Glossary of Cellular Terms

Consumer Information | Mobile Phones

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You will see a lot of terms that you may find confusing in your search for wireless services. Check out the glossary below to help in deciphering the “cellular code”.

Glossary

Access Fee
A special fee that local telephone companies are allowed to charge all telephone customers, including wireless, for the right to connect with the local phone network.

Airplane Mode
Some cell phones and other wireless devices (such as laptops) have a special mode made just for planes that allow you to use the non-wireless functions of the device without causing interference with any safety needs of the plane.

Air Time
Actual time spent talking on a cellular telephone. The longer you talk the higher the bill.

Analog Cellular
Cellular technology that sends your voice over the airwaves to another person’s phone. Analog cellular is quickly being replaced by digital cellular - which allows for less interference due to its ability to handle multiple calls over a single line where as Analog can only handle one per line at 800 MHz.

Calling Party Pays
The term used when a person making a call to a cell phone pays for the call instead of the person who receives it. “Calling party pays” is available on a very limited basis in the United States.

Digital Cellular
Cellular technology that converts your voice into digital data packets and can send multiple packets over the same frequency or channel at 800 MHz.

GPS (Global Positioning System)
GPS is satellite based technology that allows users to determine their exact location on the earth’s surface. When combined with wireless technology (with the user’s permission) it can also transmit the location of the device, especially useful in emergency situations.

Hearing Aid Compatible Telephones
Phones that emit magnetic impulses that are picked up by telecoils in hearing aids. The telecoil enables the telephone user to increase the volume on the hearing aid without feedback and background noise.

Landline
Because wireless networks are just that - wireless, many people refer to regular telephone connections as landlines due to the fact that data transfers on a normal telephone network via cables underground rather that via airwaves like cellular and other wireless services.

MHz
Megahertz is a frequency unit equal to one million cycles per second. MHz is the speed which wireless telephone providers use to transfer calls over the network.

Number Portability
The ability to switch to a different cell phone provider and take your number with you. Any number is considered to have portability, so you can also switch a landline number to a cell phone and vice versa.

Off-Peak
The part of the day defined by the provider when customers can expect to pay reduced airtime rates, usually evenings and weekends.

PCS (Personal Communication Services)
A two-way digital voice, messaging and data wireless telephone service with a frequency of 1900 MHz, hailed as the second generation cell phone.

Peak
The part of the day defined by the provider when customers can expect to pay full service calling rates.

PAYG (Pay as You Go)
Another popular term that describes prepaid cell phone services. However, some pay as you go plans can be set up to automatically deduct payments from a credit card or bank account to replenish minutes when the balance goes to zero. If the charge is denied, your minutes stay at zero making the phone unusable until you update your billing information.

Prepaid Cell Phone
A prepaid phone allows you to buy a phone and purchase minutes as you need them. They usually do not require contracts or credit checks and are a popular choice with teenagers who are too young to enter into a contract and people without stellar credit.

Roaming
The term given to a cellular phone’s ability to make and receive calls outside the customer’s home calling area.

Service Charge
The monthly amount paid to receive cellular service. This amount is fixed, and is paid regardless of how much or little the phone is used.

Smart Phone
An expression used for cellular phones that can send and receive voice and data messages.

SMS (Short Message Service)
A feature offered by some wireless phones that allow a user to send and/or receive short text messages by cell phone. Almost all digital phones can receive SMS messages and most digital phones also have the ability to send them - providing the network itself supports the sending and receiving of text messages.

TTY
A type of machine that allows people with hearing or speech disabilities to communicate over the phone using a keyboard, a viewing screen, and sometimes a printer.

Voicemail
A service provided by cell phone providers to store, listen to and manage messages left on a user’s cell phone. Voicemail works like an answering machine with the main difference being that the user needs to call the providers voicemail number and enter a password to use it rather than just pressing a button on the phone because the messages are stored on the network and not the phone itself.

Walkie-Talkie
A two way radio that is handheld that operates independently of any land based network (unlike cell phones). Walkie-Talkie like functionality have been duplicated onto cell phones with a form of service call Push to Talk and was made famous in cell phones by Nextel.

Wireless Phone
Any phone that transmits signals through the air without a physical connection. Cell (cellular), mobile, portable phones (hand held), in-car mounted and bag (transportable) phones are all considered wireless phones.