Mobile Broadband  and  Mobile Data Connection Glossary

Broadband:  Broadband or high-speed Internet access provides users access to the internet and internet-related services. Broadband services for residential consumers typically provide faster dowload speeds (from the internet to computer) than upstream speeds (from computer to internet).

3G broadband: What is 3G broadband? It’s currently the most favored means the majority of mobile phones and mobile computers access the web via a signal from a mobile internet service provider. It is referred to as 3G because it is the ‘third generation’ of mobile technology.  [LeadingPrimary] European and American suppliers have 3G available for mobile subscribers.

Anti-spam: This term refers to computer software programs that help protect cell phone and computer email inboxes from unwanted ’spam’ the digital equivalent of junk mail. Anti-spam applications are only required if using an email client, like Microsoft Outlook, that downloads messages directly to the computer, laptop or mobile phone. On the other hand, webmail, for example Hotmail or Google Mail, will have anti-spam software features already built in.
Anti-spam solutions are divided into four general categories: those that require actions from individuals, those that can be automated by systems administrators, those that can be automated by e-mail senders and those employed by researchers and law enforcement officials.

Anti-virus: This is software used to protect computers, notebooks, and mobile phones from malicious internet (including email) transferred malware.  Malware is malicious software programs typically intended to be intrusive or damaging.  Computer viruses, Trojan horses and worms are common forms of malware.

Malware is not just an annoyance, it typically damages computers and smartphones while potentially stealing personal data.

There are many bad people out there looking to make problems and some kind of anti-virus software program is essential on a broadband-enabled computers, laptops, and or cell phones.   

Namebrand anti-virus software programs like Norton or McAfee are often included by mobile internet service providers and offered for free.  Other people rely on free versions of products like Avast and AVG.  One way or another – the reality is an anti-virus software program is essential to protect computers, laptops, and cell phones.

Anti-spyware: Spyware is wide category of malicious software that can implant itself on laptops, and smartphones across broadband internet connections. Spyware is designed to intercept or take partial control of a computer or cell phone operation without permission from the device’s owner or legitimate user.  Spyware is a type of malware installed on computers that secretly collects information about users without their knowledge.  Including private information like websites used or content of emails.

Capping:  In mobile internet connection  terminology capping describes a cap, or limitation, on the data allowed to download on a specific contract.  When the cap is exceeded, additional fees often apply.

Dongle: In mobile internet connection  terminology dongle has been almost universally adopted to describe the small device that plugs into another internet-enabled device to receive a mobile data connection  signal.  Often just referred to as a stick, the dongle allows devices to access mobile broadband just like a smartphone.

Bandwidth Download speed: Bandwidth Download speed refers to how quickly a file (of information) can be downloaded from a remote source.  This mobile internet connection term  describes how fast a connection can deliver data to a computer.  A download can be anything from emails or a web page to live, streaming television, video or a software program.    The download speed is measured by how much of the file is transferred to you over a certain amount of time.  It used to be most download speeds were measured in kb/s, kilobytes per second, or thousands of (data) bytes per second; however fortunately now it is more common to measure this connection speed it megabytes or millions of bytes per second.

Femtocells: Femtocells use network and boost the 3G signal to make smartphones - and devices with a dongle – work better.   A femtocell is a wireless access point that provides localized 3G broadband coverage.  Typically it is very small base station that receives data connection provider or ISP signals and boosts it around a small area, such as your house, office or event center.  They are expected to become quite common and will be important in location based services and marketing.

Firewall: A firewall is a software component used to stop unwanted traffic arriving on computers, laptops or handsets via the internet. The firewall will analyze arriving data that connect to the computers, laptops or mobile phones, and if it doesn’t meet the settings allocated to it, the data transfer will be halted.

A good firewall virus software program is essential to protect computers, laptops, and cell phones with a broadband connection.   Malicious data can sometimes get around  firewall protection and a firewall alone cannot  keep computer  and cell phone safety.

Fixed-line: Fixed-line broadband is a term used to describe either cable or ADSL internet connections.  The term is mostly used to differentiate fixed-line broadband from mobile broadband which is wireless and uses a mobile broadband signal network.

Gb (or gigabit): Giga means one billion. Gb  (note the small b) an abbreviation of   gigabit, a unit used to describe the speed at which data travels across an internet connection (also sometimes written as Gbps, or gigabits per second). Current broadband connections are measured in Mb (megabits per second) - there are 1024Mb in 1Gb.

GB (or Gbps, or gigabyte): GB is short for  gigabyte, which is often used to express the size of computer files and memory storage capacity. There are 1024 bytes in a kilobyte (KB), 1024 kilobytes in a megabyte (MB), and 1024 megabytes in a gigabyte. To provide and example, a small Notepad file is typically measured in bytes, a basic Word document in kilobytes, a music file in megabytes and a DVD movie in gigabytes.

HSPA, HSDPA, HSUPA: HSPA stands for ‘high speed packet access’. HSDPA is an acronym for ‘high speed download packet access’ and HSUPA stands ‘high speed upload’ packet access’, each describes the same technology either sending or receiving data.  It is the latest advancement in quality for mobile broadband usage, working on various 3G mobile broadband networks to improve the speed of data transfer.

HSPA Evolved, HSPA+: The next generation of HSPA is Evolved HSPA (or HSPA+) with potential mobile broadband speeds up to 42Mb.

ISP:ISP is an acronym for internet service provider.

KB (or Kbps, or kilobyte): KB is an abbreviation  kilobyte, which is a term used to express  the size of computer files and storage capacity.

LTE: LTE stands for Long Term Evolution, and is one of the next generation of mobile broadband technologies.  It is supposed to be capable of data transfer rates 15 to 100 times faster than current 3G mobile networks.

Mb (or Mbps, or megabit): Mb is an abbreviation of Megabit, and also written as Mbps, which stands for megabits per second.  Mb commonly is used to express the measurement of internet speeds. A Mb is 1024Kb, while there are 1024Mb in a Gb.

MB (or megabyte): MB is short for for megabyte, which is a term used to express the size of computer files and storage capacity.

Mi-Fi (or MiFi): Is a wireless router that, like a dongle, receives a mobile broadband signal. However, unlike a dongle (which plugs directly into a laptop or other internet enabled device), the Mi-Fi device distributes the signal wirelessly via Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi: Pronounced ‘why-fye’, Wi-Fi is short for Wireless Fidelity. It is a trademarked term of the Wi-Fi Alliance that refers to certified products that belong to a class of wireless local area network (WLAN) devices based on the IEEE 802.11 standards.

However, in common usage it is taken by most to mean any electronic items that function over a Wi-Fi network, technically but seldom referred to as a WLAN.  Wi-Fi is the term more often referred to rather than the term technical IEEE 802.11 technology.

WiMAX: This expression is an abbreviation of Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access - a new broadband technology that has potential to provide a wireless broadband alternative without the need for cables. Like LTE, WiMAX is being touted as the next generation of mobile broadband.
WLAN: WLAN is a contraction of for wireless local area network, and is more typically called Wi-Fi.

A high-quality software suite for Smartphone SMS Monitoring, GPS Location Tracking, MMS Monitoring and Phone Event Log archive with a Web Account is PhoneBeagle.  Follow this link if you are interested in    Mobile Monitoring Software that is compatible with BlackBerry  and  Android  Smartphones,.    Visit this link for more information regarding the latest software for  
Parental Control and Employee Monitoring of Mobile Phones .