Glossary of Terms

W

WAN
Wide Area Network. A data communication network covering a relatively large area, typically a number of geographic locations. A WAN will often utilise telecommunications links to enable data communication between different locations.

WAP
Wireless Application Protocol. First global standard for internet access over mobile phone networks. Requires a WAP phone for access.

Wavelet
Unlike the DCT, wavelet encoding is generally narrow band and is particularly suited to information with discontinuous or spiky data.

WEP
Wired Equivalent Privacy.

Wi-Fi
Wireless Fidelity. Wireless Ethernet compatibility Alliances (WECA) brand identity for the IEEE 802.11 A standard: WECA centrification ensures a products compatibility.

Wires-only Broadband
Until recently, all ADLS services in the UK were provided as complete end-to-end solutions, including a modified telephone socket and DSL router/modem provided by BT. In an effort to further reduce DSL costs and hence accelerate the emergence of Broadband Britain, BT has announced a 'wires-only' variant of the wholesale ADSL service that it provides to UK service providers. This presents two scenarios for potential end-users of an ADSL service. Firstly, service providers will have the flexibilty to choose the brand and specification of DSL router that best matches their customers' needs. Currently, the BT wholesale product includes a BT owned, supplied and supported USB medem or Ethernet router. Secondly, service providers can also offer 'self install' ADSL products, whereby ADSL is enabled on a standard analogue telephone line and the telphone socket is modified using an external, user-installable 'splitter' device that provides seperate data and phone connections into the standard socket. The splitter plug works by seperating the lower frequency analoque voice signals and higher frequency ADSL data signals. Splitter devices require no configuration and can be installed as easily a two-way phone connector.

WLAN
Wireless Local Area Network is the wireless extension to the wired LAN and is based on the 802.11 A standard; allowing data rates of up to 11 MAPS in the 2.4 Ghz ISM band.

WPA
Wi-Fi protected Access.

W-CDMA
Wideband CDMA, typically four times wider than a regular CDMA channel. Also referred to as UMTS.

WWW
World wide web.