Glossary Of Terms

The public communications industry's array of terms and acronyms can prove to be confusing to those entering the business. The following is a glossary of some of the industry's most widely-used terms, designed to be removed from the center of the magazine for your convenience.

[A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z]

011 - Dialing code for international calling.

211 Call - A three-digit phone number to reach local Community Information and Referral Services.

311 Call - A three-digit phone number for non-emergency calls to local government agencies.

411 Call - A three-digit phone number for local directory assistance.

511 Call - A three-digit phone number for traveler information services.

611 Call - A three-digit phone number for LEC repair service.

711 Call - A three-digit phone number for telephone relay services that facilitate calls between persons using Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDD) and persons not using such devices.

911 Call - A three-digit phone number for an emergency.

APCC - Acronym for the American Public Communi-cations Council, Inc., the National Trade Association of more than 1,800 indpendent (non-telephone company) providers of pay telephone equipment & services. APCC’s purpose is to promote fair competition and high standards of service in the payphone and public communications market.

Access Charge - Cost associated with connecting to a network. Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) collect access charges from both customers and long distance companies.

Access System - All necessary equipment, lines, computer controls and signaling required to access a network.

Allocation Area (AA) - Designated by the FCC, an AA is used to assign a long distance company to those who do not choose. Allocations are usually based on existing market shares of the equal access carriers in that calling area.

ANI ii - Widely used technology that sends a two-digit code along with the origination telephone number to the receiving carrier. The transmitted ANI ii codes, hard-wired as part of the switch’s generic software, identify as “27” if the call is from a dumb payphone or “07” for a restricted line which includes smart payphone as well as other types of facilities, such as hotel, motel, universities and others.

Answer Supervision - To accurately start billing, when the called party answers the phone, thus assuring the price of your calls will be accurate.

Area Code - As part of the North American Numbering Plan, area codes designate a certain area within a state for geographical call routing. The official telecommunications term is NPA or Numbering Plan Area.

Authorization Code - Extra digits dialed to identify a customer. Authorization codes are required for services where the calling number cannot be billed, such as in travel services. Many long distance services originate calls in a manner that doesn’t allow for automatic number identification, so customer identification by an authorization is required. Additionally, the code acts as a security check against unauthorized use.

Automated Operator - This technology eliminates the need for a live operator for certain types of calls. Automated calling cards record the digits to bill from the telephone keypad. Automated collect calls record the caller’s name, play it to the person called, and wait for acknowledgment of acceptance.

Automatic Number Identification (ANI) - With this technology, the local exchange carrier provides a long distance carrier with the caller’s telephone number as a means of identification. No extra digits are necessary for caller identification.

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Band - An incremental step for billing purposes usually associated with distance or geographical areas. While intrastate rate bands differ by state, interstate rate bands are fairly standard for most long distance carriers. Rate bands are usually expressed in miles.

Bell Operating Company (BOC) -There are 22 of these local telephone companies providing local services to over 80 percent of the U.S. They are owned and operated by one of seven Regional Bell Holding Companies (RHCs), which were formed by the divestiture of AT&T.

Billed Party Preference (BPP) - A technology that enables the caller to select a carrier when placing a call from any telephone. The billed party’s primary inter-exchange carrier for the account is determined when a caller dials calling card digits or places a collect call. The call is then placed over that carrier.

Blocking - A process that prevents certain types of calls to be made to or from customer premise equipment, keeping users from accessing alternate networks or completing any non-billable calls. This is most common in Operator Services, where the payphone owner blocks access to other networks which would yield no revenue.

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CACD - Acronym for the Commission on Advisory and Compliance Division of the California Public Utilities Commission

CIC - Acronym for Carrier Information Code. The 10XXX or 10XXXX to enable company code dialing to the carrier of choice.

CLC - Acronym for Competitive Local Carriers—a common carrier who is issues a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPNC) to provide local exchange telecommunications service for a geographic area specified by such carrier.
COCOT - Acronym for Customer-Owned, Coin-Operated Telephone. Privately owned payphones, not belonging to the LEC.

CPA - Acronym for the California Payphone Association

Calling Card Call (CCC) - Calls placed and billed to a local or long distance credit card. The caller can dial the credit card digits or verbally transmit them to an operator—the latter being more expensive. A billing database validates the credit card digits and the PIN (personal identification number), making sure they correspond.

Call Detail - A listing of individuals times, changes, and numbers on a customer’s invoice or statement. Some companies provide call detail, and some provide only summary information.

