Mobile Broadband and Mobile Data 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 widely subject to the particular type and level of service ordered and may vary 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 means nearly all smartphones and mobile computers access the internet via a signal from a mobile internet service provider. It is referred to as 3G because it is the ‘third generation’ of mobile technology.  Most of the US, UK and Europe is now covered by 3G network signals from the leading internet service providers.

Anti-spam: This term refers to computer software programs that help protect mobile phone and computer email programs from unsolicited ‘spam’ electronic junk mail. Anti-spam applications are only required if using an email client, such as Microsoft Outlook, that downloads messages directly to the computer, laptop or cell phone. On the other hand, webmail, for example Hotmail or Google Mail, should have anti-spam software capability already included.
Anti-spam solutions are divided into four broad categories: those that require actions by individuals, those that are automated by e-mail administrators, those that can be automated by e-mail senders and those utilized by researchers and law enforcement officials.

Anti-virus: This is software used to protect computers, notebooks, and smartphones from malicious internet (including email) transferred malware.  Malware is malicious software applications normally intended to be intrusive or damaging.  Computer viruses, Trojan horses and worms are typical types of malware.

Malware can damage your computer, notebook or cell phone and can even copy your personal information or just be annoying.

There are a lot of bad people out there causing trouble and some kind of anti-virus software application is mandatory on a broadband-enabled computers, laptops, and or mobile phones.   

Namebrand anti-virus software applications like Norton or McAfee are sometimes bundled by mobile internet service providers and supplied for free.  Other people rely on free versions of products like Avast and AVG.  One way or another – the reality is an anti-virus software program is highly recommended to protect computers, laptops, and smartphones.

Anti-spyware: Spyware is broad category of malicious software that will implant itself on laptops, and smartphones via broadband internet connections. Spyware is designed to intercept or take partial control of a computer or smartphone operation without permission from the device’s owner or legitimate user.  Spyware is nasty computer software applications that surreptitiously obtain, monitor and report information from a person’s computer without their knowledge or permission.  This can include private data such as details of sites visited, and even e-mail.

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

Dongle: In mobile internet connection  terminology dongle has been almost universally adopted to describe the small device that plugs into another internet-enabled device to pick-up a mobile data connection  signal.  Also sometimes called a ‘stick’, these devices plug easily into a USB port on a laptop or PC and contain a SIM card from a mobile network supplier, in the same way a smartphone accesses data and the internet.

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.  To “download” something means to put it on your computer, typically over the internet.    The download speed is measured by how much of the file is transferred to you over a certain amount of time.  It used to be most download speeds were measured in kb/s, kilobytes per second, or thousands of (data) bytes per second; but fortunately now it is more common to measure this connection speed it megabytes or millions of bytes per second.

Femtocells: Femtocells use internet connection and boost the 3G signal to make mobile phones – and devices with a dongle – work better.   A femtocell is a wireless access point that provides localized 3G broadband coverage.  Often it is very small base station that receives network 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 unwanted traffic arriving on computers, laptops or mobile phones via 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 connection will be halted.

Firewall virus software programs are often bundled with anti-virus software applications as well as sometimes offered as free versions.    Firewall software applications   need to work with anti-spyware, anti-virus, and anti-spam software to be most effective.

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 broadband signal network.

Gb (or gigabit): Giga means one billion. Gb  (note the small b) an abbreviation of   gigabit, a unit used to express the speed at which data travels across an internet connection (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 a contraction of  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 could be 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 stands ‘high speed upload’ packet access’, each describes 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 liekly mobile broadband speeds up to 42Mb.

ISP:ISP stands for internet service provider.

KB (or Kbps, or kilobyte): KB is a contraction of  kilobyte, which is a term used to express  the size of computer files and storage capacity.

LTE: LTE stands for Long Term Evolution, and is one of the next generation of mobile broadband technology.  It is said to be capable of data transfer rates 15 to 100 times faster than current 3G mobile networks.

Mb (or Mbps, or megabit): Mb is an abbreviation of Megabit, and also written as Mbps, which stands for megabits per second.  Mb commonly is used to express the measurement of internet speeds. A Mb is 1024Kb, while there are 1024Mb in a Gb.

MB (or megabyte): MB is an abbreviation of 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 via Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi: Pronounced ‘why-fye’, Wi-Fi is an abbreviation of 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.

However, commonly it is taken by most to mean any electronics that work wirelessly over a Wi-Fi network, technically but less likely called a WLAN.  Wi-Fi is the term more often referred to rather than the term technical IEEE 802.11 technology.

WiMAX: This expression is an abbreviation of Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access – a new broadband technology that has potential to provide 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 typically known as Wi-Fi.

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