GSM (Global System for Mobile communication)
GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) is a digital mobile telephony system that is widely used in Europe and other parts of the world. GSM uses a variation of time division multiple access (TDMA) and is the most widely used of the three digital wirelesstelephony technologies (TDMA, GSM, and CDMA). GSM digitizes and compresses data, then sends it down a channel with two other streams of user data, each in its own time slot. It operates at eithe...
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WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access)
WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access)
WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a wireless industry coalition dedicated to the advancement of IEEE 802.16 standards for broadband wireless access (BWA) networks.
WiMAX supports mobile, nomadic and fixed wireless applications. A mobile user, in this context, is someone in transit, such as a commuter on a train. A nomadic user is one that connects on a portable device but does so only while stationary -- for...
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GPRS (General Packet Radio Services)
GPRS (General Packet Radio Services)
General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) is a packet-based wireless communication service that promises data rates from 56 up to 114 Kbps and continuous connection to the Internet for mobile phone and computer users. The higher data rates allow users to take part in video conferences and interact with multimedia Web sites and similar applications using mobile handheld devices as well as notebook computers. GPRS is based on Global System for Mobile (GSM) commun...
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Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP)
Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP)
What is the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP)?
The Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) is a grant program associated with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The grant program was created to promote the development and adoption of broadband throughout the United States, particularly in unserved and underserved areas. BTOP will oversee disbursement of $4.7 billion in a number of categories. The prog...
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Long Term Evolution (LTE)
Long Term Evolution (LTE)
Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a 4G wireless broadband technology developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), an industry trade group.
3GPP engineers named the technology "Long Term Evolution" because it represents the next step (4G) in a progression from GSM, a 2G standard, to UMTS, the 3G technologies based upon GSM. LTE provides significantly increased peak data rates, with the potential for 100 Mbpsdownstream and 30 Mbps upstream, reduced lat...
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LMDS (Local Multipoint Distribution System)
LMDS (Local Multipoint Distribution System) is a system for broadband microwavewireless transmission direct from a local antenna to homes and businesses within a line-of-sight radius, a solution to the so-called last-mile technology problem of economically bringing high-bandwidth services to users. LMDS is an alternative to installing optical fiber all the way to the user or to adapting cable TV for broadband Internet service. Depending on the implementation, LMDS offers a bandwidth of up to 1.5...
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Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service (MMDS)
Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service (MMDS)
Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service (MMDS) is a broadcasting and communications service that operates in the ultra-high-frequency (UHF) portion of the radio spectrum between 2.1 and 2.7 GHz. MMDS is also known as wireless cable. It was conceived as a substitute for conventional cable television (TV). However, it also has applications in telephone/fax and data communications.
In MMDS, a medium-power transmitter is located with an om...
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Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN): A wireless local area network (WLAN) is a wireless distribution method for two or more devices that use high-frequency radio waves and often include an access point to the Internet. A WLAN allows users to move around the coverage area, often a home or small office, while maintaining a network connection.
A WLAN is sometimes call a local area wireless network (LAWN).
In the early 1990s, WLANs were very expensive and...
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Common Internet File System (CIFS)
Common Internet File System (CIFS)
Common Internet File System (CIFS): Short for Common Internet File System, a protocol that defines a standard for remote file access using millions of computers at a time. With CIFS, users with different platforms and computers can share files without having to install new software.
CIFS runs over TCP/IP but uses the SMB (Server Message Block)protocol found in Microsoft Windows for file and printer access; therefore, CIFS will allow all applications, no...
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Direct-Attached Storage (DAS)
Direct-Attached Storage (DAS)
Stands for "Direct Attached Storage." DAS refers to any storage device connected directly to a computer. Examples include HDDs, SSDs, and optical drives. While DAS can refer to internal storage devices, it is most often describes external devices, such as an external hard drive.
The term "DAS" was created to differentiate between network-attached storage (NAS) and direct-attached storage. Before NAS and storage area networks (SANs) were available, direct-att...
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