[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 169 (Thursday, August 29, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45427-45428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22062]
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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Federal Telecommunications Standards
AGENCY: Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation, GSA.
ACTION: Notice of adoption of Federal standard.
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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to announce the adoption of
Federal Telecommunications Standards (FED-STD)). FED-STD 1037C
Telecommunications: Glossary of Telecommunications Terms is approved
and will be published.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Shirley Radack, telephone (301) 975-2833, National Institute of
Standards and Technology, Building 225, Room A-126, Gaithersburg, MD
20899.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. The General Services Administration (GSA) is responsible under
the provisions of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act
of 1949, as amended, for the Federal Standardization Program.
2. On November 16, 1994, a notice was published in the Federal
Register (59 FR 59255) that a proposed FED-STD 1037C entitled
Telecommunications: Glossary of Telecommunications Terms was being
proposed for Federal use and that comments were requested.
3. GSA and the Department of Commerce (DOC) reviewed the written
comments submitted by interested parties and other material available
relevant to this standard. GSA and DOC also reviewed the justification
package as approved by the Federal Telecommunications Standards
Committee (FTSC) and the National Communications System (NCS). On the
basis of this review, GSA determined to adopt the proposed standards as
Federal Telecommunications Standards (FED-STD) 1037C,
Telecommunications: Glossary of Telecommunications Terms.
The justification package from FTCS and NCS, and GSA's analysis of
comments received in response to the notice, are part of the public
record and available for inspection.
4. This Federal Telecommunications Standard is mandatory.
5. Requests for copies of the Federal Telecommunications Standard
1037C, Telecommunications: Glossary of Telecommunication Terms should
be directed to the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), U.S.
Department of Commerce, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161,
(703) 487-4650.
Dated: August 7, 1996.
G. Martin Wagner,
Associate Administrator, Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation.
Federal Standard 1037C
Telecommunications: Glossary of Telecommunication Terms
1. Scope: a. This glossary provides standard definitions for the
fields subsumed by the umbrella discipline of telecommunications.
Fields defined herein include: antenna types and measurements, codes/
coding schemes, computer and data communications (computer graphics
vocabulary, file transfer techniques, hardware, software), fiber optics
communication, facsimile types and techniques, frequency topics
(frequency modulation, interference, spectrum sharing), Internet, ISDN,
LANs (MANs, WANs), modems, modulation schemes, multiplexing techniques,
networking (network management, architecture/topology), NII, NS/EP,
power issues, PCS/UPT/cellular mobile, radio communications, routing
schemes, satellite communications security issues, switching
techniques, synchronization/timing techniques, telegraphy, telephony,
TV (UHF, VHF, cable TV, HDTV), traffic issues, transmission/propagation
concerns (signal loss/attenuation, transmission lines), video
technology, and wave propagation/measurement terminology.
b. The terms and accompanying definitions contained in this
standard are drawn from authoritative non-Government sources such as
the International Telecommunication Union, the International
Organization for Standardization, the Telecommunications Industry
Association, and the American National Standards Institute, as well as
from numerous authoritative U.S. Government publications, the FTSC
Subcommittee to Revise FED-STD 1037B has rewritten many definitions as
deemed necessary either to reflect technology advances or to make those
definitions that were phrased in specialized terminology more
understandable to a broader audience.
1.1 Applicability: This standard incorporates and supersedes FED-
STD-1037B, June 1991. Accordingly, all Federal departments and agencies
shall use it as the authoritative source of definitions for terms used
in the preparation of all telecommunications documentation. The use of
this standard by all Federal departments and agencies is mandatory.
1.2 Purpose: The purpose of this standard is to improve the
Federal acquisition process by providing Federal departments and
agencies a comprehensive, authoritative source of definitions of terms
used in telecommunications and directly related disciplines by
national, international, and U.S. Government telecommunications
specialists.
2. Requirements and Applicable Documents: a. The terms and
definitions that constitute this standard, and that are to be applied
to the uses cited in paragraph 3 below, are contained on page A-1
through Z-1 of this document. There are no other documents applicable
to implementation of this standard. A list of acronyms and
abbreviations is presented as Appendix A. The list of abbreviations and
acronyms uses bold font to identify those term names that are defined
in this glossary. An abbreviated index of
[[Page 45428]]
selected principal families of related term names is presented in
Appendix B.
b. Within this document, symbols for units of measurement (and the
font type for these symbols) are in accord with ANSI/IEEE Std. 260.1-
1993, American National Standard Letter Symbols for Units of
Measurement (S1 Units, Customary Inch-Pound Units, and Certain Other
Units).
