Internet glossary
Plain-English answers to the words on your internet bill.
86 of 86 terms
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- Equipment and Wi-Fi2.4 GHz / 5 GHzWi-Fi bands: 2.4 GHz reaches farther, 5 GHz is faster at shorter range.
- Speed and data4K (Ultra HD)Video at about four times the pixels of 1080p; needs much more speed and data.
- Speed and data5G home internetFixed home internet delivered over a mobile carrier's 5G network.
A
- Equipment and Wi-FiAccess pointA device that broadcasts a Wi-Fi signal, such as a router or mesh node.
- Programs and policyACPThe Affordable Connectivity Program, a federal internet discount that ended June 1, 2024.
- Plans and pricingActivation feeA one-time fee some providers charge to start service.
- Speed and dataAdaptive streamingWhen an app automatically raises or lowers video quality to match your connection.
B
- Speed and dataBandwidthThe maximum amount of data your connection can carry at once, like the width of a pipe.
- Plans and pricingBaseline speedThe speed a provider designs a plan to deliver in normal conditions.
- Programs and policyBEADThe $42.45 billion federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program funding new networks.
- SatelliteBeam (spot beam)A focused area of satellite coverage; customers in the same beam share its capacity.
- Speed and dataBitThe smallest unit of digital information, a single 1 or 0.
- Programs and policyBroadbandAlways-on high-speed internet; the FCC benchmark is 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up.
- Programs and policyBroadband labelA standard "nutrition label" each provider must show listing price, fees, speeds and data.
- Speed and dataBufferingThe pause while a video loads more data ahead because the connection fell behind.
- Plans and pricingBurst speedA higher top speed a plan can reach for short periods when capacity allows.
- Speed and dataByteEight bits; file sizes and data allowances are measured in bytes (MB, GB).
C
D
- Plans and pricingData capA hard monthly limit on data, after which you may be charged or cut off.
- Equipment and Wi-FiDead zoneA spot in the home where Wi-Fi is weak or missing.
- Plans and pricingDeprioritizationWhen a provider moves your traffic behind other customers' during busy times, slowing it.
- SatelliteDishThe outdoor antenna that sends and receives satellite signals.
- Equipment and Wi-FiDNSThe internet's phone book, turning names like theinternet.guide into IP addresses.
- Speed and dataDownload speedHow fast data reaches you from the internet, used for streaming, browsing and downloads.
- Speed and dataDSLInternet over traditional copper phone lines; speed drops with distance from the exchange.
E
- Programs and policyE-RateA federal program that discounts internet for schools and libraries.
- Plans and pricingEarly termination fee (ETF)A charge for cancelling before your contract term ends.
- Plans and pricingEquipment leaseA monthly fee to rent the modem, dish or router from the provider.
- Equipment and Wi-FiEthernetA wired cable connection to the router; more stable than Wi-Fi.
F
- Programs and policyFCCThe Federal Communications Commission, the US regulator for communications.
- Programs and policyFCC broadband mapThe FCC's public map showing which providers report service at each address.
- Speed and dataFiberInternet over glass strands using light; very fast and low latency where available.
- Speed and dataFixed wirelessInternet beamed by radio from a nearby tower to an antenna on your home.
G
- Equipment and Wi-FiGatewayA single box that combines a modem and a router.
- Speed and dataGB (gigabyte)A unit of data volume; about one hour of HD Netflix uses up to 3 GB.
- Speed and dataGbpsGigabits per second, one thousand Mbps; the "gig" speed often sold by fiber providers.
- SatelliteGeostationary (GEO)An orbit about 35,786 km up where a satellite stays fixed over one spot on Earth.
H
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J
K
L
- Speed and dataLatencyThe delay between sending a request and getting a response, measured in milliseconds.
- SatelliteLEO (low Earth orbit)Orbits a few hundred km up (Starlink about 550 km); lower latency but needs thousands of satellites.
- Programs and policyLifelineA federal program that cuts phone or internet bills by up to $9.25 a month ($34.25 on Tribal lands).
- SatelliteLine of sightA clear, unblocked path between your dish or antenna and its satellite or tower.
M
- Speed and dataMbpsMegabits per second, one million bits each second; the usual unit for internet speed.
- Equipment and Wi-FiMesh Wi-FiSeveral linked access points that blanket a large home with one network.
- Speed and dataMillisecond (ms)One thousandth of a second; the unit for latency.
- Plans and pricingMinimum service termA contract period you agree to stay for, such as 24 months.
- Equipment and Wi-FiModemThe device that translates your provider's signal into an internet connection for your home.
- Plans and pricingMonth-to-monthNo contract; you can cancel any time without a termination fee.
N
P
- Speed and dataPacketA small chunk of data; everything online is broken into packets and reassembled.
- Speed and dataPacket lossWhen some packets never arrive, causing freezes, glitches or dropped calls.
- Speed and dataPingA quick test that measures latency; also used loosely to mean the latency number itself.
- Plans and pricingPriority dataData that is handled ahead of other traffic when the network is busy.
- Plans and pricingProfessional installationSetup by a certified technician, required for satellite dishes.
- Plans and pricingPromo priceA discounted introductory rate that rises after a set period, often 12 months.
R
- SatelliteRain fadeTemporary signal loss when heavy rain or snow blocks a high-frequency satellite signal.
- Programs and policyReConnectA USDA program offering loans and grants to build broadband in rural areas.
- Plans and pricingRegular priceThe price you pay after any promotion ends.
- Equipment and Wi-FiRouterThe device that shares one internet connection among all your devices, usually by Wi-Fi.
S
- SatelliteSatellite internetInternet delivered by a dish that talks to a satellite in space.
- Speed and dataSD (standard definition)Lower-resolution video, around 480p, that uses little data.
- SatelliteSouthern sky viewIn the US, GEO satellites sit over the equator, so a dish needs a clear view to the south.
- Speed and dataSpeed testA tool that measures your current download, upload and latency.
- Plans and pricingStandard dataData that is still unlimited but may be slowed when the network is congested.
- Speed and dataStreaming bitrateHow much data per second a video or song uses; higher quality means higher bitrate.
T
- Speed and dataThroughputThe amount of data that actually gets through in practice, usually lower than advertised bandwidth.
- Programs and policyTribal landsFederally recognized Tribal areas eligible for enhanced Lifeline support.
- Plans and pricingTypical usage thresholdThe usage level a provider treats as normal; above it you may be deprioritized.
U
- Programs and policyUniversal Service Fund (USF)The federal fund, paid for by telecom fees, that pays for Lifeline, E-Rate and rural programs.
- Plans and pricing"Up to" speedThe maximum a plan can reach, not a guarantee of what you will get.
- Speed and dataUpload speedHow fast data leaves your home, used for video calls, cloud backups and security cameras.
- Programs and policyUSACThe Universal Service Administrative Company, which runs Lifeline and other USF programs.
V
W
- Equipment and Wi-FiWi-FiWireless networking inside your home between the router and your devices.
- Equipment and Wi-FiWi-Fi 6A newer Wi-Fi standard (802.11ax) that handles many devices at once more efficiently.
- Equipment and Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 6 extended into the less crowded 6 GHz band.
- Equipment and Wi-FiWi-Fi 7The latest Wi-Fi standard (802.11be) with higher peak speeds; most homes do not need it yet.