Carrier - Originally used for a long distance company that leases the facilities to carry a call, the term is now used to describe companies that resell other services without leasing facilities. Generally, a carrier is the company who bills for calls under its own name.

Carrier Common Line Charge - A per minute charge paid by long distance carriers for the maintenance of the local poles and wires necessary to access a customer.

Casual Calling - A phrase referring to dialing 10-XXX to place a call over an alternate carrier that may not have the capability to bill the call. This is usually associated with unauthorized calls where the carrier receives Automatic Number Identification but lacks a means to direct a bill to a physical customer location.

Central Office - Building that houses local switching equipment and serves as the primary operating and service center for all telephones in its geographical area.

Coin Line - A central office line which provides call rating, coin supervision, routing and answer detect. Most often used with a dumb payphone.

Collect Call - For a collect call, the called party accepts the charges. This is done through a live operator or is automated, where the caller’s voice is recorded and played to the person called.

Common Carrier - Any long distance company sharing the local network with other long distance companies.

Company-Code Dialing - Dialing the access code for the carrier you wish to use before you dial the phone number of the person you wish to call.

Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) - A facilities based or a reseller of services provided by the Local Exchange Carrier.

CPSD - Acronym for Consumer Protection and Safety Division at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

Customer Premises Equipment -Equipment on the customer’s premises that is leased from the telephone company or owned by the customer. (Also known as customer provided equipment.)

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Debit Card - A card that automatically deducts charges from your checking or other established account. There is no credit involved with using a debit card. When you use the debit card, funds are transferred from your established account to the account of the supplier.

Demarc - The demarcation point between the wiring that your local telephone company and the wiring you install to connect your own telephone.

Deregulation - Changes ordered by state and federal regulators and the courts to introduce competition into the telecommunications industry.

Dial Around Compensation - Refers to the payments that IXCs make to PSP providers for access code calls made from Payphones. Access codes (10XXX, 950-XXXX, or 1-800-XXX XXXX) allow the caller to be connected to an IXC other that the pre-subscribed OSP. Dial Around Compensation exists to ensure that the PSP provider receives some revenue for the gateway function performed by the payphone in providing access to IXCs.

Dialer - A device that automatically dials preprogrammed numbers to complete a call or to gain access to a network. Dialers are used by long distance resellers and other carriers who wish to capture intraLATA traffic. When a dialer hears a 1 before a number, it pulses access numbers and authorization codes. While pulsing the access codes, the dialer stores the digits being dialed. It then releases the called digits to the switch for screening.

Divestiture - The landmark event in the telecommunications industry, divesture occurred when AT&T divested itself of its local service operations on January 1, 1984. At this time, seven Regional Holding Companies (RHCs) were formed to own and operate the 22 local Bell Operating Companies. AT&T retained the long distance service and the equipment manufacturing unit. The Divestiture decree, called the Modified Final Judgement, set the framework for the future of the entire industry.

Domain Name System (DNS) - A system for translating numeric Internet addresses into strings of word segments denoting user names and locations.

Domestic Calling - Calls originating and terminating within the United States mainland, Alaska and Hawaii. Call originating domestically and terminating in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are also included.

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Equal Access - Policy through which local telephone companies must provide network facilities that are equal in quality, type, and price to all long-distance companies.

Exchange - A group of area codes and prefixes which makes up a local calling area.

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Federal Communications Commiss-ion (FCC) - Established by the Communi-cations Act of 1934 and part of the Executive Branch, this federal agency is responsible for regulating interstate telecommunications, television and radio. The FCC is directly responsible for overseeing AT&T and the Regional Holding Companies.

Fee-Based Services - Services which offer a reduced per minute charge in exchange for monthly service fee.

Fiber Optics - The concept or method of using a laser to transmit infrared and visible light frequencies through a low-gloss glass fiber. The most economical means of transporting a call.

Flat Rate - Local service for which customers pay a regular monthly charge for unlimited calls within a local area.

Flex ANI - A switch software feature which enables the transmission of additional coding digits with a call that can identify calls as coming from a payphone. Flex ANI codes are generated from the end office and are out-pulsed with the call.

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Ground Start - A method to signal the CO that the calling party has gone off-hook. A telephone line can either ground start or loop start.

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Hand Set - The part of the telephone unit that contains the receiver and the microphone.

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IRD - The Implemented Rate Design decision 94-09-065 was issued September, 1994. This decision provided for intraLATA toll competition effective January 1, 1995.

