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CALEA
(Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act)
A 1994 law granting law enforcement agencies the ability
to wiretap new digital networks and requiring wireless
and wireline carriers to enable eavesdropping equipment
use in digital networks.
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Calling party pays
This service bills the originator of a call to a wireless
device rather than the receiver and is more common
in other countries than in the United States. However,
many U.S. carriers are pushing for calling party pays,
since it would probably increase minutes of use.
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CDMA
(code division multiple access)
A spread spectrum approach to digital transmission.
With CDMA, each conversation is digitized and then
tagged with a code. The mobile phone is then instructed
to decipher only a particular code to pluck the right
conversation off the air. The process can be compared
in some ways to an English-speaking person picking
out in a crowded room of French speakers the only
other person who is speaking English.
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CDPD
(cellular digital packet data)
An enhanced system overlay for transmitting and receiving
data over cellular networks. Technology that allows
data files to be broken into a number of "packets"
and sent along idle channels of existing cellular
voice networks.
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Cell
The basic geographic unit of a cellular system. Also,
the basis for the generic industry term "cellular."
A city or county is divided into smaller "cells,"
each of which is equipped with a low-powered radio
transmitter/receiver. The cells can vary in size depending
upon terrain, capacity demands, etc. By controlling
the transmission power, the radio frequencies assigned
to one cell can be limited to the boundaries of that
cell. When a wireless phone moves from one cell toward
another, a computer at the Mobile Telephone Switching
Office (MTSO) monitors the movement and at the proper
time, transfers or hands off the phone call to the
new cell and another radio frequency. The handoff
is performed so quickly that it’s not noticeable to
the callers.
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Cell site
The location where the wireless antenna and network
communications equipment is placed.
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Cell Splitting
A means of increasing the capacity of a cellular
system by subdividing or splitting cells into two
or more smaller cells.
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Cellemetry
Brand name for Cellemetry LLC's telemetry service,
which uses the cellular network to carry data messaging
used for remote services such as utility meter reading,
vending machine status and vehicle or trailer tracking.
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Channel
A path along which a communications signal is transmitted.
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Circuit
Switching
A switched circuit is only maintained while the sender
and recipient are communicating, as opposed to a dedicated
circuit which is held open regardless of whether data
is being sent or not.
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Churn
A measure of the number of subscribers who leave
or switch to another carrier's service.
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CORBA
(Common Object Request Broker Architecture)
OMG's (Object Management Group) CORBA standard, established
in 1991, provides a set of common interfaces through
which object-oriented software can communicate, regardless
of computer platform.
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ClassLink
A program of the CTIA Foundation providing wireless
phones to schools for teacher use and student Internet
access.
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CLEC
(competitive local exchange carrier)
A new entrant providing local wireline phone service.
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Cloning
A wireless phone programmed with stolen or duplicated
electronic serial and mobile identification numbers.
At the urging of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry
Association, President Clinton signed into law in
April of 1998 the Wireless Telephone Protection Act
(PL 105-172). The legislation amends the Federal criminal
code to prohibit knowingly using, producing, trafficking
in, having control or custody of, or possessing hardware
or software knowing that it has been configured to
insert or modify telecommunication identifying information
associated with or contained in a telecommunications
instrument so that such instrument may be used to
obtain telecommunications service without authorization.
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CMRS (commercial mobile radio service)
An FCC designation for any carrier or licensee whose
wireless network is connected to the public switched
telephone network and/or is operated for profit.
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Collocation
Placement of multiple antennas at a common physical
site to reduce environmental impact and real estate
costs and speed zoning approvals and net work deployment.
Collocation can be affected by competitive and interference
factors. Some companies act as brokers, arranging
for sites and coordinating several carriers' antennas
at a single site.
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Cost Recovery
Reimbursement to CMRS providers of both recurring
and nonrecurring costs associated with any services,
operation, administration or maintenance of wireless
E911 service. Costs include, but are not limited to,
the costs of design, development, upgrades, equipment,
software and other expenses associated with the implementation
of wireless E911 service.
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CPE
(consumer premise equipment)
Telephones, PBXs and other communications devices
located in the home or office.
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CPNI
(customer proprietary network information)
The carrier's data about a specific customer's
service and usage. The FCC restricts CPNI use in marketing,
banning win-back efforts specifically aimed at high-usage
customers who have quit a network.
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