Telecommunications have been developing drastically, and so did the technology that comes with them. There are telecom terms used to define them that some people might have a hard time understanding. Gone are the days when communications were referred to as just wired telephones. Today, it involves a whole range of information-transmitting technologies such as the Internet, email, messaging, and mobile networks.
But for some who have been familiar with or a follower in the world of telecommunications, you may have an idea of some of the terminologies used to describe communications. However, for some who have not been following, telecom terms like 5G, bandwidth, cloud, and domain are all about. It’s helpful for one to know the key terms for better communicating and understanding what this world is referring to.
There are many jargon terms in modern technology and telecommunications that some find confusing. As a result, many telecom internet service providers consider the fact that customers don’t understand these expressions and don’t look into their services or fees.
And to be fair to these consumers, it’s wise to be familiar with the most common words and their definitions to make choosing your service provider worth your penny.
Here are 10 Important Telecom Terms You Should Know
5G
5G refers to the fifth generation of wireless technology used in cellular networks. It can provide higher speed, lower latency, and greater capacity than 4G LTE networks. In other words, it is one of the fastest, most reliable technologies the world has ever seen. To sum up, that means faster download speed and much lower lag. It uses higher radio frequencies that are less chaotic. This allows for it to carry more information at a much faster rate.
Bandwidth
An internet connection transmits the most data in the shortest amount of time. However, there is a widely held misconception that bandwidth refers to Internet speed when it actually refers to the amount of data that can be sent over a connection in a specific amount of time calculated in megabits per second (Mbps). In other words, it is the data being measured, not the speed.
Broadband
The definition of broadband internet is a minimum of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds. It provides high-speed internet access via multiple types of technologies that include fibre optics, wireless, cable, DSL, and satellite. In conclusion, broadband is the type of internet service given by your telecom service providers.
Cloud
Cloud is a data storage on remote servers introduced on the Internet. It refers to servers that are accessed over the Internet, and the software and databases that run on those servers. A cloud server is a computer that is located in a data center anywhere in the world. One good example of this is iCloud where you store most of your files like pictures, and videos.
Communication Service Provider (CSP)
A communications service provider (CSP) is a service provider that transports information electronically, for example, a telecommunications service provider. The term encompasses public and private companies in the telecom, Internet, cable, and satellite. In short, they are the companies that provide your internet, mobile networks, and telephone services.
Customer Provided Equipment (CPE)
CPE is telecommunications and IT equipment kept at the consumer’s physical location rather than on the service provider's premises. These include telephones, cable TV set-up top boxes, routers, modems, and DSL lines.
Local Access and Transport Area (LATA)
This is a term used to describe a geographic area serviced by a telecom company providing communications services
Fibre Optic Cable
Fibre optic contains threads of glass fibres inside a shielded casing. These cables convey data through optical fibres. They provide higher transfer speeds than DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). They're designed for long-distance, high-performance data networking, and telecommunications.
Firewall
A Firewall is network security that filters incoming and outgoing. In layman’s terms, a firewall is a barrier that sits between a private network and the public Internet. On computer networks, the firewall assists to guarantee network security by blocking certain types of traffic. Firewalls are essential for keeping viruses on the network from invading and the possibility of corrupting your files.
Third-Party Billing
Third-party billing refers to a type of billing in which an in-between or other party handles invoicing or billing between a consumer and supplier. Telco Build aims to help our consumers be aware of the terms or jargons being used especially as technology is changing drastically. We want you to be part of this change! Telco Build is your next big thing in the telco marketplace. Check us out!