ARC Telecoms -

Jargon Buster

Telecoms jargon making your head spin? Read on for some enlightenment...

ADSL

ADSL is a data communication technology that is used to connect to the Internet. This connection allows much faster transmission speeds using your existing copper telephone lines.

Contention Ratios

Contention ratios mean the number of people that can be using the same broadband connection at the same time. The higher the contention ratio, the greater the number of users that may be trying to use the actual bandwidth at any one time and, therefore, the effective bandwidth available is less, especially at peak times. Contention ratios require balancing the cost of providing connections against the customer’s quality of experience, and finding a good compromise.

Broadband

Broadband refers to a telecommunications signal of greater bandwidth than the old standard dial-up connection over a standard telephone line, and is always on. Broadband allows high-speed access to the Internet, although exactly what that speed is varies from provider to provider.

Data Cap

A data cap limits the amount of data that can be sent over a specific period of time, typically measured in gigabytes per month. This can allow you to be in control of how much money will be spent each month on data costs.

Dedicated Internet

A dedicated Internet link connects your business to the Internet to exchange data with any other Internet-connected devices or networks at a specific performance level (bandwidth, latency, up-time).

Fibre

Fibre Optics is essentially very thin strands of cable that are made up of high quality glass or plastic. They usually exist in bundles off multiple fiber optic strands in a protected cable running between buildings, cities and even countries. As a company you can have your own dedicated Internet or private data connection through fibre optic cable, resulting in a very fast data connection exclusive to your company.

Fixed Line

Fixed line refers to wired devices, like your standard fixed-line phone with the handset wires to the base unit, connected to physical network points. Fixed line can be low capacity copper wires or high-speed fibre.

IP Address

An IP (Internet Protocol) address is the unique number assigned to each computer which identifies the computer and its location on the Internet on any interconnected network.

IP PBX

An IP PBX is a telephone switching system that switches calls between local Telkom lines and the Internet or other data link. Essentially it is your telephone working over data connections as opposed to normal phone cables.

ISP

Internet Service Provider (ISP) refers to a telecommunications company that offers its customer’s access to the Internet as a service.

LCR

Least Cost Routing is a technique where outgoing telephone calls from a business’ telephone system are directed to the cheapest possible connection option, such as a low-cost landline carrier, or particular mobile network. This requires a device that is attached to a pre-programmed Private Automatic Branch Exchange (PABX) system. This device contains mobile phone units (often called a premicell), or gateways to VoIP or landline connections.

Microwave

Microwave is a very high frequency (gigahertz range) radio signal used for transmitting telecommunications signals and data. It is high capacity, point-to-point, and line-of-signal, meaning you need a clear view from where you are to where you want to connect.

QoS

Quality of Service (Qos) is technique applied to ensure that different types of data flows receive priority from the network devices they pass through relative to their importance. By tagging particular traffic flows as higher or lower priority, time-sensitive traffic such as transaction information, voice or streamed video can take precedence over more time-insensitive traffic such as email. For QoS to work, the entire network path the data flows over must be QoS-aware.

Shaping

Shaped and unshaped ADSL are terms that are used to describe the manner in which the flow of information to a user's computer is prioritised or even restricted (‘throttled’).

On a shaped ADSL account, priority is given to ‘normal’ traffic: email, web browsing, Internet banking and downloads via a Web browser or FTP program. Other online activity not included in the normal traffic class will receive lower priority when the network is busy, effectively throttling it to reduce transfer speeds. Affected traffic types include gaming or peer-to-peer downloads like bit torrents. Shaped ADSL accounts are normally cheaper than unshaped, and are the best option for users who do not want to carry out more advanced online activities.

Unshaped ADSL treats all protocols the same and offers the same level of service for all traffic types, whether Internet access is for VOIP, forex or share trading, online gambling or securely working from home. Unshaped access is particularly important for peer-to-peer applications and video streaming.

VOIP

VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a transmission technology that allows you to make and receive phone calls over the Internet or private data lines through using high-speed Internet connection.

VPN

A Virtual Private Network allows a secure, private connection to be created over a public telecommunications network such as the Internet. VPNs can give businesses or individuals access to resources situated on a remote network (whether situated across the city, country or world). A virtual “tunnel” is created between end points by software on either side that encrypts the traffic and maintains the integrity of the link. A VPN can be set up between a particular device and another, or to link two separate networks. VPN tunnels can be created or dropped in seconds, and multiple separate VPNs can be run simultaneously over a single connection.