Abbreviated Dialing Feature- Permits the user to establish a call by entering fewer digits.

Access-

1. The method, time, circuit, or facility used to enter the network.
   
2. The service provided by local exchange carriers or alternate access providers, that connects an InterExchange carrier with its customers.

There are two kinds of access services:

• Switched access- Provides such service over the Public Switched Telephone Network
• Special access- Provides dedicated access for private line services and sometimes at the closed end of switched services.

Access Charges- Fees paid by subscribers and long-distance carriers for their use of the local exchange in placing long distance calls.

Access Line- The portion of a telephone line between the end user's location and the telephone company's central office. Also called local loop, last mile, or local line.

Access Service Request (ASR)- Forms used by InterExchange Carrier customers to order Switched Access or Special Access Services from LECs; for example, interoffice facilities such as dedicated trunk ports.

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)- A transmission technology that transmits an asymmetric digital signal using one of a variety of line codes as specified in the ANSI standard. ADSL technology enables data transmission over existing copper wiring at data rates several hundred times faster than analog modems, providing for simultaneous delivery of voice, video and data.

Analog transmission- The traditional telephone technology in which sound waves or other information are converted into electrical impulses of varying strengths or amplitudes.

Automatic Number Identification (ANI)- A service that provides the telephone number of an incoming call. This is useful for a number of applications such as routing an 800 call to an appropriate vendor.

Backbone- A backbone is a main bus that connects two or more nodes together. In the context of telecommunications, it refers to a main cable that connects two or more network nodes together.

Backbone, Internet- A fiber optic cable link that connects two or more internet nodes together.

Backbone Provider- A telecommunications company that builds, operates, and maintains a high-speed, high capacity network.

Bandwidth- The common measure of transmission capacity. For analog transmission, it is measured in cycles per second; for digital transmission, in bits per second.

Binary Digit (Bit)- The smallest unit of data in a computer. A bit has a single binary value, either 0 or 1.

BOC- Bell Operating Company. One of the 22 local exchange telephone companies that prior to the Jan. 1, 1984 breakup of the Bell System comprised the arm of AT&T providing local telephone services. BOCs provide about 80% of the nation's local exchange telephone subscribers with service.

Broadband Network- A network capable of transporting voice, interactive full-motion video, and data services. A narrowband network carries significantly less information than a broadband network. Narrowband applications include traditional telephone service, electronic mail, paging services, and faxes.

Browser- A software program used to query, search and view information on computer sites connected to the Internet.

Central Office- The site that contains the local telephone company's equipment that routes calls to and from customers. This site also contains equipment that connects customers to long distance services and internet service providers. Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC). Provider of local exchange service in competition with the BOCs and other local exchange carriers.

Collocation- The placement of competitors' equipment on telco premises so that they may interconnect directly (and cheaply) with the local telephone exchange.

Common Carrier- A government-regulated private company offering telecommunications services or communications facilities to the general public on a non-discriminatory basis under operating rules mandated by the appropriate state and/or federal regulatory authority.

Convergence- The merging of different technologies such as telephony, computers and cable.

Dedicated Line- A communications circuit or channel provided for the exclusive use of a particular subscriber. Dedicated lines are often used to move large amounts of data between computers.

Dialing Parity- Equal dialing access provided to consumers. No additional codes or numbers are necessary to access a different telephone service provider.

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)- Provides instant Internet and network access at speeds up to 50 times faster than a 28.8 Kbps modem on a standard analog phone line. And because DSL sends data and voice over the same line, you can talk on the phone while you connect.

Digital transmission- Conversion of sound waves and other information into binary computer code (a series of O's and 1's). At the end point, binary code is converted back into original format. Provides sharper, clearer, faster transmission than analog.

DNS- Domain Name System, the system which is used by an Internet host to send e-mail, connect FTP sessions or locate a specific URL. The DNS translates words into numbers so computers can locate a domain name, ie. weather.com could be 109.176.65.23

Download (Receive)- To receive data from another computer into your computer. It is also called "receive." The opposite is called "Upload."

End User Line Charge (EUCL)-State and federal charges that appear on a customer's phone bill. These charges are designed to eliminate access charges and require end users to directly pay for access of the local phone network for long distance calls. Also known as the Interstate Access Charge (IAC).

Electronic Mail (E-Mail)- E-Mail allows the user to send a message via a computer instantly to one or many persons around the world. E-mail users typically have a "mailbox" on a network or a videotext system where other users can send messages to be retrieved by the recipient.

Equal Access-The provision of exchange access to all long distance carriers on equal terms. Equal access was a cornerstone of the divestiture decree (MFJ) and was intended to place AT&T and competing providers of long distance service on equal terms.

Facility - based carriers- Long-distance service providers that own the physical facilities. The bulk of the long-distance companies are resellers.

Fiber Optics- Technology based on thin filaments of glass or other transparent materials used as the medium for transmitting coded light pulses that represent data, image and sound. Fiber optic technology offers extremely high transmission speeds.

Gateway- A network element interconnecting two otherwise incompatible networks, network nodes, subnetworks or devices; performs a protocol conversion operation across a wide spectrum of communications functions.

Host- Your Internet access provider's computer. You may use one of its hard-wired terminals, if you are at an institution with a mainframe computer connected directly to the Internet, or you may dial up via modem to connect with the Internet access provider's host computer.

IXC- Interexchange Carrier. Synonymous in common usage with "long-distance carrier." Under the federal Telecommunications Act, an IXC carries communications traffic across LATA boundaries. BOCs, at one time, were only permitted to carry communications within LATA boundaries. Toll or "long-distance" calls within LATA boundaries do not fall within the federal Telecommunications Act's definition of "interexchange."

