Mobile Broadband and Mobile Internet Connection Glossary

Mobile Broadband  and  Mobile Network Glossary

Broadband:  Broadband or high-speed Internet access gives users access to the internet and internet-related services. Broadband speeds vary significantly due to the specific type and level of service ordered and may range from as slow 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 way most smartphones and mobile computers access the web using 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 suppliers 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 typically involves transmitting almost 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 methods.
Anti-spam techniques are divided into four broad categories: those that require actions by individuals, those that can be automated by systems administrators, those that are automated by e-mail senders and those utilized by researchers and law enforcement officials.

Anti-virus: This is software used to protect computers, laptops, and mobile phones from malicious internet (including email) transferred malware.  Malware is malicious software programs typically designed to be intrusive or damaging.  Computer viruses, Trojan horses and worms are typical types of malware.

Malware is not just an annoyance, it typically ruins computers and cell phones while potentially copying personal data.

There are many bad people out there causing problems and some kind of anti-virus software program is essential on a broadband-enabled computers, laptops, and or cell phones.   

Namebrand anti-virus software applications such as Norton or McAfee are often bundled by mobile internet service providers and offered for free.  Many people rely on free versions of services such as Avast and AVG.  One way or another – the reality is an anti-virus software application is needed to protect computers, notebooks, and smartphones.

Anti-spyware: Spyware is wide category of malicious software that can implant itself on computers, and mobile 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 does other spiteful stuff like as slow down processes and change programs and settings. Some internet service providers include good quality anti-spyware in broadband packages.  Many anti-virus packages include anti-spyware.

Capping:  In mobile broadband  terminology capping describes a cap, or limitation, on the allowable quantity of data to download per conditions a certain contract.  When the cap is exceeded, additional charges often apply.

Dongle: In mobile data connection  terms dongle has been almost universally adopted to describe the small device that plugs into another internet-enabled device to pick-up a mobile network  signal.  Often just referred to as a stick, the dongle allows devices to access mobile broadband just like a smartphone.

Bandwidth Download speed: Bandwidth Download speed refers to how quickly a file (of data) can be downloaded from a remote source.  This mobile data connection term  describes how fast a connection can deliver data to a computer.  Anything that comes across the internet to a computer is considered to be ‘downloaded’.    This is normally from a website that has the file that you want, or from another user that allows you to download the file directly from them.  Similarly, anything going the opposite direction from the computer to the internet is being ‘uploaded’ , such as sending  images to a website.

Femtocells: Femtocells use broadband and boost the 3G signal to make mobile phones - and devices with a dongle – perform better.   A femtocell is a wireless access point that delivers localized 3G broadband coverage.  Typically it is very small base station that receives broadband provider 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 play an integral role in location based services and marketing.

Firewall: A firewall is a software component used to stop outside access on computers, laptops or smartphones over the internet. The firewall will evaluate incoming 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 programs are often included with anti-virus software programs as well as sometimes being available free versions.  Malicious data can sometimes get around  firewall protection and a firewall alone is not sufficient to  keep computer  and smartphone safety.

Fixed-line: Fixed-line broadband is a term used to describe either cable or ADSL internet connections.  The term is mostly used to differentiate fixed-line broadband from mobile broadband which is wireless and uses a mobile network signal network.

Gb (or gigabit): Giga means one billion. Gb  (note the small b) short for   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 short for  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. To provide and example, 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 is an acronym ‘high speed upload’ packet access’, each expresses the same technology either sending or receiving data.  It is the latest advancement in quality for mobile broadband usage, working on various 3G mobile network networks to improve the speed of data transfer.

HSPA Evolved, HSPA+: The next generation of HSPA is Evolved HSPA (or HSPA+) with potential 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 describe internet data speed also written as Kbps, or kilobits per second.  It 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 technologies.  It is supposed 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 describe 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 express 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 that refers to certified 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 charge.  Wi-Fi is the term more commonly used rather than the term technical IEEE 802.11 technology.

WiMAX: This term is short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access - a new broadband technology that claims to offer a wireless broadband alternative without the need for cables. Similarly to LTE, WiMAX is being promoted as the next generation of mobile broadband.
WLAN: WLAN is an abbreviation of for wireless local area network, and is more commonly known as Wi-Fi.

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