VoIP glossary - B
The HipTel VoIP dictionary (VoIP glossary) was created to help our users understand common VoIP terminology. Use the search feature to look up VoIP terms, or look up terms alphabetically. Have a question, still unsure what something means? Feel free to
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Bandwidth — Is a measure of frequency range. It is used to define data transfer rates; the rate at which bits can be transferred through a system.
Bits Per Second (bps) — Is a term used to define data transfer rates. It measures the amount of bits that can be transferred or received in one second of communication.
Bytes Per Second (Bps) — A term used to define data transfer rates. It measures the amount of bytes that can be transferred in one second of communication. One byte equals 8 bits.
Bluetooth — An industry specification for Personal Area Networks (PANs). It provides the ability for short distance wireless connections between devices like PDAs, cell phone head sets, printers, cameras, etc. Bluetooth is transmitted on the same frequency as WiFi, but at a lower signal strength, providing connection to devices within a few yards for the Bluetooth signal.
Broadband — Is a relative term. Meaning it has a variety of definitions depending on the scenario in which the word is used. Broadband used in the telecommunication sense refers to data transfer methods. Broadband connections divide data into small information packets and send them simultaneously over varying paths. The path the data travels depends on availability and cost. At the destination point the information packets are reassembled and delivered to the end user.
Broadband Phone — Is the process of transferring voice data over the public Internet. Broadband phone is a more efficient, low cost way of communicating with others. Over the next few years, analysts predict that the broadband phone market will increase exponentially. There are a variety of different industry terms for broadband phone, such as: VoIP, Internet Telephony, Broadband Telephony, IP Telephony, Digital Phone, etc.
Burstable Lines — A burstable line is often refereed to when discussing high-speed data communications such as T1 and T3 lines. When purchasing a burstable line, a set amount of bandwidth is allocated and purchased based on your needs. Should demand for more bandwidth dynamically increase, the remaining unused bandwidth of your line will become available. Extra bandwidth is billed on a per minute usage based on the amount of MB of bandwidth increased.
Busy Call Forwarding — Busy call forwarding is a unique feature. It allows your calls to be forwarded to any phone number you specify. Incoming calls will only be forwarded when they reach a busy signal. If there is no busy signal, calls will come directly to your phone line.
