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This guide seeks to simplify the various complex terminologies and acronyms found in telephony and related technology. Let’s embark on an enlightening journey through the top 100 most commonly used terms.

  1. PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network: The traditional circuit-switched telephone network system that has been in use globally for over a century.
  2. PBX – Private Branch Exchange: An internal phone system within an enterprise that allows for several phone lines to be routed to different users.
  3. VoIP – Voice over Internet Protocol: A technology that transmits voice communications over IP networks such as the internet, instead of through traditional PSTN lines.
  4. SIP – Session Initiation Protocol: A communication protocol used in VoIP systems for initiating, maintaining, modifying, and terminating real-time sessions of multimedia communication.
  5. POTS – Plain Old Telephone Service: This refers to the traditional analog phone service that relies on copper wire transmission.
  6. ISDN – Integrated Services Digital Network: A set of communication standards for digital telephone connection and the transmission of voice and data over a digital line.
  7. DID – Direct Inward Dialing: A feature offered by phone companies that allows for multiple telephone numbers associated with one or more phone lines.
  8. IVR – Interactive Voice Response: An automated telephony system technology that interacts with callers and gathers information by giving pre-recorded responses in reaction to voice or keypad selections.
  9. ACD – Automatic Call Distributor: A telephony software system that answers incoming calls and routes them to a specific agent or department within a company.
  10. ATA – Analog Telephone Adapter: A device used to connect a standard telephone to a computer or network so that the user can make calls over the Internet.
  11. GSM – Global System for Mobile Communications: A standard developed to describe the protocols for second-generation digital cellular networks used by mobile phones.
  12. CDMA – Code Division Multiple Access: A digital cellular technology that uses spread spectrum techniques to allow multiple users to share the same frequency band simultaneously.
  13. LTE – Long Term Evolution: A standard for wireless broadband communication for mobile devices and data terminals, based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA technologies.
  14. 5G – 5th Generation: The fifth-generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks, which cellular phone companies began deploying worldwide in 2019.
  15. MMS – Multimedia Messaging Service: A standard way to send messages that include multimedia content to and from a mobile phone over a cellular network.
  16. SMS – Short Message Service: A text messaging service component of most telephone, internet, and mobile device systems.
  17. VoLTE – Voice over Long Term Evolution: A standard for high-speed wireless communication for mobile phones and data terminals, which is based on the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network.
  18. NFC – Near Field Communication: A set of communication protocols for communication between two electronic devices over a distance of 4 cm or less.
  19. DTMF – Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency: The signal that your phone sends to your telecom when you press your telephone’s touch keys.
  20. CPE – Customer Premises Equipment: A term for devices on the customer’s premises that connects with the telephone company’s network.
  21. PABX – Private Automated Branch Exchange: An automatic telephone switching system within a private enterprise.
  22. QoS – Quality of Service: The performance level of a service offered by the network to the user. In VoIP, it refers to the measurement of voice quality.
  23. SLA – Service Level Agreement: A contract between a service provider and a customer that specifies the level of service expected during its term.
  24. UC – Unified Communications: The integration of enterprise communication services such as instant messaging, voice, mobility features, audio, web & video conferencing, fixed-mobile convergence, desktop sharing, data sharing, call control and speech recognition.
  25. UCaaS – Unified Communications as a Service: A delivery model in which a variety of communication and collaboration applications and services are outsourced to a third-party provider over an IP network, usually the public Internet.
  26. BYOD – Bring Your Own Device: A policy allowing employees to bring personally owned devices (laptops, tablets, and smart phones) to their workplace, and to use those devices to access privileged company information and applications.
  27. VPN – Virtual Private Network: A technology that creates a safe and encrypted connection over a less secure network, such as the internet.
  28. CLI – Calling Line Identification: Also known as Caller ID, it is a telephone service that transmits the caller’s number to the called party’s telephone equipment.
  29. CTI – Computer Telephony Integration: Technology that allows interactions on a telephone and a computer to be integrated or coordinated.
  30. RTP – Real-Time Transport Protocol: A protocol that provides end-to-end network transport functions suitable for applications transmitting real-time data, such as audio, video or simulation data, over multicast or unicast network services.
  31. SRTP – Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol: An extension of RTP that provides an enhanced level of security with encryption, message authentication and integrity, and replay attack protection.
  32. VoFR – Voice over Frame Relay: A method of sending voice, or telephony, signals over a Frame Relay wide area network (WAN).
  33. VOIPoMPLS – Voice over IP over MPLS: This refers to the use of Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) technology in combination with VoIP. This allows for better management of bandwidth and provides a higher level of quality of service (QoS).
