1c28554010VgnVCM
10000029a67c0aRCRD !!!!
48
Overseas
There are world standards which govern
how phone networks in different countries
can talk to each other.
Before you take your mobile phone
overseas, you need to contact your service
provider to organise Global Roaming.
CAUTION: There will be different charges for
Global Roaming depending on which
country/ies you travel in and whether you
use a pre-paid or post-paid service.
49
Palmtop
A palmtop is a computer that is small
enough to fit in your pocket. They are also
called ‘organisers’. Usually they don’t use
the Windows program commonly used by
computers.
Often, these devices will double as a mobile
phone, or at least talk to your mobile phone
using WiFi or Bluetooth.
You may have heard people talk about their:
PalmPilot, Message Pad, Pen Pad or Pocket
Book.
50
Phone
Once a black box with a handpiece and a
dial, phones are now push-button devices
with which you can talk, message, send
photos, watch television, surf the Internet
and just about anything else. This is called
progress.
Since there was no acronym for phones, one
had to be invented. They are called POTS.
51
Post-paid
Post-paid is one way to pay for your mobile
phone service. With post-paid you pay your
service provider for the calls you have made
during the past month.
This means you sign a contract for a
monthly phone plan and the service
provider bills you for your phone usage.
CAUTION: Most contracts are for a 24
month period – so be sure you can afford
the costs.
See also prepaid, Cap.
52
POTS
POTS stands for Plain Old Telephone Services. A
regular home telephone.
Most modern home phones have features such as
Call waiting, Caller ID, Conference calls and Speed
dialling.
Many households use a cordless phone to have the
freedom to take calls anywhere round the home.
If you need special features, like a large buttons
home phone, you may be eligible to a Big Button
Phone through the Telstra Disability Equipment
program.
53
Pre-paid
Pre-paid is one way to pay for your mobile phone service. With prepaid you pay your service provider to supply you with a certain
credit.
You can get started by buying a complete Start-Up Kit which includes
a mobile phone handset. If you already have a handset, you may
need to just buy a SIM card.
You decide how much credit you wish to pre-pay for, according to
how much you think you will use the phone, and the sort of phone
calls you make. Pre-paid packages come in $30, $40, $50, etc, lots.
You cannot use your phone unless you have paid for this credit. If
you use up all the credit you will not be able to make further calls.
There are 1000’s of pre-paid outlets in the shops these days.
CAUTION: There are many different plans. Most plans have a time
expiry – so you might run out of time before you have used up all
your credit, and then you lose the unspent credit.
See also post-paid.
54
S
•Satellite phones
•Service Provider
•SIM card
•Skype
•SMS
•Speed dialling
55
Satellite phones
Satellite phones connect to a network
by talking to a satellite in space.
For this reason, they can be used
almost anywhere, but are expensive to
buy and to run.
They are used in very remote locations
or in areas where reception of other
networks’ signals is poor.
56
Service Provider
Service Provider is another name for a
commercial company which provides a
phone service.
Sometimes just the word Provider is used or
just the letters ‘SP’. They may also be
referred to as Telecommunications Service
Providers.
See Optus, Telstra, Vodafone,
Virgin Mobile, 3.
57
SIM card
A SIM card is a little card that fits in the back of
your mobile phone to tell the mobile network who
you are. Your SIM card may also hold your personal
information, such as addresses and phone numbers
you use, or a calendar, or reminders.
If you change your phone number you will probably
have to change your SIM card. Mobile number
portability means that if you change the mobile
network you use you can keep the same phone
number, but you may have to get a new SIM card.
If you just change phones, all you need do is move
your SIM card to the new phone.
58
Skype
Skype is a free downloadable computer program
that allows you to use VoIP to make telephone calls
over the Internet, using your computer. You can
also buy a Webcam (computer camera) to plug into
your computer and make Video over IP calls.
Calls between computers using Skype are free.
Calls to landlines, mobile phones and overseas are
cheap.
See http://www.skype.com/intl/en/
59
SMS
SMS stands for Short Message Service.
