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Networking Australia's Future - Glossary

ADSL Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, a method of upgrading a standard copper telephone line so it can deliver up to three video channels bandwidth the range of frequencies required for the transmission of a signal, usually given in hertz bit binary ('zero' or 'one') digit, often used with prefixes kilo (k) meaning one thousand, mega (M) meaning one million, and giga (G) meaning one thousand million bit/s (bits per the speed of information transmission is measured in bits second) per second broadband a general term that reflects the capability to communicate information at a high rate broadband services a range of communications services that use still or moving video, images, sound, text and data singly or in combination CD-ROM compact disc - read only memory CDI compact disc - interactive communicative services that involve the two-way transmission of services information, such as the telephone service content the information carried by the communications links convergence the 'coming together' of formerly distinct technologies, industries or activities; most common usage refers to the convergence of computing, communications and broadcasting technologies compression a process that reduces the amount of data to be stored or transmitted. creative a term used by the Expert Group to encompass the infrastructure environment conducive to the development of broadband networks, related services and creation of content customer premises the equipment needed to convert a communications service equipment into a form in which it is intelligible to the user (for example, a telephone, or a computer screen) digital information expressed in patterns of ones and zeros distributive services that 'distribute' information from one central services point to many receivers, such as television and radio services e-mail electronic mail, messages sent from one computer to another over communication links electronic integrates communications and data management to allow commerce business to automatically interchange information HDTV high definition television, approximately double the resolution of current television hertz the unit of frequency, equivalent to 1 wave cycle per second, often used with prefixes kilo (k) meaning one thousand, mega (M) meaning one million, and giga (G) meaning one thousand million ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network, a digital telecommunications network built to an international set of standards that aims to carry information in a fast and error-free manner Internet a vast international network of networks that enables computers of all kinds to share services and communicate directly interactive services that allow the user to reply to and sometimes services control the information source interconnectivity an ability to link or work together multimedia integrated video, audio, text and graphics, usually in digital form, making it easy to manipulate MDS Multipoint Distribution Services, a terrestrial microwave delivery system able to deliver local audio-visual services. It will be used for pay television narrowband a general term that reflects the capability to communicate information at a low rate narrowband services that require a low data rate for transmission services network the web of communications networks that carries a range infrastructure of services service provider an organisation that collects, stores and packages content for easy access over a communications network set-top unit the device required to convert an incoming signal into a form that is capable of display on a standard television set (also called a decoder or 'black box') telecommuting the replacement of transportation with telecommunications, thereby enabling people to work at or near home terrestrial the transmission of signals over the air by, for example, transmission radio and television (but excluding satellite services) testbed a communications link which allows a range of experimental systems and pilot projects to be evaluated

Document ID: 7920 | Last modified: 6 February 2008, 2:03pm