  34. DTL – Digital Transmission Level: A range of digital signal levels defined by the ITU. Different DTLs represent different speeds and types of digital service.
  35. E&M – Ear and Mouth: An analog signaling method that utilizes separate leads for signaling in each direction, traditionally used in trunking.
  36. FXO – Foreign Exchange Office: An FXO device is any device that receives POTS service, such as a standard phone or fax machine.
  37. FXS – Foreign Exchange Station: A device that provides a dial tone and battery power for a standard device such as a telephone, answering machine, fax machine, or modem.
  38. G.711 – A standard for audio companding, also known as Pulse Code Modulation (PCM), it is a method used to digitally represent analog signals, in this case, audio signals.
  39. G.729 – An audio data compression algorithm for voice that compresses digital voice in packets of 10 milliseconds duration.
  40. H.323 – A recommendation from the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) that defines the protocols to provide audio-visual communication sessions on any packet network.
  41. IAX – Inter-Asterisk eXchange: A communications protocol for setting up interactive user sessions, used by Asterisk (a software implementation of a telephone private branch exchange (PBX)).
  42. ILBC – Internet Low Bitrate Codec: A free speech codec suitable for robust voice communication over IP.
  43. IP-PBX – Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange: A PBX system that provides internal switching of VoIP (or IP telephony) calls.
  44. ISUP – ISDN User Part: A component of Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) used for setting up telephone calls in the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
  45. Jitter – The variation in the delay of received packets. At the sending side, packets are sent in a continuous stream and spaced evenly apart. Due to network congestion, improper queuing, or configuration errors, this steady stream can become lumpy, or the delay between each packet can vary instead of remaining constant.
  46. LNP – Local Number Portability: A process that allows customers to transfer their phone numbers when they switch telecommunication providers.
  47. MoIP – Mobile over IP: The transmission of mobile data services over IP networks.
  48. MGCP – Media Gateway Control Protocol: A protocol used for controlling Voice over IP (VoIP) gateways from external call control elements.
  49. PTSN – Public Switched Telephone Network: The world’s collection of interconnected voice-oriented public telephone networks.
  50. SCCP – Skinny Client Control Protocol: A proprietary terminal control protocol originally developed by Selsius Corporation, which can control a VoIP phone or a direct digital control (DDC) system.
  51. TDM – Time Division Multiplexing: A method of putting multiple data streams in a single signal by separating the signal into many segments, each having a very short duration.
  52. TFTP – Trivial File Transfer Protocol: A simple lockstep File Transfer Protocol which allows a client to get a file from or put a file onto a remote host.
  53. VoATM – Voice over Asynchronous Transfer Mode: A method of transferring voice information in digital form using ATM, a standard switching technique for telecommunications networks.
  54. VoD – Voice on Demand: Interactive TV technology that allows subscribers to view programming in real time or download programs and view them later.
  55. VTC – Video Teleconferencing: A technology that allows users in different locations to hold face-to-face meetings without having to move to a single location together.
  56. VoWLAN – Voice over Wireless Local Area Network: The use of a wireless broadband network according to the IEEE 802.11 standards for the purpose of vocal conversation.
  57. E911 – Enhanced 911: A system that automatically associates a physical address with the calling party’s telephone number, and routes the call to the most appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for that address.
  58. ANI – Automatic Number Identification: A feature of a telecommunications network for automatically determining the origination telephone number on toll calls for billing purposes.
  59. ADSL – Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line: A type of DSL broadband technology for connecting to the Internet. It is called asymmetric because the download and upload speeds are not symmetrical (download is faster than upload).
  60. CLEC – Competitive Local Exchange Carrier: A telephone company that competes with the already established local telephone business by providing its own network and switching.
  61. IPTV – Internet Protocol Television: The delivery of television content over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. This is in contrast to delivery through traditional terrestrial, satellite, and cable television formats.
  62. Echo Cancellation: This is a method used in telephony to improve voice quality by preventing echo from being created or removing it after it is already present.
  63. Fibre Optics: A technology that uses glass (or plastic) threads (fibers) to transmit data. Fiber optics has several advantages over traditional metal communications lines.
  64. Hot Desking: An office organization system which involves multiple workers using a single physical workstation or surface during different time periods.
  65. Hunt Groups: A system that distributes phone calls from a single telephone number to a group of several phone lines.
  66. Landline: A traditional stationary telephone that uses a solid medium telephone line such as a metal wire or fiber optic cable for transmission as distinguished from a mobile cellular line, which uses radio waves for transmission.
  67. Multiplexing: A method by which multiple analog or digital signals are combined into one signal over a shared medium. The aim is to share a scarce resource.
