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#MobileFocus: Mobile glossary

28 Jun 2016

In its latest Mobility Report (June 2016), Ericsson published a handy glossary, listing some of the key acronyms and terms used in mobile-speak today. Print and keep!

Image by 123RF

2G: 2nd generation mobile networks (GSM, CDMA 1x)

3G: 3rd generation mobile networks (WCDMA/HSPA, TD-SCDMA, CDMA EV-DO, Mobile WiMax)

3GPP: 3rd Generation Partnership Project

4G: 4th generation mobile networks (LTE, LTE-A)

5G: 5th generation mobile networks (not yet standardised)

ARPU: Average Revenue Per User, a measure of the revenue generated per user or unit

Basic phone: Non-smartphone

CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate

CAPEX: Capital Expenditure

CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access

DL: Downlink

EB: ExaByte, 1018 bytes

EDGE: Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution

EVS: Enhanced Voice Services

FDD: Frequency Division Duplex

GB: GigaByte, 109 bytes

GHz: Gigahertz

Gpbs: Gigabits per second

GSA: Global Supplier Association

GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications

GSMA: GSM Association

HSPA: High Speed Packet Access

ICT: Information and Communications Technology

IMS: IP Multimedia Subsystem

ITU: International Telecommunication Union

IoT: Internet of Things

ISP: Internet Service Provider

LTE: Long-Term Evolution

MB: MegaByte, 106 bytes

MBB: Mobile Broadband (defined as CDMA2000 EV-DO, HSPA, LTE, Mobile WiMax and TD-SCDMA)

Mbps: Megabits per second

MHz: Megahertz

MIMO: Multiple Input Multiple Output

Mobile PC: Defined as laptop or desktop PC devices with built-in cellular modem or external USB dongle

Mobile router: A device with a cellular network connection to the internet and Wi-Fi or ethernet connection to one or several clients (such as PCs or tablets)

MTC: Machine-Type Communication

NFV: Network Function Virtualization

OPEX: Operational Expenditure

OS: Operating System

PB: PetaByte 1015 bytes

QAM: Quadrature Amplitude Modulation

RCS: Rich Communication Services

RTT: Round Trip Time

SEK: Swedish Krona

Smartphone: Mobile phones with open OS, e.g. iPhones, Android OS phones, Windows phones but also Symbian and Blackberry OS

TD-SCDMA: Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access

TDD: Time Division Duplex