ACD: (Automatic Call Distribution): A switching system designed to allocate incoming calls to certain positions or agents in the order received and to hold calls not ready to be handled (often with a recorded announcement)

Activation: Changing the status of calling card to allow its owner to use the card. Changing the status of a debit card from zero balance to a money balance ($10, $20, etc.).

Add-On Modules: Add-on modules expand system capabilities.

Airtime: The time purchased on a prepaid calling card for long distance.

ANI (Automatic Number Identifier): Automatic number identification. The originating telephone number.

Analog: The term comes from the word "analogous" which means "similar to". This means that the transmitted signal remains unchanged, or not digitized, as it passes through an electronic system. An analog communication system is one in which the signal is transmitted and received in its original form. In telecommunications, the voice spoken into the handset is converted into an electrical signal (sine wave). That signal remains unchanged as it passes from telephone to telephone (internal call) or telephone to CO (outside call).

Answer Supervision: Telephone companies send electronic signals to one another in order to indicate that the called party has answered the telephone.

Apits: Analog Proprietary Integrated Telephone System. Apits usually refers to an analog 7000 series telephone.

Area Code: A three-digit code used in North America to identify a specific geographic telephone location. The first digit can be any number between 2 and 9. The second and third digits can be any number. Before 1995, the second digit had to be a 1 or 0.

Authorization Codes: The user

Automated Attendant: A system that answers and routes incoming telephone calls.

Automatic Route Selection: Automatic or manual selection of the most cost-effective carrier to process a call. This feature is available with many PBXs.

Billable Time: This starts when the telephone call is answered and it ends when either party terminates the call.

Billing Increment: The division by which the call is rounded. In the field it is common to see full minute billing on the local invoice while 6 second rounding is the choice of most long distance providers that bill their customers directly.

Blocked Calls: Caused by an insufficient network facility, which does not have enough lines to allow calls to reach a given destination. May also pertain to a call from an originating number that is blocked by the receiving telephone number.

Breakage: The unused portion of a pre-paid calling card. Some states require that this be refunded to the consumer, upon their request.

Broadcast Facsimile: Sending the same fax to various locations at the same time. Often, fax users program distribution lists into their fax machine.

Bundled Service: Offering various services as a complete package.

Bypass: All calls originating and terminating in Canada must use a Canadian switch.

Call Completion: The point at which a dialed number is answered.

Calling Card: The customer can make long distance calls while they are away from their home or office and have the calls billed to the card number. There are two types of calling cards. With the first, a LEC calling card, the rates are dependent upon the telephone that the caller is using. With the second, a proprietary calling card, the rates are based on the long distance program the card carrier is using. Long distance carriers usually issue this type of calling card.

Call Termination: The point at which a call is disconnected.

CDR [Call Detail Recording (Records): A software program attached to a telephone system which records information about the telephone number

Casual Access: Casual Access is when the customer chooses not to use their primary carrier to process the long distance call that is being made. The customer will dial the carrier

CO (Central Office): Switching center for the local exchange carrier.

CO Lines: Central Office Telephone Line.

Control Unit: This is the heart of the telephone system. This unit is usually installed in the telephone room or ventilated closet. It contains the Central Processing Unit.

Centrex: This service is offered by the LEC to the end user. The feature rich Centrex line offers the same features and benefits as a PBX to a customer without the capital investment or maintenance charges. The LEC will charge a monthly fee to the customer who must agree to sign a term agreement.

Chargeback: Charges from bad credit cards back to the pre-paid calling card provider. Usually caused by non-payment, denial of charges or fraudulent use.

Circuits: The communication path(s) that carry calls between two points on a network.

Customer Premise Equipment: The only part of the telecommunications system that the customer will come into direct contact with. Example of such pieces of equipment are: telephones, key systems, PBXs, voice mail systems and call accounting systems as well as wiring telephone jacks. The standard for this equipment is set by the FCC and the equipment is supplied by an interconnect company.

Debit Card: A calling or bankcard that allows the holder to pay for goods and services (long distance) from a predefined value stored in a remote database.

Decrementation: The process by which time, dollar or units are deducted from a pre-paid calling card.

Dedicated Access: Customer has direct access to the long distance provider via a special circuit (T1 or private lines). The circuit is hardwired from the customer site to the POP and does not pass through the LEC switch. The dial tone is provided from the long distance carrier.

