Perhaps more than most, the telecoms industry has developed an unhealthy love of jargon that more often confuses issues wherein their simplification is the ultimate objective! Tel-bureau seeks to demystify the process and seeks, whenever possible,
a language that is meaningful to all participants in a conversation.
However, there are times when specialist language inevitably creeps in; as such,
we’ve put together what we hope is a useful guide to "telecoms speak" in plain English!
PSTN- Public Switched Telephone Network.
The public switched telephone network (PSTN) is the network of the world's public networks, in much the same way that the Intenret is the network of the world's public IP based data networks. Originally a network of fixed-line analogue telephone systems, the PSTN is now almost entirely digital, and now includes mobile as well as fixed telephones.
PTO – Public Telephone Operator.
In the UK, the incumbent PTO is BT, that provides the backbone of services nationwide under public license.
OLO.
Other licensed operators, e.g. Cable & Wireless.
ADSL
Assymetric Digital Subscriber Line. The most common form of Broadband Internet access; the technical name for the Broadband service you most probably use at home or in the workplace.
ISDN – Integrated Services Digital Network.
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is a system designed to allow digital transmission of voice and data over ordinary telephone copper wires, resulting in better quality and higher speeds than available with analogue systems. More broadly, ISDN is a set of protocols that allows advanced call features for the end user, and services such as videoconferencing.
In this example, ISDN provides simultaneous voice, video, and text transmission between individual desktop videoconferencing systems and group (room) videoconferencing systems. It generally comes in two 'flavors': ISDN 2 and ISDN 30, the latter essentially allowing for more lines and more bandwidth over a single circuit.
ISDN 2 is frequently packaged by BT as a "Business Highway" or "Home Highway" product. In recent years, Broadband has increasingly rendered ISDN obsolete in business of all sizes.
PBX – Private Branch Exchange.
In short, a telephone system or switchboard (more specifically, one allowing calls to be transferred between different lines/extensions in the same building).
IP
The language/protocol by which devices communicate across an "Internetwork",
i.e. The Internet.
VoIP – Voice Over IP.
The practice of transmitting a call across the Internet (as opposed to, traditionally, the PSTN). Popular applications of VoIP include services such as Skype® and Vonage®.
QoS
Quality of Service, often pronounced "kwozz". Effectively, a set of criteria by which the quality of a phone conversation conducting via the medium of VoIP can be measured. This includes factors such as clarity, security, frequency of transmission etc, and is determined as much by end-user perception of quality as by any scientific measurement. What determines QoS, how this is measured, and how this can be improved are critical debates at present, with VoIP still at an early stage of development as a viable alternative to PSTN.
NGN
A non-geographic number, e.g 0800, 0870, 0906 etc.
Called so because the number relates to the pricing of the call,
not the area in which the number is based geographically.
IN - Intelligent Network / Networking.
A set of functions (normally available on an NGN) that allows for 'intelligent' calling features such as auto-attendant, call-routing to a store in a specific catchment area, data-capture etc all performed at the telephone exchange, at network level.
IVR – Interactive Voice Response.
A common feature available on an IN platform. s a computerized system that allows a person, typically a telephone caller, to select an option from a voice menu and otherwise interface with a computer system. Generally the system plays pre-recorded voice prompts to which the person presses a number on a telephone keypad to select the option chosen, or speaks simple answers such as "yes", "no", or numbers in answer to the voice prompts.
LCR – Least-cost routing.
Technically, the practice of sending a telephone call to its destination via the cheapest possible route. In practice, this is often a by-word used by operators for the service of providing telephone calls at a cheaper rate than the incumbent supplier (e.g. BT).
CPS – Carrier pre-selection.
A means of achieving LCR by instructing the call to route via a pre-determined supplier directly at the BT exchange. This is the most common method by which LCR is achieved in the modern market-place (previously, auto-dialers (often referred to just as ‘boxes’) had to be attached directly to the line at a customer’s premises to achieve the same result. CPS is generally considered far more reliable than use of dialers.
IDA – Indirect Access.
Accessing an alternative network (e.g. Tel-bureau's network) by means of dialing a prefix code (usually by using an 'auto-dialer' or reprogramming a switchboard with the prefix) as an alternative to CPS.
CLI – Calling Line Identity.
Shorthand for, quite simply, a telephone number.
WLRM – Wholesale Line Rental Migration.
The practice of transferring the rental of an existing CLI from one supplier to another, even when the line ultimately remains a 'BT' line
DDI – Direct Dial Inward.
A ‘virtual’ telephone number in many respects. Looks just like a normal telephone number, but is 'hosted' by an ISDN circuit, enabling callers to directly dial an extension on a digital telephone system without needing to go through a central reception / switchboard operator’s number.
We think this list is pretty comprehensive. If you feel someone out there is trying to blind you with science, or there are any particularly annoying terms we have not featured, email support@Tel-bureau.co.uk and we'll gladly update the list!
