e contain antennas and chips with Most computers now use extended ASCII, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n air which supports 8-bit codes. Each group of interfaces for 802.11 wireless LANs. Access 8 bits represents a character. Computers can points translate between radio frequencies "read" one another's binary bits when these and Ethernet signals for cabled networks. bits are arranged in a standard, uniform "language." ASCII is the most commonly An access point has similar functions to used computer code. base stations for cordless home phones. access fees API (Application Programming Carriers pay access fees to local telephone Interface) companies for transporting long-distance Software used to translate programming traffic to and from local customers. The FCC code between two different programs. An sets access fees for interstate traffic, and API can be used when an application at an state utility commissions set access fees for enterprise accesses an application on the intrastate traffic. They are intended to offset cloud. Glossary architecture BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) Defines how computers are tied together. A routing protocol with more than 90,000 Some vendors refer to the architecture of addresses. Used by carriers to route packets their equipment in terms of the growth avail- on the Internet. BGP enables routers to deter- able and the hardware and software needed mine the best routes to various destinations. for their systems to grow. bill and keep ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) A carrier-to-carrier billing method that elimi- A high-speed switching technique that uses nates the requirement for carriers to bill each fixed-size cells to transmit voice, data, and other access fees. It is used by billing compa- video. A cell is analogous to envelopes that nies only to bill carriers that carry less traf- each carry the same number of bits. Used fic than carriers with whom they exchange mainly in older networks. traffic. band re-farming bit error rate The reuse of portions of spectrum for more The pe