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Over the air programming is the process of updating the software on your cell phone. It is often commonly referred to as Over-The-Air Service Provisioning (OTASP) or Over-The-Air Parameter Administration (OTAPA).
Answers.com defines a telephone as: "An instrument that converts voice and other sound signals into a form that can be transmitted to remote locations and that receives and reconverts waves into sound signals." The word telephone is derived from the Greek language. The word tele, meaning afar, and phone, meaning voice.
Today there are two major standards for cell phone technology. CDMA and GSM. Almost all phones in the United States operate on either of these networks. However, the average person tends to be unfamiliar with these terms. Common cell phone service providers like Verizon and Sprint use CDMA technology, while carriers like T-Mobile, and Cingular operate on the GSM network.
The term PRL actually refers to file stored in your phone. This file directs the phone to find alternative networks to operate on when the primary operator cannot be reached. Updating the PRL will store in the phone which are the most up to date, current networks to operate on. In order to operate on another carrier's network your primary service provider must have a roaming agreement with other carriers.
Over the past few years domestic long distance charges have pretty much been eliminated. Due to nationwide cell phone plans and VoIP systems, rarely do consumers ever pay per minute charges on domestic long distance calls. The bulk of long distance charges today, is international long distance. In fact, the average newly come immigrant spends about sixty dollars per month on calling services for the first few years. Calling cards provide a prepaid interface, eliminating the surprise of a large phone bill, and also provide low rate calling. Far cheaper then switched long distance, speaking in terms of specifically rates.
It seems today that almost every type of phone card has been brainstormed. We now have niche phone cards, for calling to a specific region, or even more so a specific country. We have international phone cards, domestic phone cards, prepaid phone cards, post paid phone cards, etc. Accompanying each phone card are its own rates, billing details and charges. Continue reading to find out about the different charges that can be applied to your prepaid phone card. Similar to the early cell phone commercials when they would discuss being billed on or off peak minutes, roaming and out of area charges, and whole bunch of jargon you could never understand.
There are several different types of phone cards available on the market today. Since the late 90s through today the phone card market has become saturated with small telecom companies reselling phone cards under their own brand names. With so many different calling cards to choose from, selecting the right calling card can be difficult. It is important to understand the different types, and which is right for your specific use.
The calling card industry was started in the mid 70s in Italy. In a short span of just 40 years, the industry has exploded providing record breaking sales in billions of dollars annually.
2001 Marked the launch of a new prepaid mobile phone system. Working like a phone card, however allowing users to prepay entirely for their minutes.
Over the past several years Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has become an accepted medium of terminating telephone calls. Using your already existent high-speed broadband Internet connection, voice packets are broken up into pieces and sent over the Internet; similar to an e-mail. At the end point, the voice packets are reassembled and either sent to another VoIP phone, or translated into an analog signal.
In 1975 the idea of a prepaid phone card was first brainstormed by SIDA; a vending machine manufacturer and distributor located in Italy. In the fall of 1975 SIDA sought alternative means to using coins to operate pay phones. At the time there was a shortage of medal coins in Italy and pay phone vandalism was becoming overbearing. Phones were often being destroyed, or stolen.
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