Glossary of Telecom Terms : B

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B

 

B Channel
See Bearer Channel.

 

Backbone
High-capacity network infrastructure; the part that carries the heaviest traffic. The backbone is also that part of the network that joins LANs together - either inside a building or across a country. LANs are connected to the backbone by bridges and/or routers; the backbone serves as a communications highway for LAN-to-LAN traffic.

 

Backplane
The high-speed communications line to which individual components are connected.

 

Backward Explicit Congestion Notification (BECN)
A bit in the frame relay header.

 

BAN
See Billing Account Number.

 

Bandwidth
The common measure of transmission capacity. For analog transmission, it is measured in cycles per second; for digital transmission, it is measured in bits per second.

 

Bandwidth on Demand (BoD)
Verizon's Bandwidth on Demand service is a revolutionary new way to manage and control SONET-based services. The "BoD Network" utilizes a Verizon-provided optical transport network with the core network devices configured in a SONET mesh topology using optical control plane technology. Learn more

 

Bandwidth on Demand Inter-Operability Group (BONDING)
An industry working group that develops common control and synchronization standards needed to manage high-speed data as it travels through the public switched telephone network (PSTN). These standards are for DS0 inverse multiplexing and switched services.

 

Baseband
Transmission scheme in which the entire bandwidth, or data-carrying capacity, of a medium (such as a coaxial cable) is used to carry a single digital pulse, or signal, between multiple users. Because digital signals are not modulated, only one kind of data can be transmitted at a time.

 

Basic Analog Loop
A Verizon Wholesale service offering providing a transmission path between a Verizon Central Office distribution frame and the loop demarcation point at the end user customer's premises. The loop transmits analog signals at 300 to 3000 Hz. Learn more.

 

Basic Rate ISDN (BRI)
A 2-wire line-side local switching system port that uses the 2B1Q line code at a 160 kilobit per second rate to transport overhead and up to two B channels and one D channel.

 

Basic Rate ISDN Line Ports
A Verizon Wholesale UNE offering that provides a 2-wire electrical interface to Verizon's local switch. The interface allows CLECs to provision Basic Rate ISDN and/or terminate to a platform, wherever one is available.

 

Basic Service
A telecommunications service limited to local switching and transmission.

 

Basic Service Element (BSE)
An Open Network Architecture term. BSEs are telecommunications services that enhanced service providers could get from their service provider. There are four general categories of BSE: Switching, signaling, transmission and network management.

 

Basic Serving Arrangement (BSA)
An Open Network Architecture term that defines the relationship between an enhanced service provider (ESP) and the service provider providing the telephone lines. It includes, for example, the basic interconnection access arrangement to the PSTN, the features and functions associated with that access link, and the transport service (switched or dedicated). Generally, the ESP may choose service elements from various alternatives.

 

Basic Trading Area (BTA)
Geographic boundaries that segment the United States for licensing purposes. BTAs are based on Rand McNally's Commercial Atlas & Marketing Guide. BTA boundaries follow county lines and include the county or counties whose residents make the bulk of their purchases in that area. The FCC uses BTAs to license a number of services, including Personal Communications Services. See also Major Trading Area.

 

Basic Unbundled Loop Service (BULS)
Service that provides a basic (untreated or unconditioned) channel between the Collocated Equipment belonging to a CLEC and the Rate Demarcation Point.

 

Batch Hot Cut
CLEC accounts are targeted to be converted to UNE loops and submitted to Verizon where the orders will be held in queue until a 'critical mass' of orders is obtained. Once accumulated, Hot Cut process will proceed for all of the accounts - near-simultaneous disconnection of a Verizon working loop from a port on one carrier's switch, and the reconnection of that loop to a port on a different carrier's switch, without any significant out-of-service period. Learn more.

 

Battery Backup
In areas served via Fiber to the Premises (FTTP), specific to migrations to a Resale arrangement, the end user will be responsible for providing the electrical power at their premises including backup battery power. FTTP requires electric power in order for an end user to receive services. The end user will be responsible for maintenance and replacement of the backup battery Customer Premise Equipment(CPE). FTTP will require access to a 110-volt electrical outlet at the end users premises. The FTTP equipment will consume approximately 13 watts.

 

Baud
A measure of the speed of transmission of data; the number of elements transmitted per second.

 

Baudot
A seven-bit code that is used by some text messaging telephone services.

 

BDT
See Bill Date Tape.

 

Beacon
Token ring frame signaling that the ring is inoperative because of a serious error such as defective cable or faulty nodes.

 

Bearer Channel (B Channel)
A 64 kilobits per second channel used for information transfer.

 

BECN
See Backward Explicit Congestion Notification.

 

Beta Test
The stage at which a new product is tested under actual usage conditions. (Alpha testing is conducted in-house.)

 

BGP
See Border Gateway Protocol.

 

BHMC
See Busy Hour Minutes of Capacity.

 

BICI
See Broadband Inter-Carrier Interface.

