Here is a collection of abbreviations used in the telecom sector. This Comprehensive Glossary of Telecom Abbreviations and Acronyms is a collection of about 400 entries that cover the fields of telecommunications, satellite communications, marine communications, radar and military communications, electronics, computer, Internet, radio and television broadcasting, fiber optics communications, information technology (IT), Information Communication Technology (ICT), remote sensing and cellular networks.
2G - 2nd Generation
3G - 3rd Generation
AAL - ATM Adaptation Layer
AAL2 - ATM Adaptation Layer (Type-2)
AAL5 - ATM Adaptation Layer (Type-5)
ACK - Acknowledgement
AI - Acquisition Indicator
AICH - Acquisition Indicator Channel
ALCAP - Access Link Control Application Protocol
AM - Acknowledged Mode
AMR - Adaptive Multi Rate
AN - Access Network
APDU - Application Protocol Data Unit
API - Application Programming Interface
ARP - Address Resolution Protocol
ARQ - Automatic Repeat Request
AS - Access Stratum
ASC - Access Service Class
ASN.1 - Abstract Syntax Notation One
ATM - Asynchronous Transfer Mode
AuC - Authentication Centre
B-ISDN - Broadband ISDN
BCCH - Broadcast Control Channel
BCFE - Broadcast Control Functional Entity
BCH - Broadcast Channel
BER - Bit Error Rate
BID - Binding Identity
BLER - Block Error Rate
BMC - Broadcast/Multicast Control
BS - Base Station
BSC - Base Station Controller
BSS - Base Station System
BTS - Base Transceiver Station
C-RNTI - Cell Radio Network Temporary Identity / Controlling RNC Radio Network Temporary Identity
CAMEL - Customised Application for Mobile network Enhanced Logic
CAP - CAMEL Application Part
CB - Cell Broadcast
CBR - Constant Bit Rate
CBS - Cell Broadcast Service
CC - Call Control
CCCH - Common Control Channel
CCF - Call Control Function
CCH - Control Channel
CCPCH - Common Control Physical Channel
CCTrCH - Coded Composite Transport Channel
CDMA - Code Division Multiple Access
CN - Core Network
CPICH - Common Pilot Channel
CPCH - Common Packet Channel
CPCS - Common Part Convergence Sublayer (ATM)
CPS - Common Part Sublayer
CPU - Central Processing Unit
CRC - Cyclic Redundancy Check
CRNC - Controlling Radio Network Controller
CS-GW - Circuit Switched Gateway
CS - Circuit Switched
CSCF - Call Server Control Function
CSE - Camel Service Environment
CTCH - Common Traffic Channel
CTDMA - Code Time Division Multiple Access
SCTP - Simple Control Transmission Protocol
CW - Continuous Wave (unmodulated signal)
DC - Dedicated Control (SAP)
DCA - Dynamic Channel Allocation
DCCH - Dedicated Control Channel
DCH - Dedicated Channel
DECT - Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications
DHCP - Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
Diff-Serv - Differentiated services
DL - Downlink (Forward Link)
DN - Destination Network
DPCCH - Dedicated Physical Control Channel
DPCH - Dedicated Physical Channel
DPDCH - Dedicated Physical Data Channel
DRAC - Dynamic Resource Allocation Control
DRNC - Drift Radio Network Controller
DRNS - Drift RNS
DRX - Discontinuous Reception
DS-CDMA - Direct-Sequence Code Division Multiple Access
DSCH - Downlink Shared Channel
DTCH - Dedicated Traffic Channel
DTMF - Dual Tone Multiple Frequency
DTX - Discontinuous Transmission
E-GGSN - Enhanced GGSN
E-HLR - Enhanced HLR
EDGE - Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution
EGPRS - Enhanced GPRS
eMLPP - enhanced Multi-Level Precedence and Pre-emption
ETSI - European Telecommunications Standards Institute
FACH - Forward Access Channel
FAUSCH - Fast Uplink Signaling Channel
FAX - Facsimile
FCS - Frame Check Sequence
FDD - Frequency Division Duplex
FDMA - Frequency Division Multiple Access
FEC - Forward Error Correction
FER - Frame Erasure Rate, Frame Error Rate
FFS - For Further Study
FN - Frame Number
FP - Frame Protocol
GC - General Control (SAP)
GGSN - Gateway GPRS Support Node
GMSC - Gateway MSC
GMSK - Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying
GP - Guard Period
GPRS - General Packet Radio Service
GSM - Global System for Mobile communications
GSN - GPRS Support Nodes
GTP - GPRS Tunneling Protocol
H-CSCF - Home CSCF
HCS - Hierarchical Cell Structure
HE-VASP - Home Environment Value Added Service Provider
HHO - Hard Handover
HLR - Home Location Register
HN - Home Network
HO - Handover
HPLMN - Home Public Land Mobile Network
HSCSD - High Speed Circuit Switched Data
HSS - Home Subscriber Server
HTTP - Hyper Text Transfer Protocol
I/O - Input/Output
ICGW - Incoming Call Gateway
ID - Identifier