Dedicated Access Line (DAL): Provided by the local exchange carrier. AN access line from the customer.

Digital: The term used to describe the conversion of information into a binary code. A digital communication system is one where the signal is encoded into a digital bit stream. In telecommunications, the voice spoken into the handset is converted either in the telephone or the control unit into a series of pulses, which represent the audio level and frequency.

Digital Super Hybrid: A Digital Super Hybrid key system can use single line telephones (SLT) in addition to an electronic proprietary telephone. In addition it may contain features found only on a digital system.

Direct Inward Dialing (DID): Allows an incoming call to bypass the attendant and ring directly to an extension. Available on most PBX systems and a feature of Centrex service.

DISA: Direct System Access. This feature allows callers from the outside to access specific system features as if they were an internal extension user.

Divestiture: January 1984 Judge Harold Green rendered a decision breaking up AT&T which allowed for competition in the long distance arena.

Dpits: Digital Proprietary Integrated Telephone System. Dpits usually refers to a digital 7200 series telephone.

Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF): Better known as the push button keypad. DTMF replaces dial pulses with electronically produced tones for network signaling.

Enhanced Service: Services that are provided in addition to basic long distance and accessed by way of a touch-tone phone through a series of menus.

Equal Access: When a customer can choose a long distance carrier to provide them with long distance service. The local switch must have feature Group D accesses circuits in order to provide equal access service.

Exchange Code (NXX): The first three digits of a phone number.

Expiration Date: The last day service on a pre-paid calling card can be used.

Fax-On-Demand: A system that allows storage and retrieval of fax messages through a personal fax mailbox.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC): Regulates Interstate and international long distance.

Fiber Optics: The transmitted signal is converted into pulses of light, which pass through glass fiber. Fiber optics is the medium of choice today because of the small size, high capacity and wide bandwidth. Customers can feel secure in knowing that it stands up to weather conditions and cannot be tapped without detection.

Flat Rate Pricing: The customer is charged one rate (sometimes two rates one for peak and one for off-peak) rather than a mileage sensitive program rate.

FWD/DND: Forward/Do Not Disturb. Allows users to forward their phones to other extensions on the system, voice mail or an outside line. Do Not Disturb is used to block calls from coming into a users extension.

HFAB: Hands Free Answer Back. Allows a speakerphone user to talk to an internal caller without lifting the handset. Also used to monitor a room.

Hybrid: A Hybrid key system can use single line telephones (SLT) in addition to an electronic proprietary telephone.

Inbound 800/888: Toll-free numbers provided by and paid for by the subscriber. Often used for marketing purposes. All 800/888 numbers must terminate to a standard telephone number.

Information/Service Lines (900 Numbers): 900 Number calls have two uses: to poll callers and to provide information. As many telephone customers do not like 900 Numbers, consumers can have a 900 number block put on their telephone.

IXC (Interexchange Carrier): A long distance provider that maintains its own switching equipment. IVR (Interactive Voice Reponse): Provides mechanism for information to be stored and retrieved using voice and a touch-tone telephone.

InterLATA Calls: Calls originating in one LATA and terminating in another LATA. The call does not have to cross state lines to be an InterLATA call. These calls are handled by Interexchange carriers, however, local telephone companies now have the authority to carry these calls in many cases.

Interstate Calls: Calls originating in one state and terminating in another state.

IntraLATA Calls: Calls originating and terminating within the same LATA. The call may cross state lines in a few select circumstances. Most often, these calls are carried by the local Telephone Company. However, new regulation is changing this.

LCR (Least Cost Routing): Technology contained with a switch, which allows the owner of the switch to choose how individual calls are processed. Also know as automatic call routing.

LATA (Local Access Transport Area): Local calling area. One or more local telephone companies (LEC) control each LATA. The LEC has the authority to carry all the local long distance calls that originate within their area. LEC (Local Exchange Carrier): A local telephone company (Southwestern Bell, Southern Bell, United Telephone, etc.)

Local Loop: The local telephone company provides the transmission facility from the customer to the telephone company

Microwave: An antenna, transmitter/receiver, tower and cables are needed in order to transmit via microwave. The signals are usually thought as constituting a beam of energy.

