Wireless Glossary (W)

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W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) an international industry consortium founded in 1994 to develop common standards for the World Wide Web. It is hosted in the U.S. by the Laboratory for Computer Science at MIT.

W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) a third-generation (3G) wireless technology that supports high-speed data transmission (144 Kbps to 2 Mbps), always on data service, and improved network capacity (more people can use each tower at the same time) in GSM systems by using CDMA instead of TDMA. The version of WCDMA used by NTT DoCoMo in Japan is called FOMA or J-WCDMA; the European version is referred to as UMTS, E-WCDMA, or MT-2000 Direct Spread. W-CDMA is a competitor to cdma2000.

Wallet a cell phone software application that enables users to make Internet type payments via a WAP-browser, where card information is transferred from the customer to the Internet merchant. The application is capable of storing protected personal information inside the phone.

Wallpaper a background design on the screen of a cell phone or other mobile device. Some phones allow you to change the design of the wallpaper in much the same way as PC users can do.

WAN (Wide Area Network) a physical or logical network that provides data communications to a larger number of users than are usually served by a local area network (LAN) and is usually spread over a larger geographic area than that of a LAN.

WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) a set of standards that enables a wireless phone or other mobile device to browse Internet content optimized for wireless phones. The competitive technology to WAP is I-Mode by Japan’s NTT DoCoMo.

WAP gateway software that takes raw WML data and compiles it for a micro-browser and vice versa.

WASP (Wireless Application Service Provider) vendors that provide hosted wireless applications so that companies will not have to build their own sophisticated wireless infrastructures.

WBMP (Wireless Bitmap) a bitmap graphic format for integration of images in WAP pages. WBMP graphics are only black and white and have a 1 Bit size.

WCS (Wireless Communications Services) services used to conduct communications over wireless networks.

Web clipping an application that allows a user to extract relevant information from a web page for display on a smart phone or a PDA.

Weekends/Evenings a designated time when cellular calling rates are lowest or free. These times are generally between 7pm and 7am on weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday.

Wide Area Network see WAN.

Wideband Code Division Multiple Access see W-CDMA.

Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) the popular term for the 802.11b wireless Ethernet standard. See 802.11b.

WIM (WAP Identity Module) the security module implemented in a SIM card. The security module is needed for some WAP services, such as banking services or shopping on a WAP site.

Windows CE a streamlined version of Windows from Microsoft for handheld computers which has since been upgraded and renamed Pocket PC. Windows CE ran Pocket versions of Microsoft office applications such as Word and Excel as well as many applications that were geared specifically for the smaller platform.

Wireless a term used to describe the use of radio-frequency spectrum for transmitting and receiving voice, data and video signals for communications.

Wireless Application Protocol see WAP.

Wireless Application Service Provider see WASP.

Wireless Bitmap see WBMP.

Wireless Communications Services see WCS.

Wireless Internet a technology that enables a cell phone or other wireless device to access specially formatted Internet content via wireless networks. Several different standards exists: HDML, WML, cHTML, and xHTML. Also known as “Wireless Web” or “WAP”.

Wireless IP a packet data protocol standard for sending wireless data over the Internet.

Wireless Local Loop(WLL) wireless service systems that compete with or substitute for local wireline phone service.

Wireless Markup Language see WML.

Wireless Modem see Modem.

Wireless Operator a general term that refers to either a wireless network operator, wireless service operator, or a carrier. The wireless network operator maintains the radio towers and infrastructure for a cellular system and sells wireless service to subscribers.

Wireless Personal Area Network see WPAN.

Wireless Portal a web site that supports a user with a smart phone or an alphanumeric pager. It may offer a variety of features, including providing a springboard to other wireless web sites, the ability to select content to be pushed to the user’s device as well as providing a point of entry for anyone to send the user a message.

Wireless Terminal any mobile phone, wireless handheld, or wireless personal device using non-fixed access to a network.

WISP (Wireless Internet Service Provider) vendors that specialize in providing wireless Internet access to subscribers.

WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) a network that transmits and receives data over the air using radio frequency technology, minimizing the need for wired connections. A wireless LAN can serve as a replacement for or extension to a wired LAN.

WLIF (Wireless LAN Interoperability Forum) a membership group that endorses products that are interoperable with major standards; supports OpenAir and 802.11.

WLL (Wireless Local Loop) a system that connects subscribers to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) using wireless technology coupled with line interfaces and other circuitry to complete the “last mile” between the customer premise and the exchange equipment. Wireless systems can often be installed in far less time and at lower cost than traditional wired systems.

WML (Wireless Markup Language) a name given to the markup language for WAP. WML is based on XML (HTML’s more flexible cousin) and enables information to be displayed on a micro-browser. As a WAP phone cannot process an HTML web page, WML was developed to work within the constraints of narrowband devices.

WMLS (Wireless Markup Language Script) a subset of JavaScript, used to program mobile devices.

World Phone phones that operate on 900, 1800 and 1900 MHZ GSM networks. Because of this, world phones are able to operate in most parts of the world.

WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network) a wireless network that serves an individual user.

WWW (World Wide Web) one of the primary applications in the Internet. It is a system in which information display is made through the use of hypertext (HTML), where it is possible to combine all Internet services and use text, images and sound simultaneously.

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