Glossary
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A| B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
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A
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ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)
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ADSL is a broadband technology, where data travels downstream faster than it travels upstream (hence asymmetric). Specifically ADSL is a method of moving data over regular phone lines. An ADSL circuit is much faster than a regular phone connection. An ADSL circuit must be configured to connect two specific locations, similar to a leased line.
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B
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Backbone
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The term backbone refers to a main data transmission line, or trunk line. The backbone is the larger transmission line that carries calls and data gathered from the smaller lines that connect with it. In terms of the Internet, backbone is one or more data transmission lines (predominantly optic fibre but can also be based on microwave technology) that local data networks connect to at points called nodes. Local networks connect to the infrastructure backbone to achieve long distance data transmission.
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Bandwidth
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Data transmission rate, the total amount of information that can be transmitted over a period of time. Generally measured in kbps (kilobits per second or mbps (megabits per second).
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Browser
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An Internet browser translates the programming language (HTML) of the Internet into words and graphics that you can view in a web page.
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Broadband
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High bandwidth telecommunications, capable of transmitting and receiving data at higher speeds compared to a standard dial-up modem.
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C
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Cable
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(Electric) An electric cable provides an electric connection for telephones, televisions or power stations.
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(Fibre) A fibre optic cable is made up of optical fibres that transmit large amounts of data at the speed of light.
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(Modem) A cable modem is a device that transfers data, usually Internet over a pay TV cable infrastructure.
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Conduit
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A passage (pipe or tunnel) that electric wires or other cabling run through.
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D
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Data
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Information that is collected, stored or processed systematically.
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Demand aggregation
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The process of identifying and accumulating potential and existing demand for telecommunications, and matching that demand with a provider.
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Demand registers
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Some carriers have established ADSL demand registers that nominate the number of potential customers required to rollout broadband in specific areas. Once the trigger level has been met by a community, the carrier will typically seek confirmation of interest and assess available and existing infrastructure in the area before determining whether the exchange will be broadband enabled (there is no guaranteed time frame or rollout of services).
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DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)
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A broadband connection that operates over ordinary copper telephone lines. ADSL is an example of DSL technology.
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E
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E-commerce
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Short for electronic commerce, e-commerce refers to the general exchange of goods and services over the Internet.
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F
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Firewall
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A set of programs located at a network gateway server that protects the resources of a private network from users from other networks. It filters data to determine whether to send them towards their destination.
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FTTH/FTTP (fibre-to-the-home or fibre-to-the-premises)
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The fibre deployment architecture in which optical fibre is carried all the way to the customer's home or premise, allowing for a high speed broadband connection. FTTH is not yet widespread in Australia.
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G
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Gigabit
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A unit of information transfer rate equal to one billion bits per second.
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GIS (geographical information system)
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GIS is a computerised data management system designed to capture, store, retrieve, analyse and report geographical and demographic information.
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H
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HIBIS (Higher Bandwidth Incentive Scheme)
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HiBIS is an initiative of the Australian Government that provides registered Internet service providers with incentive payments to supply broadband services in regional, rural and remote areas at prices comparable to those available in metropolitan areas.
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HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
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The coded format language used for creating hypertext documents on the Internet and controlling how web pages appear.
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I
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ICT (information and communication technology)
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ICT is used to describe telecommunications, computing and related areas. It is used (over information technology or IT) to indicate the dynamism that can be achieved with the convergence of computing and telecommunications. ICT makes possible the fast and worldwide exchange of information, and has the capacity to revolutionise work processes, service delivery etc.
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Internet
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The Internet is a worldwide system of computer networks in which any one computer can get information from/or talk to any other connected computer using the TCP/IP protocols. The Internet evolved from the ARPANET of the late 60s and early 70s.
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Intranet
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A private network inside a company or organization that uses the same kinds of software found find on the public Internet, but is designed for internal use only.
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IP (Internet Protocol)
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Part of the TCP (Transport Control Protocol)/IP suite. IP refers to the set of communication standards that control communications activity on the Internet. It is simply a delivery method. Each computer on the network, both private and public, is allocated a unique address (an IP number) in much the same manner as an address written on an envelope to identify the intended recipient of conventional mail. IP forwards each data packet based on the destination address (the IP number); individual packets may be routed differently.
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ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)
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ISDN provides similar features to broadband but is not considered to be a broadband technology because of it's slower speeds relative to other technologies such as ADSL or fibre. Specifically, ISDN is a set of communications standards allowing a single wire or optical fibre to carry voice, digital network services and video.
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J
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K
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Kilobits (Kbps)
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A measure of bandwidth capacity or transmission speed, representing a thousand bits per second.
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L
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LAN (Local Area Network)
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A local computer network for communication between devices that are geographically bound.
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Last mile
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A phrase used to describe the final part of a transmission path to the ultimate user of the service, for example fibre optic cabling being fed directly to the premise.
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M
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Megabits (Mbps)
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A measure of bandwidth capacity or transmission speed, representing a million bits per second.
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Modem
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A device that allows computers to communicate with each other over telephone lines or other delivery systems by changing digital signals to telephone signals for transmission and then back to digital signals. Modems come in different speeds: the higher the speed, the faster the data is transmitted.
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N
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Narrowband
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Used to classify the information capacity or bandwidth of a communication channel. Narrowband is generally taken to mean a bandwidth of 64kbit/s or less.
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Network
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A number of computers connected together to share hardware or software.
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O
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Optical fibre
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See Cable.
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Opex
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Also referred to as operating expense, Opex is the essential items a business must purchase in order to maintain itself.
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P
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Q
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R
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Router
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A device that routes information between interconnected networks. It can select the best path to route a message, as well as translate information from one network to another.
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RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
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A format for regularly updated information, such as news items, to which users can subscribe. Users are notified of updated content, rather than them manually looking for it. RSS feeds are read using an RSS reader or 'aggregator'.
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S
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Switch
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A tool that opens or closes circuits and selects the correct paths or circuits to transmit incoming data.
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T
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TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
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TCP is the most common suite of internetwork protocols. See Internet Protocol.
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Telecommuting
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Working from home using a computer that is connected the employer's network.
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U
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Upload
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The process of transmitting a file of data from one computer to another computer. Opposite of download.
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USB (Universal Serial Bus)
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A standard port used for connecting external devices such as printers or digital cameras to a computer.
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V
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Video-conferencing
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VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
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A technology used for transmitting standard telephone calls over the Internet using packet-linked routes (see Internet Protocol).
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W
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WAN (Wide Area Network)
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A computer network that spans a wider area than does a local area network.
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Web 2.0
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Web-based communities and services geared towards greater collaboration and interaction between users i.e. wikis, or social-networking sites.
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Web 3.0
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A term used by visionaries to hypothesize about the next phase of Internet innovation and evolution.
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Wiki
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Software that allows articles / documents to be written collaboratively using a web browser.
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WiFi (Wireless Fidelity)
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Often referred to as Wireless Networking, WiFi refers to a local area network using high frequency radio signals to transmit and receive data.
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Wireless
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Wireless broadband delivers high speed Internet through the use of radio waves to carry signals and data.
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X
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Y
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Z
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