Aussie Phone Brokers - Telecommunications Glossary
'H' Glossary Terms
- Handoff
- Transferring of a mobile call from one base station to another, without drop-out.
- Handset
- Overall, a handset is any hand-held device which is used to make and receive phone calls. Refers to mobile phones, cordless phones or landline handsets. However, usually refers to a mobile phone handset. Also called a mobile, cell, cell phone or cellular phone. Cordless handsets are also called portable phones, DECT phones (common-use language) or wireless phones. Landline handsets may refer to a stand alone handset directly connected to a socket or to a handset which is part of a phone system (eg. a handset connected to a PABX).
- Handset Included
- Mobile phone handset which is included in the offer of a mobile phone contract. The handset may be subsidised, free or $0. Subsidised handsets may be bought outright or included as a monthly charge. Free handsets are free, with 'no strings attached'. $0 (called 'zero-dollar') handsets are offered at no charge, so long as the customer remains in contract with the provider. After the contract period is finished, a $0 handset is owned by the customer.
- Handsfree
- The ability to converse on a mobile phone without using one's hands to hold the handset.
- Handsfree Car Kit
- Hardware for use in a vehicle, which allows the use of a mobile phone in a handsfree manner. Some optional features of car kits: cradle for holding the handset; battery charger; external antennas. All car kits have a microphone and speaker.
- Handsfree Kit
- Hardware extension accessory for phones which allows the user to converse without having the handset next to their ear. May be a mobile or fixed service accessory.
- Handshake
- Signals between two network nodes (eg. a mobile handset and a base station, a wireless laptop and a wireless router, etc.) which precede inter-operation. Often a handshake will incorporate security authorisation.
- HDSL - High Capacity Digital Subscriber Line
- Symmetric DSL which usually has a slower maximum download speed than an ADSL over the same connection. Useful for high levels of data being sent and for VoIP applications.
- Hertz (Hz)
- The number of cycles (or completed alternations) per second. Typically, Hertz may be used to quantify wave transmissions such as EMR (eg. light, x-rays, UV, radio (including mobile phone transmissions), television, electrical current, etc.) and sound.
Related: Frequency - HFC - Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (Cable)
- A description of the Cable TV and Cable Internet network in Australia. Optical fibre is used in all exchanges and hubs, and coaxial cables run from the hubs to customer premises.
- HiBIS
- HiBIS was an Australian Government program providing access to higher bandwidth services for people in regional, rural and remote Australia at prices comparable to those available in metropolitan Australia. Internet connections were made through ADSL or Satellite. The Broadband Connect Scheme (launched 1 January 2006) has replaced HiBIS (ended 31 December 2005).
Related: Broadband Connect Scheme - High-gain Antenna
- In telecommunications use, a high-gain antenna is a 'booster antenna' used to improve the range of mobile reception. Gain (improvement) is measured in dB.
Related: dB - Decibel - HTML - Hypertext Markup Language
- The authoring software for webpages. Web Browsers read HTML code to present webpages as they are intended.
- HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol
- Protocol for the operation of the Internet. Webpages consist of text, images, etc. and HTTP is the protocol for their transfer between users and servers.
- Hz - Hertz
- Frequency rate measurement as cycles per second. Typically, Hz are used when quantifying wave transmissions such as EMR (eg. light, x-rays, UV, radio (including mobile phone transmissions), television, electrical current, etc.) and sound.
These pages contains commonly used terms and their definitions for the Australian telecommunications industry. The terms found here refer to the ICT industry (Information and Communication Technology), IT industry (Information Technology) and the general Telecommunications Industry - including Mobile Telecommunications, Fixed Line services and IP telecommunications.
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