Inside Wire- The phone wire, including the associated jack, inside your home or business (and could include wire that is outside on the building) that connects your phone to the phone box where a telephone company's lines enter the building. Inside wire is owned by the customer and is their responsibility. If you rent, inside wire is your landlord or the property owner's responsibility. Inside wire does not include customer premises equipment.

Interactive Services- A communication system that allows nearly instantaneous two-way conversations with the help of a computer. Home shopping, viewer-participation game shows, distance learning and E-mail on computer networks are examples.

Interconnection-The connection of one telecommunication carrier's network to another or the connection of a piece of telephone equipment to the nationwide telephone network.

Internet- An unregulated, global confederation of computer networks linked through regional, private business and educational networks. Millions of people in more than 50 countries use the Internet daily. The internet began in 1969 as an attempt by the Defense Department to link universities to Pentagon researchers, while also serving the national security purpose of spreading out crucial computing tasks to a wide geographic area. Today most of the Internet's growth is in the commercial sector.

IntraLATA Calling- Calls originating and terminating in the same service area (LATA).

Intrastate InterLATA Calling- Calls originating in one service area (LATA) and terminating in another LATA in the same state, e.g., Indianapolis to Fort Wayne.

ISDN- Integrated Services Digital Network. A standardized design for simultaneous voice, data and video signals over a pair of twisted wires, the most common type of customer line in the telephone network.

KBPS- kilobytes per second (thousands of bits per second)

LATA- Local Access Transport Area. Defines that area, in a state served by a Bell telephone company, in which, under current federal Telecommunications Act rules, the company can provide service. Each Service Area may include one or more area codes or share a common area code.

LEC- Local Exchange Carrier. Provider of local exchange services; includes the Bell Companies and all independent telcoms.

Local Loop- The telephone line that runs from the local telephone company to the premise of the end user.

Local service- Charges for recurring flat-rate monthly service, measured local calls, local private lines, local use of public telephones and local directory assistance.

Mbps- Million bits per second. The measurement for the transmission speed of digital telephone lines.

MFJ- Modification of Final Judgment. The 1982 consent decree which, as of 1/1/84, broke up the Bell System into AT&T and the seven RBOCs. Also known as "divestiture;" technically a "modification" of the consent decree entered against Western Electric and AT&T in 1956.

Modem- Short for modulator-demodulator. Modems convert digital signals -- the binary computer language of zeros and ones -- into analog signals - the transmission method of telephones -- thereby enabling computers to send data over the telephone networks.

Multimedia- The combination of various forms of media (text, graphics, animation, audio, etc.) to communicate information. The term also refers to information products that include text, audio, and visual content.

Network- A combination of transmission facilities and switching capacity which allows users to communicate with other users of linked facilities. Examples: local exchange telephone networks, cellular wireless networks, cable television networks, CAP networks, and private facility-based networks.

Number Portability- Number portability is the term used to describe the capability of individuals, businesses, and organizations to retain their existing telephone number(s) -- and the same quality of service - when switching to a new local service provider.

ONA- Open Network Architecture. An overall design of a regulated common carrier's basic network facilities and basic services that permits all vendors of basic or enhanced services (including the common carrier itself) to procure specific basic network functions and interfaces on an unbundled equal-access basis.

POP- Point of Presence. A POP is the place your long distance carrier, called an IXC, terminates your long distance lines. Each IXC can have multiple POP's and all long distance phone connections go through these POPs.

PBX- A private branch exchange (PBX) is a system that connects telephone company trunk lines with individual user lines and equipment inside the organization. A PBX allows an organization to have fewer outside lines than extensions because it is safe to assume that not all extensions will be in use at once. The PBX acts like a telephone company switch, connecting outside callers with inside extension lines and extensions with each other as needed. PBXs are deemed CPE because they are owned and operated by the customer (business, hospital, etc.), not the local telephone company.

PCS- Personal Communications Services. New wireless services authorized by the FCC through spectrum auctions beginning in 1994.

POTS- Plain Old Telephone Service. Traditionally, this is the term used to describe telephone lines that are connected to most residential and small business users. These lines are usually limited in the speed of data transmissions.

RBOC- Regional Bell Operating Company. To dismantle the nationwide monopoly of local and long-distance telephone service, the 1984 breakup of American Telephone & Telegraph Co. spawned seven regional Bell holding companies, known as the Baby Bells: Ameritech, Bell Atlantic, BellSouth, NYNEX, Pacific Telesis, Southwestern Bell and US West. Those seven holding companies subsumed all of the original 22 Bell "operating" companies. Due to mergers and acquisitions, the RBOC's are now comprised of Bell South, Qwest, SBC, and Verizon.

Resale- The ability of an entity that has not constructed a network of its own to offer to end users services located on a network built by another.

Sharing- A temporary safety mechanism designed to protect customers from the over-or under-estimation of the productivity offset at the initial establishment of the price cap plan. This mechanism would require the utility to refund a portion of its earnings to customers if it achieved a predefined level of success.

Slamming- The term used to describe what occurs when a customer's long distance service is switched from one long distance company to another company without the customer's permission. Such unauthorized switching violates FCC rules.

Unbundling- Disaggregated features, functions and capabilities of the local network; intended by regulators to maximize competitive entry.

Universal Service- The public policy goal that Congress first mandated in the 1934 Communications Act to make telephone service widely available at affordable prices.

Upload- To send a text file or software program via telecommunications to another computer (See Download).

VAR- Value-Added Reseller. A company that takes an existing product, adds its own value and sells it to a customer.