Mobile Broadband  and  Mobile Internet Connection Glossary

Broadband:  Broadband or high-speed Internet access gives users access to the internet and internet-related services. Broadband services for residential consumers typically provide faster downstream speeds (from the internet to computer) than upload speeds (from computer to internet).

3G broadband: What is 3G broadband? It’s currently the most common way 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.  [LeadingPrimary] European and American suppliers have 3G available for mobile users.

Anti-spam: Used to prevent e-mail spam; which is also referred to junk e-mail or electronic junk mail.   Email spam usually involves transmitting nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by e-mail. A common acronym for spam is UBE which stands for unsolicited bulk e-mail. There are various anti-spam methods.
Anti-spam techniques can be divided into four broad categories: those that require actions by individuals, those that are 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 used to guard computers, laptops, and cell phones from malicious internet (including email) transferred malware.  Malware is malicious software applications typically intended to be intrusive or damaging.  Computer viruses, Trojan horses and worms are typical forms of malware.

Malware is not just an annoyance, it often ruins computers and mobile phones while potentially stealing personal data.

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

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

Anti-spyware: Spyware is wide category of malicious software that will insert itself on laptops, 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 data from a person’s computer without their knowledge or consent.  This can include sensitive information such as details of sites visited, and even e-mail.

Capping:  In mobile internet connection  terms capping describes a cap, or limitation, on the allowable quantity of data to download on a specific contract.  IF the cap is exceeded, additional fees often apply.

Dongle: In mobile broadband  terms dongle is the word that typically is used to to describe the small device that plugs into another internet-enabled device to pick-up a mobile data connection  signal.  Often just referred to as a stick, the dongle allows devices to access mobile internet connection just like a mobile phone.

Bandwidth Download speed: Bandwidth Download speed refers to how quickly a file (of information) can be downloaded from a remote source.  This mobile internet connection term  describes how fast a connection can deliver data to a computer.  To “download” something means to put it on your computer, usually by the internet.    This is typically 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 internet connection and boost the 3G signal to make cell phones – and devices with a dongle – work better.   A femtocell is a wireless access point that delivers localized 3G broadband coverage.  Often it is very small base station that receives broadband 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 be important in location based services and marketing.

Firewall: A firewall is a software component used to stop unwanted traffic arriving on computers, laptops or cell phones over the internet. The firewall will evaluate incoming 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 stopped.

Firewall virus software programs are often included with anti-virus software applications as well as sometimes being available 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 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) short for   gigabit, a unit used to describe 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 an abbreviation 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. For comparison, 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 network networks to improve the speed of data transfer.

HSPA Evolved, HSPA+: The next generation of HSPA is Evolved HSPA (or HSPA+) with possible mobile broadband speeds up to 42Mb.

ISP:ISP stands for internet service provider.

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

Upload speed: This term describes how fast a broadband connection can send data from computers or smartphones. Anything that goes across the internet from a computer, laptop, or mobile phone is considered to be ‘uploaded’.

Wi-Fi: Pronounced ‘why-fye’, Wi-Fi is short for Wireless Fidelity. It is a trademarked term of the Wi-Fi Alliance certified as working in tandem with additional products that belong to a class of wireless local area network (WLAN) devices based on the IEEE 802.11 standards.

In mobile internet connection terms, the most common usage is when referring to Wi-Fi hotspots:  public areas that provide internet connectivity either free or for a fee.  Because of the close relationship with its underlying standard, the abbreviation Wi-Fi is often used as a synonym for 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. Like LTE, WiMAX is being touted as the next generation of mobile broadband.
WLAN: WLAN is a contraction of for wireless local area network, and is more typically known as Wi-Fi.

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