  68. On-Hold Marketing: An aspect of telephony where marketing messages are played to callers who have been placed on hold or are currently in a call queue.
  69. Roaming: A wireless telecommunication term typically used with mobile devices (like mobile phones). It refers to the mobile phone being used outside the range of its home network and connects to another available cell network.
  70. Softphone: A software program for making telephone calls over the Internet using a general-purpose computer, rather than using dedicated hardware.
  71. Telemarketing: A method of direct marketing in which a salesperson solicits prospective customers to buy products or services, either over the phone or through a subsequent face-to-face or Web conferencing appointment scheduled during the call.
  72. Teleconferencing: The live exchange and mass articulation of information among several persons and machines remote from one another but linked by a telecommunications system.
  73. Toll-Free Number: A telephone number that is billed for all arriving calls instead of incurring charges to the originating telephone subscriber.
  74. Trunking: The method for a system to provide network access to many clients by sharing a set of lines or frequencies instead of providing them individually.
  75. Unified Messaging: The integration of different electronic messaging and communications media (e-mail, SMS, fax, voicemail, video messaging, etc.) technologies into a single interface, accessible from a variety of different devices.
  76. Virtual PBX: A budget-friendly form of hosted VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) that usually only handles inbound calls. A virtual PBX is typically intended for small business VoIP customers with fewer than 10 employees and low-volume telephone traffic.
  77. Wi-Fi: A family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access.
  78. 3G: The third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology. It is the upgrade for 2G and 2.5G GPRS networks, for faster internet speed.
  79. 4G: The fourth generation of broadband cellular network technology, succeeding 3G. A 4G system must provide capabilities defined by ITU in IMT Advanced.
  80. HD Voice: A wideband audio technology that extends the frequency range of audio signals transmitted over telephone lines, resulting in higher quality speech.
  81. IP Sec: A protocol suite for securing Internet Protocol (IP) communications by authenticating and encrypting each IP packet of a communication session.
  82. RJ11: A standard type of physical connector for telephone cords. It is often used to connect a telephone or fax machine to the wall jack.
  83. RJ45: A type of connector commonly used for Ethernet networking. It looks similar to a telephone jack (RJ11), but is slightly wider.
  84. Simultaneous Ring: A feature that allows incoming calls to ring on multiple phones, such as your office, home, and mobile phones, simultaneously.
  85. Call Blocking: A technology for blocking incoming calls on a telephone line. It is typically used to block unwanted calls from telemarketers and robocalls.
  86. Dial Plan: A configuration on an IP Phone or VoIP system that controls the sequence and timing of numbers dialed and the resulting action.
  87. Ethernet: A system for connecting a number of computer systems to form a local area network, with protocols to control the passing of information and to avoid simultaneous transmission by two or more systems.
  88. Full Duplex: A communication system that allows data to be sent and received in both directions at the same time.
  89. Half Duplex: A system of communication where data can move in two directions, but not at the same time.
  90. Hotline: A direct telephone line set up for a specific purpose, especially for use in emergencies or for communication between heads of government.
  91. Intercom: An electrical device allowing one-way or two-way communication. It is a stand-alone voice communication system for use within a building or small collection of buildings.
  92. Last Number Redial: A function on a telephone that will dial the last number that was dialed from the telephone set.
  93. Busy Lamp Field (BLF): A light on an IP Phone which tells you if another extension connected to the same PBX is busy or not.
  94. WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication): A free, open-source project that provides web browsers and mobile applications with real-time communication (RTC) via simple application programming interfaces (APIs).
  95. LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol): An open, vendor-neutral, industry standard application protocol for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over an Internet Protocol (IP) network.
  96. SRST (Survivable Remote Site Telephony): A Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) call processing backup mechanism that allows Cisco IP phones to register to a Cisco router locally.
  97. RDS (Remote Desktop Services): One of the components of Microsoft Windows that allow a user to take control of a remote computer or virtual machine over a network connection.
  98. SBC (Session Border Controller): A device regularly deployed in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) networks to exert control over the signaling and usually also the media streams involved in setting up, conducting, and tearing down telephone calls or other interactive media communications.
  99. LAN (Local Area Network): A computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a residence, school, laboratory, university campus, or office building.
  100. WAN (Wide Area Network): A telecommunications network that extends over a large geographic area for the primary purpose of computer networking. Wide area networks are often established with leased telecommunication circuits.

Each of these terms and acronyms plays a vital role in the complex world of telephony and related technologies. Familiarity with these terms will help you navigate and understand the intricate landscape of telecommunications.