IE - Information Element
IEC - International Electrotechnical Commission
IETF - Internet Engineering Task Force
IK - Integrity Key
IMEI - International Mobile Equipment Identity
IMGI - International mobile group identity
IMSI - International Mobile Subscriber Identity
IMT-2000 - International Mobile Telecommunications 2000
IN - Intelligent Network
INAP - Intelligent Network Application Part
IP - Internet Protocol
IP-M - IP Multicast
ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network
ISO - International Organisation for Standardisation
ISP - Internet Service Provider
ISUP - ISDN User Part
ITU - International Telecommunication Union
IUI - International USIM Identifier
Kbps - kilo-bits per second
Ksps - kilo-symbols per second
L1 - Layer 1 (physical layer)
L2 - Layer 2 (data link layer)
L3 - Layer 3 (network layer)
LAC - Link Access Control
LAI - Location Area Identity
LAN - Local Area Network
LCS - Location Services
LLC - Logical Link Control
LN - Logical Name
LSA - Localised Service Area
LSB - Least Significant Bit
MA - Multiple Access
MAC-A - MAC used for authentication and key agreement (TSG T WG3 context)
MAC-I - MAC used for data integrity of signalling messages (TSG T WG3 context)
MAC - Medium Access Control (protocol layering context)
MAHO - Mobile Assisted Handover
MAP - Mobile Application Part
MCC - Mobile Country Code
Mcps - Mega-chips per second
MCU - Media Control Unit
MDS - Multimedia Distribution Service
ME - Mobile Equipment
MEHO - Mobile evaluated handover
MER - Message Error Rate
MExE - Mobile station (application) Execution Environment
MGCF - Media Gateway Control Function
MGCP - Media Gateway Control Part
MGT - Mobile Global Title
MGW - Media GateWay
MM - Mobility Management
MMI - Man Machine Interface
MNC - Mobile Network Code
MNP - Mobile Number Portability
MO - Mobile Originated
MOHO - Mobile Originated Handover
MOS - Mean Opinion Score
MPEG - Moving Pictures Experts Group
MRF - Media Resource Function
MS - Mobile Station
MSB - Most Significant Bit
MSC - Mobile Switching Centre
MSE - MExE Service Environment
MSID - Mobile Station Identifier
MSIN - Mobile Station Identification Number
MSP - Multiple Subscriber Profile
MT - Mobile Terminated
MTP - Message Transfer Part
MTP3-B - Message Transfer Part level 3
MUI - Mobile User Identifier
NAS - Non-Access Stratum
NBAP - Node B Application Part
NDC - National Destination Code
NEHO - Network evaluated handover
NITZ - Network Identity and Time Zone
NMSI - National Mobile Station Identifier
NNI - Network-Node Interface
NO - Network Operator
NP - Network Performance
NPA - Numbering Plan Area
NPI - Numbering Plan Identifier
NRT - Non-Real Time
NSAP - Network Service Access Point
NSDU - Network service data unit
NSS - Network Sub System
Nt - Notification (SAP)
NT - Non Transparent
NUI - National User / USIM Identifier
NW - Network
O&M - Operations and Maintenance
OCCCH - ODMA Common Control Channel
ODB - Operator Determined Barring
ODCCH - ODMA Dedicated Control Channel
ODCH - ODMA Dedicated Channel
ODMA - Opportunity Driven Multiple Access
ORACH - ODMA Random Access Channel
ODTCH - ODMA Dedicated Traffic Channel
OSA - Open Service Architecture
OVSF - Orthogonal Variable Spreading Factor
PBP - Paging Block Periodicity
PBX - Private Branch eXchange
PC - Power Control / Personal Computer
PCCH - Paging Control Channel
PCH - Paging Channel
PCK - Personalisation Control Key
PCPCH - Physical Common Packet Channel
PCCPCH - Primary Common Control Physical Channel
PCS - Personal Communication System
PCU - Packet Control Unit
PDCP - Packet Data Convergence Protocol
PDH - Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy
PDN - Public Data Network
PDP - Packet Data Protocol
PDSCH - Physical Downlink Shared Channel
PDU - Protocol Data Unit
PG - Processing Gain
PHS - Personal Handyphone System
PHY - Physical layer
PhyCH - Physical Channel
PI - Page Indicator
PICH - Page Indicator Channel
PID - Packet Identification
PIN - Personal Identification Number
PLMN - Public Land Mobile Network
PN - Pseudo Noise
PPM - Parts Per Million
PRACH - Physical Random Access Channel
PS - Packet Switched
PSC - Primary Synchronization Code
PSCH - Physical Shared Channel
PSE - Personal Service Environment
PSTN - Public Switched Telephone Network
PTM - Point-to-Multipoint
PTP - Point to point
PUSCH - Physical Uplink Shared Channel
QoS - Quality of Service
QPSK - Quadrature (Quaternary) Phase Shift Keying
R-SGW - Roaming Signalling Gateway
R00 - Release 2000
R99 - Release 1999
RA - Routing Area
RAB - Radio Access Bearer