 

Bill Certification
The process by which Verizon demonstrates billing process management to Reseller customers. The process is composed of the following elements:

  1. Bill Certification Business Rules
  2. Bill Certification
  3. Annual Audit of the Bill Certification Process
 

Bill Data Tape (BDT)
Format in which end user account bills are transmitted to the CLEC or Reseller.

 

Bill Print and Mail Service
A Verizon Wholesale Billing Service that encompasses printing, enclosing and mailing of customer correspondence, such as end-user bills, notices and related mailings.

 

Billing Account Number (BAN)
The primary telephone number used for billing regardless of the number of lines associated with that number.

 

Billing Name and Address (BNA)
The name and address used for billing.

 

Billing Output Specifications (BOS)
Telcordia Technologies (formerly Bellcore) unit responsible for supplying Bill Data Tape (BDT) standards.

 

Billing Output Specification Billing Data Tape
A Bill of Record which appears in the industry-standard format (BOS), allowing CLECs to use software to audit the data.

 

Billing Telephone Number (BTN)
The ten-digit number, including the area code, to which charges for a given telephone service are billed.

 

Billing Telephone Number Accounts (BTN Accounts)
Accounts that are used to aggregate CLEC or Reseller charges into a consolidated bill. (NOTE: CLECs and Resellers may have several separate BTN accounts.)

 

Billing Web
Verizon Wholesale application to view CABS (Carrier Access Billing System) Bills for all Verizon States. Learn more.

 

Bipolar Eight Zero Substitution (B8ZS)
A DS1 line code that performs zero code suppression by replacing an all-zeros byte with a special pattern of ones and zeros that contains two consecutive bipolar violations.

 

Bipolar Violation (BPV)
The presence of two consecutive "one" bits of the same polarity on a T1 facility.

 

Bit
The smallest unit of information in the binary system of notation.

 

Bit Rate
The speed at which digital signals are transmitted, usually expressed in bits per second (bps).

 

Bit Seven (BIT7)
A TR008 DS1 line code that performs zero code suppression by placing a one in bit 7 of an all-zeros byte.

 

Blockage
The number of calls out of 100 attempts that meet delays in finding access.

 

Blocking Matrix
Found within the Verizon Local Business Rules, a matrix detailing specific alphabetical codes associated with specific call blocking options such as Collect Call and Third Party blocking. The codes, both state and block specific, are used when submitting Local Service Requests (LSRs) and are populated on both the Resale Service (RS) and Port Service (PS) forms. Learn more.

 

BNA
See Billing Name and Address.

 

Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)
Protocol for communications between a router in one autonomous system and routers in another.

 

BOS BDT
See Billing Output Specification Billing Data Tape.

 

BPV
See Bipolar Violation.

 

Bridge
A device that connects and passes data packets between two network segments.

 

Bridge Router
A device that can provide the functions of a bridge, router or both concurrently. A bridge/router can route one or more protocols, such as TCP/IP and/or XNS, and bridge all other traffic.

 

Broadband
A data-transmission scheme in which multiple signals share the bandwidth of a medium such as fiber-optic cable. This allows the transmission of voice, data and video signals over a single medium; for example, cable television uses broadband to deliver dozens of channel signals over a single cable.

 

Broadband Facility
A transmission facility that has a capacity greater than a voice grade line; for example, a broadband facility can carry numerous voice, video and data channels simultaneously.

 

Broadband Inter-Carrier Interface (BICI)
A carrier-to-carrier interface line PNNI (private network-to-network interface) that is needed because carriers do not permit their switches to share routing information or detailed network maps with their competition's equipment. NOTE: BICI supports permanent virtual circuits between carriers; however, the ATM Forum is currently addressing switched virtual circuits.

 

BRPC
See Business Response Provisioning Center.

 

BSA
See Basic Serving Arrangement.

 

BTA
See Basic Trading Area.

 

Bulk Loop Qualification Extract Report
This report, available on the Verizon Wholesale web site, provides CLECs and DLECs with technical information on loops for working telephone numbers served by Verizon West so that customers can determine whether or not a loop is capable of supporting xDSL service requirements. Learn more.

 

Business/Residence Indicator
A code that identifies the end-user service type (business or residence).

 

Business Response Provisioning Center (BRPC)
A Verizon Center that provides support to ISPs for Billing, Ordering, Provisioning, Test and Turn Up, Trouble Reporting/Repair (Verizon West).

 

Business Rules
Verizon standards for the completion of Pre-Order, Order and Trouble Administration transactions through Verizon proprietary web interfaces or other standardized interfaces such as EDI. Verizon Access and Local Business Rules are based on standards set by ATIS.

 

Busy Hour Minutes of Capacity (BHMC)
The customer-specified maximum amount of switched access service and/or Directory Assistance Service access minutes the customer expects to be handled in an end office switch during any hour in an 8:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M. period for the Feature group and/or Directory Assistance Service ordered.

 

Bypass Mode
Operating mode on FDDI and token ring networks where an interface has de-inserted from the ring.

 

 

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