Independent Telephone Company -Any of over 1,400 local telephone companies that serves a local area not covered by Bell Operating Companies. Each has a unique sophistication and service offering. The best known are United Telecom, GTE and Rochester Telephone.

Inside Wire - Wiring in a building that connects phone jacks to outside phone lines; it is the customer’s responsibility to maintain and repair inside wire.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) - The ability to interact or be in conversational mode with a computer. Interactive voice response uses remote touch-tone telephones and a digitized synthesized voice to “read” the screen to the distant caller.

Inter-exchange Carrier (IXC) - A common carrier for handling traffic between LATAs. Although a carrier may carry intraLATA calls, the term inter-exchange carrier us usually associated with interLATA calls.

InterLATA Calling - Calls from one LATA to another.

International Calling - Calls originating in the U.S. and terminating in foreign countries, including Canada and Mexico. Calls from the U.S. to Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands are considered domestic calling.

International Direct Distance Dialing (IDD) - The dialing pattern by which International calls are made. The pattern included the country code, city code and the local telephone number.

International Toll-free Service (ITFS) - Introduced in 1984 as an alternative to operator-assisted collect calling, ITFS service allows providers to offer a toll-free calling service for international calls. A different ITFS number is required for each country.

Interstate Calling - Calls from one state to another, regulated by the FCC and considered very competitive.

IntraLATA Calling - Calls made between two points within a single LATA.

Intrastate Calling - Calls made between two points within a state, and governed by the appropriate state agency, usually a Public Service Commission or Public Utility Commission. State rules concerning intrastate calls differ from allowing no competition to permitting limited competition, to having no regulation at all.

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Local Access and Transport Area (LATA) - Any area where a local exchange carrier provides local and intraLATA service, and access to inter-exchange carriers for interLATA service. The Department of Justice creates LATAs at Divestiture in order to “even-out” the local calling areas served by the AT&T monopoly. Areas not served by the AT&T monopoly were not designated as LATAs, but are usually included in LATA lists.

Local Area Network (LAN) -Networks make sharing of data and equipment resources possible by connecting computers and other data devices to a single host. LANs can be very economical and efficient in a multi-user environment.

Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) - A company owning and operating the lines and equipment that provide local service to an area. The local exchange carrier could be one of 1, 400 companies that provide local services, including the Bell Operating Companies, Verizon, United Telephone or Rochester Telephone. State agencies regulate local exchange carriers very closely by monitoring revenues, costs, quality standards and every other aspect of their business. The local exchange carrier maintains the local network for the use of the customer, and for the use of the long distance carrier to access the customer.

Local Loop - The physical wiring that runs from the subscriber’s telephone to the telephone company’s central office.

Local Number Portability (LNP) - The ability of an end user to retain its telephone number when the end-user changes LECs while remaining in the same physical location.

Long Distance Switching (LDS) - A technology which receives information from a local exchange carrier and selects a terminating route based on that information. Switching equipment makes decisions from screening digits and continuous monitoring of available circuits.

Loop Start - With loop start, you “start” (seize) a phone line by bridging through both wires of your telephone line.

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MPOE - The acronym for the minimum point of entry where the demarc will be placed for PSP pay telephones, usually located where existing telephone services enters into a building and/or location.

MTS - Acronym for Message Telecommuni-cations Service. MTS is a pricing mechanism used for the pricing of toll calls.

Measured Service - Network service that is billed by the time and/or distance involved in setting up and maintaining service.

Message Detail Recording (MDR) - A technology where information on each call is recorded. Includes billing information, the calling & called numbers and call duration.

Minimum Average Time Require-ment (MATR) - With this method of billing a minimum duration is billed regardless of whether the call actually lasts that long. Signaling and set up incur costs, so some long distance carriers require the average duration to be a minimum amount, and bill that amount if the actual average is below that minimum.

Multiplexer (MUX) - For the purpose of transmitting simultaneous conversations over the same circuit, this devise connects several lines or facilities into a single pattern.

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NPA - Acronym for Numbering Plan Area, the area code portion of a telephone number.

Non Sent Paid - Calls made as third party billings, with a Calling Card, or as reversed charges.

North American Dialing Plan (NADP) - A numbering system that manages numbering requirements. The numbering plan included, among other things, an area code (NPA), an exchange code (NXX), and a station code (XXXX), to form a ten-digit telephone number. While NADP is used in North America where it is administered by Bellcore, other countries use their own methods for identifying customers and routing calls.

