Technical Dictionary

This section contains common terms used in the world of telecommunications and on the World Wide Web.

A - E

F - J

K - O

P - T

U - Z

 

U

Upstream: In a communications circuit, there are two circuits-one coming to you and one going away from you. Upstream is another term used to describe the channel going away from you.

Uniform Service Order Code (USOC): A USOC is a structured language that allows for the development of software to support service order systems in the telephone industry.

Universal Resource Locator (URL): A URL is a fancy name for an Internet address. A URL is an address that can locate a file on any computer connected to the Internet anywhere in the world.

Username: The name by which you or someone else is known on the Internet. Used when logging into an access provider.

V

Videoconference: Videoconference is to communicate with others using video and audio software and hardware in order to see and to hear each other.

Voice over IP (VoIP): Voice over Internet Protocol. The technology used to transmit voice conversations over a data network using the Internet Protocol.

W

Web: An abbreviation for the Internet's World Wide Web.

Wide Area Network (WAN): A WAN is a data network typically extending a LAN (local area network) outside the building over telephone common carrier lines to link to other LANs in remote buildings or remote cities.

Worm: A program that duplicates itself repeatedly, potentially worming its way through an entire network.

X

XDSL: A generic term-the "X" means generic-for Digital Subscriber Line equipment and services, including ADSL, HDSL, IDSL, SDSL, and VDSL. XDSL technologies provide extremely high bandwidth over the twisted-pair that runs from your phone company's central office to your home or office.

Y

Yottabyte (YB): A unit of measurement for physical data storage on storage devices-including hard disk, optical disk, RAM memory, etc. A Yottabyte is equal to two raised to the 80th power.

Z

Zettabyte (ZB): A unit of measurement for physical data storage on storage devices-including hard disk, optical disk, RAM memory, etc. A zettabyte is equal to two raised to the 70th power.