3G
3G refers to the third generation of developments in wireless technology, especially mobile phones. The latest advances include numerous new applications and services plus faster connection to the internet.

ADSL
Short for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, ASDL is the technology that enables broadband to be received using existing telephone networks. It works by converting data more effectively over a wider frequency range than a computer’s modem.

ATM
ATM stands for Asynchronous Transfer Mode and is a method of transferring data over a high-speed network.

Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred over an internet connection. This data is usually measured in bits/bytes per second (bps).

Bit
A bit is a single unit of transmitted data.

Broadband
Broadband is essentially just a faster version of the internet than dial-up. It can work at much higher speeds because of the availability of increased bandwidth. The most common form of broadband is ADSL but it can also be obtained through cable TV or satellite.

BT Home Hub
This is a wireless internet router offered from BT. With this you can access BT Vision which is a digital television service allowing access to a video on demand service.

BT Hub Phone
The BT Hob Phone is a digital cordless phone that allows you to make low cost calls via the BT Broadband Talk service.

Dial-up internet
Dial-up internet is where your computer actually calls your Internet Service Provider (ISP) as you connect to the internet. This is why you hear the unusual dialing tone whenever you try to connect. Dial-up requires no additional infrastructure on top of the telephone network. It uses original telephone lines and as a result can be very slow.

Download
To download means to move files from the internet on to your PC.

Download restriction
This is the amount of data you are restricted to over a set period. For example a broadband package could offer a 5GB download restriction which means you are not permitted to use more than 5GB during a certain period. Usually, there will be financial penalties if you go over your allocated limit.

Downstream
This is data that is sent from the internet to your computer.

DSL
Digital Subscriber Line, or DSL for short, is the technology that allows the transfer of data over a phone line without interference.

Exchange
This is the service area that your connection to the internet is associated with. You must live sufficiently near an exchange to be able to receive broadband connection.

FTP
FTP or File transfer protocol is a process of downloading and uploading files to and from the internet.

Internet Protocol
Internet Protocol allows information to be sent from one network to another.

IP address
Your IP address is a unique number attributed to your individual computer for identification purposes. Every computer connected to the internet has one.

ISP
ISP is short for Internet Service Provider. This is the company that supplies your internet connection.