RACH - Random Access Channel
RAI - Routing Area Identity
RAN - Radio Access Network
RANAP - Radio Access Network Application Part
RB - Radio Bearer
RF - Radio Frequency
RFC - Request For Comments
RFE - Routing Functional Identity
RFU - Reserved for Future Use
RL - Radio Link
RLC - Radio Link Control
RLCP - Radio Link Control Protocol
RNC - Radio Network Controller
RNS - Radio Network Subsystem
RNSAP - Radio Network Subsystem Application Part
RNTI - Radio Network Temporary Identity
RRC - Radio Resource Control
RRM - Radio Resource Management
RSCP - Received Signal Code Power
RSSI - Received Signal Strength Indicator
RST - Reset
RSVP - Resource ReserVation Protocol
RT - Real Time
RTP - Real Time Protocol
RU - Resource Unit
RX - Receive
S-CSCF - Serving CSCF
S-RNTI - SRNC Radio Network Temporary Identity
SAAL - Signaling ATM Adaptation Layer
SACCH - Slow Associated Control Channel
SAP - Service Access Point
SAPI - Service Access Point Identifier
SAR - Segmentation and Reassembly
SAT - SIM Application Toolkit
SCCH - Synchronization Control Channel
SCCPCH - Secondary Common Control Physical Channel
SCF - Service Control Function (IN context), Service Capability Feature (VHE/OSA context)
SCH - Synchronization Channel
SCI - Subscriber Controlled Input
SCP - Service Control Point
SDCCH - Standalone Dedicated Control Channel
SDH - Synchronous Digital Hierarchy
SDU - Service Data Unit
SE - Security Environment
SF - Spreading Factor
SFN - System Frame Number
SGSN - Serving GPRS Support Node
SHCCH - Shared Channel Control Channel
SIM - Subscriber Identity Module
SIP - Session Initiated Protocol
SIR - Signal-to-Interference Ratio
SMS - Short Message Service
SMS-CB - SMS Cell Broadcast
SN - Serving Network
SNDCP - Sub-Network Dependent Convergence Protocol
SoLSA - Support of Localised Service Area
SP - Switching Point / Service Provider
SRNC - Serving Radio Network Controller
SRNS - Serving RNS
SS7 - Signaling System No. 7
SSCOP - Service Specific Connection Oriented Protocol
SSCF - Service Specific Co-ordination Function
SSCF-NNI - Service Specific Coordination Function รข€“ Network Node Interface
SSCS - Service Specific Convergence Sublayer
SSDT - Site Selection Diversity Transmission
SSF - Service Switching Function
SSSAR - Service Specific Segmentation and Re-assembly sublayer
STTD - Space Time Transmit Diversity
SVC - Switched virtual circuit
T-SGW - Transport Signalling Gateway
T - Transparent
TCH - Traffic Channel
TCP - Transmission Control Protocol
TD-CDMA - Time Division-Code Division Multiple Access
TDD - Time Division Duplex
TDMA - Time Division Multiple Access
TE - Terminal Equipment
TF - Transport Format
TFC - Transport Format Combination
TFCI - Transport Format Combination Indicator
TFCS - Transport Format Combination Set
TFI - Transport Format Indicator
TFS - Transport Format Set
TLLI - Temporary Logical link Identity
TMSI - Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity
TPC - Transmit Power Control
TR - Technical Report
TrCH - Transport Channel
TS - Technical Specification
TSTD - Time Switched Transmit Diversity
TX - Transmit
U-RNTI - UTRAN Radio Network Temporary Identity
UARFCN - UTRA Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number
UARFN - UTRA Absolute Radio Frequency Number
UDP - User Datagram Protocol
UE - User Equipment
UER - User Equipment with ODMA relay operation enabled
UI - User Interface
UICC - Universal Integrated Circuit Card
UL - Uplink (Reverse Link)
UM - Unacknowledged Mode
UMS - User Mobility Server
UMTS - Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
UNI - User-Network Interface
UP - User Plane
UPT - Universal Personal Telecommunication
URA - User Registration Area
URAN - UMTS Radio Access Network
URI - Uniform Resource Identifier
URL - Uniform Resource Locator
USC - UE Service Capabilities
USCH - Uplink Shared Channel
USIM - Universal Subscriber Identity Module
USSD - Unstructured Supplementary Service Data
UT - Universal Time
UTRA - Universal Terrestrial Radio Access
UTRAN - Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network
UUI - User-to-User Information
UUS - Uu Stratum
VASP - Value Added Service Provider
VBR - Variable Bit Rate
VBS - Voice Broadcast Service
VC - Virtual Circuit
VGCS - Voice Group Call Service
VHE - Virtual Home Environment
VoIP - Voice Over IP
VPLMN - Visited Public Land Mobile Network
VPN - Virtual Private Network
WAE - Wireless Application Environment
WAP - Wireless Application Protocol
WCDMA - Wideband Code Division Multiple Access
WDP - Wireless Datagram Protocol