It is also known as Texting.
These days, nearly all mobile phones
allow you to send SMS. You type a
message on your mobile phone
keypad, and send it to another phone.
A newer system, called MMS, allows
you to send Multimedia messages.
60
Speed Dialling
Instead of dialling a long number, speed
dialling lets you set a certain digit to do the
same thing.
So instead of entering your Aunt Mabel's
eight-digit number, you can set up your
phone so all you do is press one digit.
This is very handy if you tend to hit the
wrong button when dialling a long number.
61
T
•TDMA
•Telstra
•Telstra’s DEP
•Telstra Wholesale
•Telstra Disability Services
•Texting
•TTY
•Twisted pair
62
TDMA
TDMA stands for Time Division Multiple
Access. It is a way for mobile devices to talk
to each other. 2G, GSM, cordless (DECT)
phones, and iDEN use TDMA.
TDMA breaks data into very short time
slots, with each device only sending and
receiving in its own time slot. This contrasts
with CDMA, where several devices can talk
at once, but each device uses its own code.
63
Telstra
Telstra is the largest telecommunications company
in Australia.
Telstra owns the majority of Australia’s landlines.
It was formerly a government-owned monopoly,
and so inherited an obligation to provide access to
a telephone landline to every Australian (the
Universal Service Obligation). As a result, Telstra
provides extra services and equipment for those
with a disability.
Their website is http://www.telstra.com/
64
Telstra’s DEP
Telstra runs a major Disability Equipment Program
(DEP). Telstra's DEP has been designed to provide
eligible customers with specialised equipment to
access the standard telephone service.
Equipment may be viewed online OR enquire at a
Telstra Shopfront and ask for a copy of their
Disability Equipment Program catalogue.
More information is at:
http://www.telstra.com.au/disability/catalogue/equi
pment.htm
Telstra also provides additional services for people
with disabilities.
65
Telstra Wholesale
Telstra Wholesale is a branch of Telstra
that sells wholesale network services
to other companies, for re-sale to
consumers.
It can be found at
http://telstrawholesale.com/
66
Telstra disability services
To comply with the USO, Telstra
provides a range of services to help
people with disabilities. These include
an operator-assisted Directory
Assistance Helpline. See their website
at
http://www.telstra.com.au/disability/c
atalogue/additional.htm
67
Texting
Texting is a noun that has become a verb.
To ‘text’ someone is to send short messages
between mobile phones, using SMS.
It has unavoidably produced its own
variation of English, intended to keep
messages as short as possible:
If U dnt txt 2day UR 
Another way to send text is via TTY.
68
TTY
Teletypewriters (TTYs) allow you to send
and receive text messages over a telephone.
People with speech or hearing difficulties
can have text-to-text conversations with
other TTY users, or they can use the
National Relay Service to have text to voice
calls with other users. Telstra supplies a
number of TTY models through the Disability
Equipment Program (DEP).
69
Twisted pair
Somewhat disappointingly, this just
means two wires twisted together. It is
one form of landline.
Using a twisted pair in a phone cable
reduces electromagnetic interference.
70
U-Z
•Universal Service
Obligation
•Vodafone
•Voicemail
•VoIP
•Virgin Mobile
•WAN
•WiFi
•WiMAX
•Wireless Networking
Universal Service Obligation
(USO)
The Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service
Standards) Act of 1999 provides that the Minister may declare
that one or more telecommunications companies must take on
certain obligations, including access to landlines to every
Australian, provision of public phones and data services, and
provision of telecommunications services for people with
disabilities.
The provider of the USO is currently Telstra.
The Act can be found at
http://www.comlaw.gov.au/comlaw/Legislation/ActCompilatio
n1.nsf/0/2C1FD3871B6122E9CA257364000C77F9
More information about the USO is at:
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/1001/pc=PC_2491
71
72
Vodafone
Vodafone is a telecommunications
company, owned in Australia by the
UK-based Vodafone Group.
Vodafone offers GSM and Satellite
services.