North American Numbering Plan (NANP) - The process for assigning 10-digit (3+3+4) North American telephone numbers. Developed by the Bell System.

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OANAD - Acronym for Open Access Network Architecture Development.

Operator Assisted Calling - Any call where an operator, live or automated, is necessary to manage call connection and billing. To insure proper billing, collect, third party billed, and person to person are usually operator assisted. Credit card calls where the customer dials without an operator are classified under the term Operator Services. This is due to the additional charges and not operator assistance.

Operator Service Provider (OSP) -A long distance carrier that provides live or automated operators to assist callers with placing certain calls. Most regulatory agencies classify operator services into two types: traditional operator service providers and alternative operator service providers.

Option Calling Plan - This billing option for regular long distance has the potential to reduce cost through a fixed monthly fee in exchange for reduced per minute changes. There is a break even point for analysis of these services.

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PAL - Acronym for Public Access Line, to be used with a payphone.

PBX - Acronym for Private Branch Exchange, a telephone switching system usually located on the premises of a business. PBX encompasses a wide variety of equipment that can provide intra-premises telephone service as well as access to public telephone networks.

PIC - Acronym for Primary Inter-Exchange Carrier, a term used to identify the long distance carrier selected by an end-user to carry normally dialed 1+ calls. When an end-user selects a carrier from a ballot, he/she is said to have subscribed or pre-subscribed to a service. The PIC will then receive all interLATA calls dialed on a 1+ basis.

PUC - Acronym for Public Utilities Commission—the state regulatory agency which regulates a state’s utilities, including intrastate telecommunications. Each state has its own PUC.

Pay Station Service Charge (PSSC) - Implemented pursuant to commission decision 90-06-018, dated June 6, 1990, for the pay telephone investigation (I) 88-04-029. The PSSC was applicable to non-coin intraLATA calls placed from a pay telephone. The PSSC was designed to require end-users to compensate payphone providers for the use of their equipment to complete non-sent paid intraLATA calls.

Permissive Dialing - In the introduction of a new area code, permissive dialing refers to the temporarily use of both the original and new area code during a specified period of time.

Postal Telegraph & Telephone (PTT) - The term used to describe national telephone companies in Europe and other countries around the world.

Prefix - Digits 4 through 6 of the telephone number. The prefix is also referred to as the NXX, a reference to its dialing format. A prefix is also called a CO code.

Pre-Subscription - A local telephone company service that encourages each subscriber to select one long-distance carrier to use without having to dial a multiple digit access code.

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Rate or Rating - The process of calculating the price of a call by the appropriate rate method for the particular customer. Rating increments, such as whole minute or six second increments, vary. The call may be rated with discounts, and it may also be rated by time of day, by mileage, or as a flat rate service.

Rate Period - Generally refers to the day, evening and night periods when the rate is affected. Most time of day sensitive services use a standard pattern where daytime is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; evening is 5 p. m. to 11 p.m., Sunday through Friday; and nights is 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday, 11 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and all day Saturday. Regional Bell Holding Company

(RBHC) - One of seven companies formed to own and manage a portion of the 22 Bell Operating Companies (BOCs). Geographical boundaries for the companies were set in areas almost equal in the number of local access lines. At divestiture, these seven companies received all but 23 percent of AT&T’s assets.

Reseller - A carrier that provides customers with customer service and billing. Being non-facilities based, a reseller connects customers to another carrier’s facility. Due to large volumes, reseller bill customers at rates below what the underlying carrier offer to low volume users.

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Special Information Tone (SIT) - A three-tone sequence preceding a telco interrupt message, i.e., “The number you have dialed is no longer in service, please hang up and try your call again.”

Signaling System 7 (SS7) - The most efficient signaling method available, SS7 uses a single channel to carry signals for multiple circuits.

Switching System - The designs or make up of switch locations, circuit quantities, access types and everything necessary to originate and terminate a call.

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Tariff - An official document describing a service, its rules and regulations, and its rate information. A tariff is filled with a federal or state agency for approval to offer certain services rates specified in the tariff.

Traffic - Telecommunications service usage measured by calls or minutes. It represents the amount of usage compared to the capacity of a facility.

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Usage - The application of a network facility, measured by the minute, by the call, or by the hour.

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Virtual Private Network (VPN) - A switched network with special services such as abbreviated dialing, which allows customers to call between offices in different area codes or different country codes by dialing as few as seven digits.

VOIP - A Voice Over Internet protocol. A call involving an Internet protocol enabled component.