B-Band
cellular: In the U.S. cellular duopoly, the regional
Bell operating company's cellular subsidiary. Bandwidth
A relative range of frequencies that can carry a signal without distortion on
a transmission medium. Identifies maximum data rate
that a signal can attain on the medium wihtout attenuation.
B-CDMA
(Broadband code division multiple access):
A technology developed by InterDigital Communications Corp Baseband
Signal that has not undergone any shift in
frequency usually is purely digital. Baud rate
Number
of pulses of a signal that occur in one second BAT
Battery,
Ni-Cad=nickel cadmium, Ni-mh=nickel metal hydride, Li-lithium, & Lead Acid
NiCd
- NICKEL CADMIUM
NiCd batteries are known for the "memory
effect" that they develop if repeatedly charged without being fully discharged.
These batteries also self-discharge if left
unused, losing 10% of their power the first 24 hours, then 1% to 2% a day thereafter.
They perform best if used regularly. Chargers
for NiCd batteries should have circuitry that prevents overcharging, which ruins
the battery.
These batteries are environmentally
harmful, and should be disposed of as toxic waste. The recommended charging process
is a constant charge, as when sitting in a base unit or plugged into the lighter
socket in a car.
NiMH
- NICKEL METAL HYDRIDE
This
technology can provide as much as 30% more capacity than a NiCd battery of the
same size. These batteries contain no toxins,
and are consequently more environmentally-friendly than NiCd.
Unlike NiCd, deep discharging contributes to a decline in the life of the battery,
as does constant over-charging.
In general,
NiMH technology is sensitive to overcharging than and the recommended charging
process is a constant charge. These Batteries should
also always be rapid charged.
The charger
should be designed to monitor the charging process, as well as the heat of the
battery.
Li-Ion
- LITHIUM ION
Lithium
batteries deliver greater performance with lighter weight than the nickel-based
batteries listed above. They develop no memory
effect, and are non-toxic; but they are more expensive. Charging requires a controlled,
constant voltage process, and the useful life of these batteries can be reduced
up to 60% if overcharged.
Use only chargers
that are recommended or designed for Li-Ion batteries.
Chargers made only for the nickel-based batteries should never be used to charge
lithium batteries. LEAD ACID
Used commonly with transportable
cellular phones, the higher power output of SLA batteries is reflected in their
size and weight. SLA batteries should be stored fully charged; otherwise, the
chemical components will deteriorate rapidly. Slow charging is recommended. These
batteries have the lowest number of charging cycles of all four types, and hence
have a shorter life. | |
BEC
Plug-in charger vehicle charger. Bent pipe
technology: Satellite technology to transmit calls from one point on Earth to
a satellite and back down to another point. Bidding credits Discount
sometimes given to small businesses in FCC spectrum auctions. Big
LEO
Low-earth orbit satellite system that
will offer voice and data services; e.g., Iridium, Globalstar. Bit
rate
Transmission rate of binary symbols
( 0 and 1 ) equals number of bits transmitted in one second Bluetooth
The code name for a new wireless technology being
developed by Ericsson Inc., Intel Corp., Nokia Corp. and Toshiba.
The technology enables data connections between electronic devices such as desktop
computers, wireless phones, electronic organizers and printers in the 2.4 GHz
range.
Bluetooth would replace cable or infrared
connections for such devices. Bridge
Network
component that provides internetworking functionality at the Data Link Layer Or
Medium Access Layer of a network's architecture. Unusually
provides segmentation of data frames.
Broadband
Using
a wide-bandwidth channel for voice, data and/or video services. Broadband
PCS
Synonymous with personal communications
services created in the A- through F-Block auctions and used for voice and data. BSS
Basic service set - set of 802.11-compliant stations
that operates as a fully connected wireless network BSSID
Basic service identification 6-byte address that sitinguishes a specific access
point from others AKA network ID BTA
(basic
trading area): Usually composed of several contiguous counties.
BTAs are a service area designed by Rand McNally and adopted by the FCC.
There are 493 BTAs in the United States. Build-to-suit
The process by which independent firms find
and build antenna sites to meet a carrier's specifications. Bundling
Grouping various telecommunications services--wireline
and/or wireless--as a package to increase the appeal to potential customers.
For example, a bundled package could include long distance,
cellular, Internet and paging services. Bus topology
where all
nodes are connected to a single length of cabling with a terminator at each end. |
