Glossary

The act of conducting conferences via a video telecommunications system, local area network, or wide area network.

A telephone-like device that provides a picture as well as sound.

Electromagnetic radiation visible to the human eye at wavelengths between 400nm and 700nm.

A testing device consisting of a red laser that fills the fiber core with light, allowing a technician to find problems such as breaks and macrobends by observing the light through the buffer, and sometimes the jacket, of the cable.

A telephone company circuit capable of carrying one telephone conversation. The voice circuit is the standard unit in which telecommunications capacity is counted. The U.S. analog equivalent is 4KHz. The digital equivalent is 56Kbps in the U.S. and 64Kbps in Europe. In the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission restricts the maximum data rate on a voice circuit to 53Kbps.

A term used for twisted-pair cable used in telephone systems to carry voice signals. Usually Category 3 or lower cable, though voice signals can be carried on cables that are higher than Category 3.

A unit of expression for electrical potential or potential difference. Abbreviated as V.

The voltage developed across a component by the current flow through the resistance of the component.

(1) Symbol for watt or wattage. (2) Abbreviation for white when used in conjunction with twisted-pair cable color codes; may also be Wh.

A wall plate is a flat plastic or metal that usually mounts in or on a wall. Wall plates include one or more jacks.

A network that crosses local, regional, and international boundaries. Some types of internetwork technology such as a leased-line, ATM, or frame relay connect local area networks (LANs) together to form WANs.

A unit of electrical power.

A graphical representation of the amplitude of a signal over time.

A structure that guides electromagnetic waves along their length. The core fiber in an optical-fiber cable is an optical waveguide.

A connection in which light is transferred between waveguides.