Mobile Broadband  and  Mobile Data Connection Glossary

Broadband:  Broadband or high-speed Internet access provides users access to the internet and internet-related services. Broadband speeds vary significantly subject to the particular type and level of service available and may vary from as low 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 nearly all smartphones and mobile computers access the internet via a signal from a mobile internet service provider. It is called 3G because it is the ‘third generation’ of mobile technology.  [LeadingPrimary] European and American suppliers have 3G available for mobile subscribers.

Anti-spam: Used to prevent e-mail spam; which is also called junk e-mail or electronic junk mail.   Email spam typically involves sending nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients using e-mail. A common synonym for spam is UBE which stands for unsolicited bulk e-mail. There are numerous anti-spam methods.
Anti-spam approaches are divided into four general categories: those that need actions from individuals, those that can be automated by systems administrators, those that can be automated by e-mail senders and those employed by researchers and law enforcement officials.

Anti-virus: This is software that attempts to guard computers, laptops, and smartphones from malicious internet (including email) transmitted malware.  Malware is malicious software applications often intended to be intrusive or damaging.  Computer viruses, Trojan horses and worms are common forms of malware.

Malware can damage your computer, notebook or smartphone and may steal your personal information or just be annoying.

There are a lot of bad people out there looking to make trouble and some kind of anti-virus software program is mandatory on a broadband-enabled computers, laptops, and or smartphones.   

Namebrand anti-virus software applications such as Norton or McAfee are sometimes bundled by mobile internet service providers and offered 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 application is necessary to protect computers, notebooks, and cell phones.

Anti-spyware: Spyware is wide category of malicious software that can implant itself on notebooks, and smartphones via 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 is malicious computer software programs that surreptitiously obtain, monitor and report information from a person’s computer without their knowledge or permission.  This can include sensitive data such as details of sites visited, and even e-mail.

Capping:  In mobile network  terms capping describes a cap, or limitation, on the data allowed to download under terms a certain contract.  When the cap is exceeded, additional fees often apply.

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

Bandwidth Download speed: Bandwidth Download speed refers to how quickly a file (of data) can be downloaded from a remote source.  This mobile broadband term  describes how fast a connection can deliver data to a computer.  A download can be anything from emails or a web page to live, streaming television, video or a software program.    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  photos to a website.

Femtocells: Femtocells use broadband and boost the 3G signal to make handsets – 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 data connection 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 quite 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 handsets via the internet. The firewall will evaluate arriving data that connect to the computers, laptops or smartphones, and if it doesn’t meet the settings allocated to it, the data transfer will be halted.

Firewall virus software applications are often bundled with anti-virus software applications as well as sometimes being available free versions.  Malicious software can sometimes get around  firewall protection and a firewall alone cannot  keep computer  and smartphone protection.

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

Gb (or gigabit): Giga means one billion. Gb  (note the small b) a contraction of   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 give a better idea of usage, 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 stands 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 data connection 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 is an acronym for internet service provider.

Kb (or kilobit): Kb is an abbreviation  kilobit, which is a term used to describe the speed at which data travels across an internet connection also written as Kbps, or kilobits per second.  This was typically used to measure dial-up internet speeds and still  crops up 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 reputed 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 express 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.

Usage allowance: This expression describes how much data allowed to transmit through a mobile broadband connection. Usually it is either a fixed monthly quota, or a pay as you go. Using more data than contracted can be subject to surcharges.

Wi-Fi: Pronounced ‘why-fye’, Wi-Fi is a contraction 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.

But, in common usage it means any electronic items that work wirelessly over a Wi-Fi network, technically but seldom referred to as a WLAN.  Wi-Fi is the term more commonly used rather than the term technical IEEE 802.11 technology.

WiMAX: This expression is short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access – a new broadband technology that has potential 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 a contraction of for wireless local area network, and is more commonly called Wi-Fi.

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