3. Use: a. All Federal departments and agencies shall use the terms
and definitions contained herein. Only after determining that a term or
definition is not included in this document may other sources be used.
b. Nearly all terms are listed alphabetically: a few exceptions to
this rule include (1) the family of network topologies, which are
grouped under the definition of ``network topology,'' and (2) the
family of dispersion terms, which are grouped under the definition of
``dispersion.'' In all cases, ample cross references guide the reader
to the location of the definition. Term names containing numerals are
alphabetized as though the numbers were spelled out; thus, ``144-line
weighting'' will appear in the ``O'' portion of the alphabet between
the terms ``on-board communication station'' and ``one-way
communication,'' since it is pronounced as if it were spelled ``one-
forty-four line. . . .'' For user convenience, exceptions to the rule
are taken for entries comprising numerically consecutive terms, e.g.,
``digital signal 0,'' . . . ``digital signal 4,'' which are grouped
numerically following the ``digital signal'' entry.
c. An abbreviation for the term name often appears in parentheses
following the term name. When both the abbreviation and the spelled-out
version of a term name are commonly used to name an entity defined in
this glossary, the definition resides with the more commonly used
version of the term name. If the more commonly used designation is the
fully spelled-out term name, then the definition resides under that
name. If, however, the more common term name is the abbreviation, then
the definition rests with the abbreviated spelling of that term name.
For example, the definition of ``decibel'' resides under ``dB.''
d. When more than one definition is supplied for a given term name,
the definitions are numbered, and the general definition is given
first. Succeeding definitions are often specific to a specialized
discipline, and are usually so identified.
e. Notes on definitions are not a mandatory part of this document;
these notes are expository or tutorial in nature. When a note follows a
source citation (such as ``[JP1]''), that note is not part of the
source document cited. Notes and cross references apply only to the
immediately preceding definition, unless stated otherwise.
f. Three types of cross references are used: ``Contrast with,''
``Synonyn'' and ``See''
(1) ``Contrast with'' is used for terms that are nearly antonyms,
or when understanding one concept is aided by examining the definition
of its counterpart.
(2) When term names are synonymous, the definition is placed under
only one of the term names, i.e., the preferred term name, which is
generally the most common name. Synonyms are listed for cross-reference
purposes only. The other term name entries contain only a ``Synonym''
listing; i.e., the definition for synonymous term names is not
repeated. Terms labeled ``Colloquial synonym'' are in occasional
informal use, but may be semantically inexact or may border on slang.
(3) ``See'' is used where an undefined term name is entered as a
cross reference only to direct the reader to a related term name (or
term names) that is (are) defined in the glossary.
g. Term names that are semantically incorrect, that have been
replaced by recent advances in technology, or that have definitions
that are no longer applicable, are designated as ``deprecated''. In
such case the reader is referred to current term names, where
applicable.
h. The telecommunications terms included in this glossary either
are not sufficiently defined in a standard desk dictionary or are
restated for clarity and convenience. Likewise, combinations of such
words are included in this glossary only where the usual desk-
dictionary definitions, when used in combination, are either
insufficient or vague.
i. Definitions that carry the source citation ``[47CFR]'' (which
refers to Title 47 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations), or ``[NTIA]''
(which refers to the NTIA Manual), or the source citation ``[RR]''
(which refers to the ITU Radio Regulations) may have a format or syntax
that differs from the definitions in the remainder of FED-STD 1037C
because the FTSC Subcommittee to Revise FED-STD 1037B was not
authorized to make any changes whatever to the definitions in these
three documents. One minor formatting change was made to definitions
from NSTISSI No. 4009, National Information Systems Security (INFOSEC)
Glossary, cited [NIS]: Often the introductory; indefinite article or
definite article was added at the beginning of the cited definition,
and that article was added in square brackets ``[ ]'' to indicate that
its addition was the only change made in the quoted definition.
j. Figures have been added to many definitions throughout the
glossary to illustrate complex concepts or systems that are defined
herein. With the exception of the figure called ``electromagnetic
spectrum,'' these figures are not a mandatory part of this document.
k. This standard contains two appendixes, neither of which is
mandatory.
Appendix A consists of a list of abbreviations used in this
glossary. In that list, the bold font graces the term names that are
defined in this glossary. Appendix B consists of an abbreviated
index of families of defined terms whose technologies are related.
This index is provided as a tool to identify all related terms
within a specific discipline so that the reader's understanding of a
definition may be amplified by reading related definitions within a
specific discipline. The index also provides the reader with
information on the breadth and scope of disciplines addressed in the
glossary.
4. Effective Date: The use of this approved standard by U.S.
Government departments and agencies is mandatory, effective 180 days
following the date of this standard.
5. Changes: When a Federal department or agency considers that this
standard does not provide for its essential needs, a request for
exception should be submitted to the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST) in accordance with Federal Information Processing
Standards Procedures.
Federal departments and agencies are encouraged to submit updates
to this standard; those updates will be considered for the next
revision of this standard. Submit suggested changes to the National
Communications System, whose address is given below. Office of the
Manager, National Communications System, Office of Technology and
Standards, 701 South Court House Road, Arlington, VA 22204-2198.
[FR Doc. 96-22062 Filed 8-28-96; 8:45 am]
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