| Term
|
Definition
|
| Backbone
|
A
high-speed line or series of connections that forms a major
pathway within a network.
|
| Bandwidth
|
The
maximum amount of data you can send over a circuit at any
given time. Usually measured in bits-per-second (bps).
|
| CLEC
|
Competitive
Local Exchange Carrier: These are companies offering phone
services that are competitive with the Incumbent Local
Exchange Carrier (ILEC).
|
| CO
|
Central
Office: The switching and control facility of the local
telephone company (ILEC) where the subscriber's local loop
terminates. CO's handle calls within a geographic area as
identified by the first three digits of the telephone
number.
|
| Colocation
|
(sometimes
spelled "co-location" or "collocation")
is the provision of space for a customer's
telecommunications equipment on the service provider's
premises.
|
| Dark
Fiber
|
Fiber
that is not lit as is for sale by the provider
|
| Demarc
|
Demarcation
point between carrier equipment and customers equipment.
|
| DS1
|
Digital
Signal Level 1: DS1 = a digital line at 1,544Mbps carried on
a T1 circuit.
|
| DS3
|
Digital
Signal Level 3: DS3 = a digital line at 44.736Mbps carried
on a T3 circuit.
|
| DSL
|
Digital
Subscriber Line: Point to point public network access
technologies that allow multiple forms of data, voice and
video to be carried over standard twisted-pair copper wire
on the local loop between a network service provider's
central office and the customer's site. Connections are
"always on" between the end-user and the ISP.
|
| Fiber
|
Short
for Fiber Optics: A technology in which light is used to
transfer information from one point to another
|
| Hub
|
A
group of circuits connected at one point on a network. Hubs
enable traffic concentration and economies of scale. Hubs
are located in larger cities throughout a network for
concentration and routing of calls from cities with lower
traffic demands.
|
| ILEC
|
Incumbent
Local Exchange Carrier: A local or regional telephone
company that owns and operates a telephone network and the
customers lines that connect to it (e.g. Pacific Bell,
Southwestern Bell, US West and other RBOC's).
|
| Internet
|
Refers
to the largest global network, one which reaches millions of
people in many different countries. The internet is made up
of large backbone networks and smaller networks that link
them together.
|
| ISP
|
Internet
Service Provider: A company that provides access to the
internet.
|
| Local
Loop
|
The
connection made (fiber or copper) from your building to a
provider's existing network. Also referred to as the
"last mile".
|
| Local
Service
|
Carrier
can provide local "dial tone"
|
| Long
Distance
|
Carrier
can provide long distance phone services
|
| Long
Haul
|
Circuits
spanning considerable distances
|
| MAE
|
Metropolitan
Area Exchange: A traffic exchange facility for Internet
networks, providing an interconnection point for ISPs to
switch Internet Protocol traffic.
|
| Mbps
|
Megabits
per second
|
| MPOE
|
Minimum
Point Of Entry: The ILEC demarcation (demarc) port at the
end user or customer premises. The physical location (e.g.
cable room, telephone closet, etc.) at the service account
where the demarcation point is located.
|
| NAP
|
Network
Access Point: Interconnection points for the Internet
|
| Node
|
Any
single computer connected to a network or switch to a larger
network
|
| OC
Level
|
Optical
Carrier Level: Refers to the amount of data that can be
relayed at any given time.
|
| OC3
|
Optical
Carrier Level 3: OC3 = 155.52Mbps
|
| OC12
|
Optical
Carrier Level 12: OC12 = 622.08Mbps
|
| OC48
|
Optical
Carrier Level 48: OC48= 2488.32Mbps
|
| OC192
|
Optical
Carrier Level 192: OC192= 9953.28Mbps
|
| POP
|
Point
Of Presence: A physical location where a network can be
connected to, often with dialup phone lines. The carrier has
a local phone number in that city or location where leased
lines can connect to their network.
|
| Point
to Point
|
A
direct dedicated connection from point A to point B.
|
| RBOC
|
Regional
Bell Operating Company: companies that provide local
services and were formed during the breakup up of AT&T
in 1982
|
| SONET
|
Synchronous
Optical Network: The ability to transfer data in both
directions at the same time over a self healing fiber optic
ring network
|
| Switch
|
A
network device that filters and routes information based on
the destination address. It allows a connection to be
established as necessary and to be terminated when there is
no longer a session to support.
|
| T1
|
T1
= 1.544Mbps
|
| VoIP
|
Voice
Over Internet Protocol: integrates voice and data over the
same circuit.
|
