Aussie Phone Brokers - Telecommunications Glossary
'I' Glossary Terms
- IAP - Internet Access Provider
- Wholesaler of Internet bandwidth to ISPs.
Related: ISP - Internet Service Providers - IAP - Internet Assistance Program
- A discontinued program of the Federal Government and Telstra, designed to benchmark dial-up Internet service performance.
- ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
- Non-profit organisation which is the worldwide central body for administration of IP addresses and domain names used on the internet.
- ICT - Information and Communication Technology
- Denotes the implementation, use, storage, transfer and modification of communication information. ICT (and IT&T) are used to refer to IT fields specifically dealing with the telecommunications industry.
Related: IT - Information Technology - IDD - International Direct Dialling
- Connection of a call to an international destination number without the aid of an operator. IDD is still in common use because it is used to quote international calling rates. IDD can be done from fixed lines or from mobiles. Not to be confused with international roaming calls, see below.
- IIA - The Internet Industry Association
- Australia's national Internet industry organisation. Members are drawn from telecommunications carriers, content creators and publishers, web developers, e-commerce traders and solutions providers, hardware vendors, systems integrators, banks, insurance underwriters, technology law firms, ISPs, educational institutions, research analysts, and those providing professional and technical support services.
- IMEI - International Mobile Equipment Identifier
- The unique serial number of a mobile handset. The 15-digit IMEI is imprinted electronically into the handset, printed on the box (of new phones) and is also printed on the handset (inside the cover). When activation of a handset takes place, the IMEI is registered by the service provider.
- i-mode
- A packet data standard which can operate over GPRS or 3G to deliver (especially) email. Mobile handsets must be i-mode capable.
- IMT2000
- Global standards for 3G mobile network performance, from the ITU (International Telecommunications Union).
- Included Calls
- The cost of calls, messages and other uses which the minimum monthly cost allows. May apply to mobiles or to landline phone services. Most often, the included calls match the minimum monthly spend. Included calls may be measured in minutes or in dollar value.
- Industry Code of Practice
- See Telecommunications Code of Practice
- Inmarsat - International Maritime Satellite Organisation
- The providers of coverage for some satellite phones. This satellite network provides coverage to 100% of Australia. Sat Phones are often kept for emergency use in remote areas.
- In-place Service
- Alternately called an in-place number or an in-place line. The service may be reconnected without a technician site visit. A service is in-place if there has been a previous connection at the address and the line remains in-place. A phone line with a dial tone is an in-place service, and in some cases a line without a dial tone may be considered in-place.
- Intelsat - International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation
- Previously called INTELSAT. This consortium of government agencies, worldwide, provides a global communications satellite system.
- Interactive Services
- Video, voice or data interaction over a communications channel. Inputs may be from either party.
- Intercapital Call
- NDD call between any of the Australian capital cities: Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. Some providers make this distinction from STD calls to regional centres, and provide different call rates.
Related: STD Calls - Interconnection Fee
- Fee charged for routing a mobile phone call to a landline.
- Interference
- Degradation of a desired communications signal by interference from another signal source. May be caused by naturally occurring ambient EMR (Electromagnetic Radiation) or by other electrical devices producing EMR.
Related: EMR - Electromagnetic Radiation - Internal Handsfree
- Feature of a mobile phone handset which incorporates the handsfree feature. Handsfree is the ability to converse on a mobile phone without using one's hands to hold the handset.
- Internal IP Address
- IP address of a computer on an intranet. Computers use IP addresses to identify one another. (Not to be confused with an External IP address.)
- International Call
- Calls that originate in one country and terminate in another. The call may be either operator assisted or direct dialled (eg. IDD calls). Applies to both mobile phones and to landlines.
- International Direct Dialling
- See IDD, above.
- International Mobile Call Rate
- The rate charged for calls to mobiles which are registered internationally. (This is not the same as the rate for calls to Australian mobiles whilst they are overseas.) See International Roaming, below.
- International Roaming
- Allows a mobile phone to be used overseas when a roaming agreement exists between the user's Australian mobile phone company and a mobile phone company overseas.
Related: Roaming - International Switched Transit
- Process of routing a telecommunications connection between two countries through an intermediary country.
- International Telecommunications Union
- See ITU, below.
- Internet
- The global network of computer networks, which provides access to millions of resources. Information is transferred using the TCP/IP protocols. Simple user interfaces which
- Internet Call
- Voice call made by IP data encoding, transmission and decoding. One type of VoIP. The call is not routed over the traditional phone system and is therefore (typically) free. Charges may apply if the call is terminated to a traditional fixed service or mobile service.
Related: VoIP Calls - Internet Content Codes
- Codes developed by the Internet Industry Association (IIA) which apply to all Australian ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and ICHs (Internet Content Hosts). The codes are intended to provide Internet users with access to Internet safety tools and information. Mobile users are also protected from inappropriate content. The ABA may direct an ISP or ICH to comply with a code if satisfied that they are not already doing so.
- Intranet
- A private IP network. (Not to be confused with the internet.)
- IP - Internet Protocol
- Protocol for data packet transfers. Forms the basis for most networks, including the Internet. IP packets are data packets consisting of a header and attached data. Packets are often sent using a TCP (Transfer Control Protocol) to aid delivery. At the terminus of the data transmission, IP packets are reassembled into the original data form.
- IP Address
- A numeric IP address, which often can be translated into a webpage address (External IP Address) or a computer's address in an intranet (Internal IP Address). Computers use IP addresses as identifiers.
- IR - Infrared
- Non-visible part of the EMS (Electromagnetic Spectrum) which can be used as a wireless communications medium. Line-of-sight transmissions only.
- ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network
- Integrated services over a traditional telephone line. The line is altered at the exchange to provide either an ISDN2 or ISDN10/20/30 connection. ISDN2, also called BRI, is a converted single copper pair into two 64 Kbps 'B' channels which may be used for voice or data. There is an additional 16Kbps 'D' data signal channel created also. ISDN2 can be used to provide 2 voice lines on the same copper pair. ISDN10/20/30, also called PRI, is a converted single copper pair (ordinary telephone line) into thirty 64 Kbps 'B' channels which may be used for voice or data. There is an additional 64Kbps 'D' data signal channel created also. ISDN10/20/30 can provide 10, 20 or 30 voice channels over the same copper line.
- ISP - Internet Service Provider
- Company which retails Internet connections to customers. An IAP (Internet Access Provider) wholesales bandwidth to ISPs, who in turn package and sell the bandwidth to the end customers. ISPs have also extended their range of products, often providing website hosting and other products.
- IT - Information Technology
- All encompassing term to denote the implementation, use, storage, transfer and modification of information. Typically IT deals with computing, networks and communications. Sometimes IT&T and ICT are used to refer to IT fields specifically dealing with the telecommunications industry. See also ICT.
- Itemised Billing
- Presentation of a phone bill on a call-by-call basis. Itemised calls show call information such as: number called from, date of call, time of call, number called, duration of the call, and the cost of the call. Often additional information is supplied, such as: rate plan applied to that call, whether the number dialled is considered OnNet, and others. Aussie Phone Brokers makes use of this information to recalculate each phone call according to a range of plans applied.
- ITU - International Telecommunications Union
- A divisional agency of the United Nations. International organization established to standardise and regulate international radio and telecommunications.
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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