Fiber Optics: A technology that uses glass (or plastic) threads/fibers to transmit data. A fiber optic cable consists of a bundle of glass threads, each of which is capable of transmitting messages modulated onto light waves.

FTTH — Fiber-To-The-Home (Also known as Fiber To The Premises or FTTP): is the installation and use of optical fiber from a central point provider directly to individual buildings such as residences, apartment buildings and businesses to provide unprecedented high-speed & secure access.

Analog: Signals that are continually changing, as opposed to being digitally encoded.

Digital: Signals encoded into discrete bits. A digital system is one that uses discrete words such as electrical voltages, representing numbers or non-numeric symbols such as letters or icons, for input, processing, transmission, storage, or display, rather than a continuous range of values.

Bandwidth: The range of signal frequencies or bit rate within which a fiber optic component, link or network will operate. The wider the bandwidth, greater is the information carrying capacity.

Mbps — Megabit per second: is a unit of data transfer rate equal to 1,000,000 bits per second. The bandwidth of consumer broadband internet services is often rated in Mbps. Data streams representing compressed video are often measured in Mbps:
2.0 Mbps — VHS quality
8 Mbps — DVD quality
55 Mbps — HDTV quality

Gbps — Gigabit per second: is a unit of data transfer rate equal to 1,000 megabits per second.

Broadband: Indicating a capability to deal with a relatively wide spectral bandwidth; high-speed data transmission in which a single cable can carry a large amount of data at once.

LAN — Local Area Network: This is a geographically limited data communications network. It is often referred to as premises data communications network. Its extent is usually limited to the office building, campus or manufacturing plant - several 1,000 feet.

WAN — Wide Area Network: is a computer network that covers a broad area (i.e., any network whose communications links cross metropolitan, regional, or national boundaries WANs are used to connect LANs and other types of networks together, so that users and computers in one location can communicate with users and computers in other locations.

Structured Wiring: A planned wiring method by which all services (phone, data, television, music, and security) originate from a central location or hub. Structured wiring consists of a connection box, software, and a cabling system of voice, data, video and other low voltage wires that are bundled together and sent to specific rooms in the house. Electronic devices can be plugged into this system and networked both within the home and through the Internet via a residential gateway.

Telecommuting: A work arrangement in which employees enjoy limited flexibility in working location and hours. In other words, the daily commute to a central place of work is replaced by telecommunication links. Many work from home, while others, occasionally also referred to as nomad workers utilize mobile telecommunications technology to work from coffee shops or myriad other locations.

Telemedicine: A rapidly developing application of clinical medicine where medical information is transferred via telephone, the Internet or other networks for the purpose of consulting, and sometimes remote medical procedures or examinations.

Internet Phone — Voice over Internet Protocol, also called VoIP: is the routing of voice conversations over the Internet or through any other IP-based network.

High-definition television (HDTV): is a digital television broadcasting system with greater resolution than traditional television systems.