Symmetric DSL which usually has a slower maximum download speed than an ADSL over the same connection. Useful for high levels of data being sent and for VoIP applications.

A description of the Cable TV and Cable Internet network in Australia. Optical fibre is used in all exchanges and hubs, and coaxial cables run from the hubs to customer premises.

Hotspots are public WLANs located in airports, hotels, conference centres and other public areas across the UK and the rest of Europe. (You may have seen the logo in your local Starbucks Coffee Shops.) When you`re within range of a Hotspot, you can connect wirelessly to the Internet via your laptop or PDA. Presently there are hundreds of Hotspots throughout the UK and the rest of Europe, with many more planned for the very near future.

The authoring software for webpages. Web Browsers read HTML code to present webpages as they are intended.

Protocol for the operation of the internet. Webpages consist of text, images, etc. and HTTP is the protocol for their transfer between users and servers.

Frequency rate measurement as cycles per second. Typically, Hz are used when quantifying wave transmissions such as EMR (eg. light, x-rays, UV, radio (including mobile phone transmissions), television, electrical current, etc.) and sound.

Wholesaler of internet bandwidth to ISPs. See ISPs (Internet Service Providers).

Non-profit organisation which is the worldwide central body for administration of IP addresses and domain names used on the internet.

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.

Global standards for 3G mobile network performance, from the ITU (International Telecommunications Union).

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.

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.

Infrared is similar to Bluetooth in that it`s another method of peer-to-peer networking. Here data is transmitted via radio waves across short distances from device to device. (The range data can be sent using infrared is shorter than with Bluetooth.) You could, for instance, send a text document to a colleague by bringing your notebooks close together and exchanging the data via each device`s infrared port.

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.

Video, voice or data interaction over a communications channel. Inputs may be from either party.

NDD call between any of the Australian capital cities: Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney.

Fee charged for routing a mobile phone call to a landline.

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.)

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.

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. See also Roaming.

Process of routing a telecommunications connection between two countries through an intermediary country.

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

See VoIP

A private IP network. (Not to be confused with the internet.)

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.