Glossary

3G (third generation): Describes wireless technology that offers highspeed packet data mobile wireless Internet access and multimedia communications at minimum transmission rates of 144 Kbps in mobile (outdoor) and two Mbps in fixed (indoor) environments. Analog cellular is the first generation of wireless and digital is the second.

4G (fourth generation): Describes the next generation of future wireless technology, which is still in the developmental stages. Long-term evolution (LTE) has emerged as the leading technology for adoption as 4G.

AWS (advanced wireless services) spectrum: AWS spectrum in the 2 GHz range, which is expected to be utilized in North America for 4G services.

bandwidth: The difference between the top and bottom limiting frequencies of a continuous frequency band, or indicator of the information-carrying capacity of a channel. A greater bandwidth provides a greater information-carrying capacity.

CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission): The federal regulator for radio and television broadcasters, and cable-TV and telecommunications companies in Canada.

digital: A transmission method employing a sequence of discrete, distinct pulses that represent the binary digits 0 and 1 to indicate specific information, in contrast to the continuous signal of analog. Digital networks provide improved clarity, capacity, features and privacy compared to analog systems.

HSPA (high-speed packet access): A 3.5 or higher generation GSM technology capable of delivering wireless data download speeds of up to 30 Mbps.

LTE (long-term evolution): An evolving 4G mobile communications technology, capable of wireless broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbps, with commercial deployment expected to start in 2010 or later.

postpaid: A conventional method of payment for wireless service where a subscriber pays for a significant portion of services and usage in arrears, after consuming the services.

spectrum: The range of electromagnetic radio frequencies used in the transmission of sound, data and video. The capacity of a wireless network is in part a function of the amount of spectrum licensed and utilized by the carrier.

VoIP (voice over Internet protocol): The transmission of voice signals over the Internet or IP network.