Glossary of Terms

BROADBAND — Telecommunication that provides multiple channels of data over a single medium (fiber, wireless). Broadband technology can support a wide range of frequencies and is used to transmit data, voice, and video over long distances.

CABLE MODEM — An external modem designed to operate over cable TV lines. Because the coaxial cable used by cable TV provides much greater bandwidth than telephone lines, a cable modem can be used to quickly access the Web.

CATV — Originally "community antenna television," now it is understood to be the abbreviation for cable television.

COAX CABLE — A type of cable that consists of a single center conductor surrounded by insulation (dielectric) and then a grounded shield of braided wire. The shield minimizes electrical and radio frequency interference. Coaxial cabling is the primary type of cabling used by the cable television industry and is also widely used for computer networks.

dB — Abbreviation for decibel. Used to measure sound level, and also widely used in electronics and signals. Most CATV measurements are referenced to voltage and measured in dBmV (one millivolt across 75 ohms).

DSL — Digital Subscriber Line - A technology which enables high speed transmission of digital data over regular copper telephone lines. This delivers high-speed data services to homes and businesses. This gives "always-on" Internet access and does not tie up the phone line.

High Definition Television (HDTV) — Television that has approximately twice the horizontal and vertical resolution scan lines than current televisions, based on standards of the National Television Standards Committee (NTSC). The total number of pixels is therefore approximately four times that of NTSC standards.

IP — Internet Protocol - Specifies the format of packets, also called datagrams, and the addressing scheme. Most networks combine IP with a higher-level protocol called Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which establishes a virtual connection between a destination and a source.

MDU — Multi Dwelling Unit - Apartment/Hotel; any entity that houses more than one resident.

MTU — Multi Tennant Unit - Residential, hotels, professional offices; any entity that may be used by business people for employment purposes and/or to house residents.

NIST — National Institute of Standards and Technology - Founded in 1901, NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Commerce Department's Technology Administration. NIST's mission is to develop and promote measurement, standards, and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate trade, and improve the quality of life.

VIDEOCONFERENCING — Two-way telecommunications service with live transmission of pictures and speech of conference participants transmitted between two or more locations.

Hz — one cycle of event per second.
KHz — one thousand cycles of event per second.
MHz — one million cycles of event per second.
GHz — one billion cycles of event per second.