Minute Billing Increments: Billing calls in minute increments. With this type of billing, a one minute and one second call is billed as two minutes.
North American Numbering Plan (NANP): How we identify telephone numbers in North America. We can identify the telephone number based on their three separate components (NPA) (NXX) (XXXX).

OHCA: Off Hook Call Announce (OHCA) allows a user to inform a busy extension that another call is waiting by talking through the built-in speaker of the called party's proprietary extension.

Operator Services: Calls connected by both live and automated operators, includes calls billed to calling cards issued by local telephone companies. Also known as collect calls.

Outbound Calling: The dialing of a long distance call. A toll will be charged.

PC-Based System: Systems that use personal computer technology as the basis for switching or for the provision of enhanced services.

PBX: Private Branch Exchange. This is a small version of the phone company's larger switching system.

PIN (Personal Identification Code): A customer calling/billing code for prepaid and pay-as-you-go calling cards.

Platform: The technological basis for telecommunications applications. POP (Point of Presence): Location where two elements of a telephone circuit meet.

Port: The point where an incoming line meets the internal telephone system.

PTT (Postal Telephone and Telegraph): The term commonly applies to state-owned phone companies outside of the United States.

Pre-Paid Calling Card: Product that permits the user to pay for long distance services prior to using the long distance. Many of the cards have collector value.

Primary Interexchange Carrier: The long distance carrier that the customer picks as their main long distance provider. Each PIC has a CIC (carrier identification code). These terms are often used synonymously.

Private Branch Exchange: Advanced phone system commonly used by the medium to larger customer. It allows the customer to perform a variety of in house routing (inside calling). The dial tone that is heard when the customer picks up the phone is an internal dial tone.

Public Service Commission/Public Utilities Commission (PSC/PUC): Regulates intrastate long distance calling.

Rebiller : Also known as a switchless reseller. This company buys time from a large carrier and then processes their own billing statements. The rebiller has no switch but provides customer service and sales.

Recharge: The ability to add time to an existing pre-paid calling card.
RBOC (Regional Bell Operating Companies): The seven regional entities formed as a result of the divestiture of AT&T. Remote Memory : Memory that is stored in a computer switch or network that is accessed by a toll-free number. All pertinent information related to a pre-paid calling card is stored in the computer switch.

RESPORG (Responsible Organization): The carrier responsible for the customer

Switched Access: The long distance call is switched by the LEC from the customer

Switched Reseller: A company who resells the long distance services of larger providers, but owns their own switching equipment.

Switchless Reseller: A company who resells the long distance services of larger long distance providers. The larger company also provides the switching services.

Six-Second Billing: Billing calls in 6-second increments. With this type of billing, a one minute and one second call is billed as a one minute and six second call.

Slippage: The rounding of long distance calls to the next full minute.
Smart Card: Chip-based microprocessor card that can store information technologies and perform other microprocessing functions, and can have data added or deleted.

SLT: Single Line Telephone. A standard telephone.

SS7 (System Signaling Number 7): Technology used by large carriers to increase the reliability and speed of transmission between switches.

Switch (Switching): Equipment that connects and routes calls and provides other interim functions such as least cost routing, IVR and voice mail. It performs the traffic cope function of telecommunications via automated management decisions.

T-1: A grouping of 24 simultaneous transmission channels. Also referred to as a DS-1 (Digital Signaling Level One).

Tariff: Listing of the rates charged by long distance carriers filed with individual states and the FCC.

Toll-Free Number: Usually 800 or 888 number that is paid for by the subscriber of the number. May be referred to as inbound calling. The first leg of most calling and pre-paid calling card calls is sent through a toll-free number.

Touch-Tone (DTMF -- Dual Tone Multi Frequency): The tone recognized by a push button (touch-tone) telephone.

Unit: An amount of time or money registered on a pre-paid calling card.

Universal Ports: Universal Ports can accept a standard phone, an analog proprietary phone, or a digital proprietary phone.

Voice Mail: A system that allows for storage and retrieval of voice messages through voice mailboxes.
 
XDP: eXtra Device Port. The XDP expands the number of telephones available in the system by allowing a Digital Proprietary Phone (Dpits) and a Single Line Telephone (SLT) to be connected to the same telephone jack but having different extension numbers.