A Brief Glossary of Mobile Jargon

A few terms that seem to get bandied about in the industry. I'll probably add to this over time.

Broadcasting

Distributing an MT to a large number of MSISDNs, typically for promotional purposes, and perhaps without the explicit approval of the recipient.

Keyword

A string within an MO indicating user's intent. Examples include 'GO', 'STOP' and 'PITCH'.

MCC

Mobile Country Code. A unique ID number assigned to a country. See List of mobile country codes.

MNC

Mobile Network code. An ID number for an MNO. These are not unique, but may be used in combination with an MCC to uniquely identify an MNO. See Mobile Network Code.

MNO

Mobile Network Operator - e.g. T-Mobile.

MO

Mobile-originated. An SMS sent from a mobile handset.

MQ

IBM messaging software.

MSISDN

Mobile telephone number.

MT

Mobile-terminated. An SMS sent to a mobile handset.

MVNO

Mobile Virtual Network Operator. A mobile operator that does not own its own spectrum and usually does not have its own network infrastructure. Examples are Virgin Mobile in the UK and Disney Mobile in the US.

OTA

Over-the-air programming. A technology used to deliver software updates to a handset, often via SMS. Commonly used by MNOs to install new settings, for example WAP configuration details, but other uses exist.

Portability/Porting

The ability of a user to move between MNOs whilst retaining their MSISDN.

Realtone

A ringtone which is actually a fragment of the original recording, as opposed to a soundalike or a MIDI file.

Shortcode

A shorter, more convenient number to which an MO can be sent - such as 88888 (that's Jamster, by the way). Often, but not always, charged at a higher rate than a message sent to a standard MSISDN.

SMSC

SMS centre. A network element in the mobile telephone network which delivers SMS messages.

WAP Opt-in

Where a user signs up for a subscription by entering their MSISDN into a form on a WAP page. Also known as "on-portal" signup.

WAP Push

A specially encoded message which includes a link to a WAP address. Typically delivered by SMS.

WURFL

The Wireless Universal Resource File. An "XML configuration file which contains information about capabilities and features of several wireless devices". WURFL is open source and updated fairly frequently. See Wurfl on Sourceforge.