Their webpage is
http://www.vodafone.com.au/
73
Voicemail
Voicemail records messages for you to
listen to later on.
So if you miss a call or you are already
on the phone, the person calling is
able to leave a message for you.
74
VoIP
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol.
It is a way to speak to people all around the world, using the
Internet and a VoIP headset, or phone connected to a modem
or computer.
Usually people use a computer to access VoIP, but some
phone companies now offer VoIP mobile phones.
You can also buy a computer camera (Webcam) to talk via
Video over IP. This sends your picture and enables you to see
the people you are talking to.
Some new computers have inbuilt microphone and Webcam.
If not, you can purchase them at low cost from a variety of
stores.
Video over IP stands for Video over Internet Protocol.
See SKYPE
75
Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile is a telecommunications
company which was originally a partnership
between Optus and Virgin Mobile (UK), but
which is now owned by Optus. Optus
provide network services for Virgin, but
Virgin does all the sales, billing and
customer relations.
Their webpage is
http://www.virginmobile.com.au/
76
WAN
WAN stands for Wide Area Network.
Any network that is bigger than a LAN
is a WAN. The biggest WAN is the
Internet.
77
WiFi
WiFi stands for Wireless Fidelity. It is
one type of Wireless Networking. WiFi
can be used for a home or business
network (LAN), or for larger networks
(WAN). WiFi is found in most new
computers and laptops, as well as in
some handheld devices and mobile
phones.
78
WiMAX
WiMAX stands for Worldwide Interoperability for
Microwave Access. It is a type of wireless
networking to provide broadband communication,
that works over larger distances than WiFi.
WiMAX potentially works over 20-30 km, so long as
there is ‘line of sight’ to the transmitter, and not to
much reflection of microwaves bouncing off
obstacles in between.
There are very few WiMAX networks in Australia.
79
Wireless networking
Wireless networking links computers,
phones and other devices together
without using wires.
See Bluetooth, WiMAX, WiFi
80
0-10
•1G
•2G
•3G
•4G
•3
81
1G
1G was the ‘first’ generation of mobile phones.
They were big and clunky. You needed a briefcase
or a car to carry them around. You can’t get them
any more, and even if you could, they wouldn’t
work. They were replaced by more modern phones,
which where called ‘second’ and ‘third’ generation.
Technically, the major difference between first and
second generation phones is that 1G used analogue
technology, but 2G, 3G, NextG, etc, use digital
signals.
82
2G
2G was the second generation of
mobile phone.
2G phones can send and receive text
messages and some other data, but
can’t make full use of multimedia and
the Internet.
See 1G, 3G, NextG, 4G
83
3G
3G is the third generation of mobile phone.
Most mobile phones sold in Australia are
now 3G.
3G phones can send text and multimedia
messages, surf the Internet and can even
be used to watch television.
What you can do with a 3G mobile phone
depends greatly on which Mobile network
you choose.
In Australia, 3G services are provided by
Optus, Telstra, Vodafone and 3.
84
3
3 is a telecommunications company
owned by Hutchison Whampoa in Hong
Kong. 3 was the first company to offer
3G services in Australia. 3’s own
network covers major metropolitan
areas. Outside that area 3 customers
use Telstra’s networks.
Their webpage is
http://www.three.com.au/
85
4G
4G (also known as Beyond 3G) is a general
name used world wide for the next
developments with mobile phones and
wireless communications.
4G will deliver much higher data rates
(more information delivered much more
quickly) than 3G, and devices will be able
to ‘roam’ across networks to find the most
suitable one.
See 1G, 2G, 3G.
86
About us
Women With Disabilities Australia is:
• for women with all types of disabilities
• run by women with disabilities, for women with disabilities
• a national disability organisation
• a national women's organisation
• a national human rights organisation
• WWDA is a voice for the needs and rights of women with
disabilities
This WWDA project was supported by the Australian Government through the
Telecommunications Consumer Representation Grants Program of the
Department of Broadband, Communications & the Digital Economy.