Cellular & Wireless Glossary

Telecommunications Act of 1996: Federal legislation passed in 1996 intended to increase competition among wireless and wireline carriers for the benefit of consumers.

Termination Charges: Charges incurred by the carrier for having a cellphone call completed by a different carrier network.

Tri-mode handset: Phones that work on three frequencies, typically using 1900 MHz, 800 MHz digital or reverting to 800 MHz analog cellular when digital is not available.

UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System): GSM that is a bridge to 3G technology. The underlying transmission standard is WCDMA.

Universal service: The government's aim, starting in the 1930s, of providing phone service to all, regardless of distance from the switch or ability to pay. Today, universal service encompasses those aims, plus a subsidy to public schools, libraries and rural health care facilities for telecom services.

Voice-activated dialing: A feature available only on selected phones that permits you to dial numbers by calling them out to your cellular phone, instead of dialing them manually. This function is especially convenient for making calls from your vehicle while driving.

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