mobile help & support
Sometimes when we're explaining Orange services is all gets a bit technical. If you're not sure what something means, you can look it up here. Just pick from the letters below to find the most commonly used terms.
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2.5G
Used to describe an enhanced 2G mobile phone network. 2.5G networks offer improved data services, giving users the ability to send data faster. Services available include photo messaging and video messaging.
2G
A term used to describe the second generation of mobile phone networks. 2G networks are digital and offer improved security and call quality compared to previous technologies, and allow the use of text messaging as well as voice calls.
3G
3G is the latest level of technology for mobile phone networks, offering fast data speeds (up to 384kbps). This level of technology also supports services like video calling and video streaming.
Active Flip
Feature on some phones which covers the keypad and can be flipped open to answer a call, and flipped shut to end a call.
ADSL
Asymmetric digital subscriber line. More commonly referred to as 'Broadband'. The term used to describe high speed Internet access using copper wires. Orange broadband uses ADSL technology.
Answer Fax
A service that lets you receive and store faxes. You have your own Answer Fax number as well as your Orange phone number. You can retrieve your fax messages by forwarding them to any fax machine.
Answer Phone Call Return
A service that allows you to directly call back someone who's left a message on your Orange answerphone without having to redial
Any network any time
Refers to minutes which can be used to call any UK landline or UK mobile number. These are included in many Orange plans.
APN
Access Point Name. You may see this term in your mobile phone's settings, it refers to the settings for photo messaging and Orange World services on some mobile phones.
Avatar Messaging
A service that allows you to create and send a message featuring an animated film character or other video image. The image speaks your message to the recipient.
B2B
Business to Business
Bits
The smallest units of data, representing zero or 1
BlackBerry®
A manufacturer of advanced, email-friendly phones
Bluetooth®
A technology designed to allow wireless communication between devices that are close together. For example, linking your mobile phone to a headset.
Bps
Bits per Second. The number of bits transferred per second.
Broadband
A communication network in which the bandwidth can be divided and shared by multiple simultaneous signals such as voice, data and video.
Business card
Contact details for someone in your phone book. A business card can be sent to another mobile phone as a text message or via infrared
Bytes
A unit of data. A byte is made up of 8 bits of data.
Cache
An area on your computer or mobile phone's memory used to store recently accessed information, saving the need to continually download information that you regularly use.
Call barring
Prevents calls from specified or all numbers being connected to your phone
Call Divert
A service that allows you to automatically forward your calls to an alternative phone number.
Call hold
Allows you to effectively pause a call, preventing the caller from hearing a conversation.
Call waiting
Indication that another caller is attempting to get through while a call is in progress. Call waiting is heard as a beep and shows caller id on the phone's screen.
Caller group
a group of names and numbers from a phonebook which are given the same ringtone. This enables you to give work contacts, family or friends distinctive ringtones.
Caller ID
Displays the name or number of the person calling before you answer a call.
Cookies
Small files stored on your computer or mobile phone to identify you to websites that you visit. These files can store save you entering the same information for sites that you regularly visit such as usernames etc.
Coverage
The geographical reach of a mobile phone network or system
Digital
Describes the storage and transmission of data as a series of 1's and 0's. As an example digital mobile phone networks send calls by turning your voice into a series of 1's and 0's that are transmitted to the receiving phone where the 1's and 0's are converted back into speech.
DTMF
Dual Tone Multi Frequency. Also known as Touch tone. This feature creates a sound over the phone line when keys are pressed on the handset.
Dual Band
Handsets that work on both 900, 1800 GSM frequencies are called 'Dual band'.
These frequencies allow Roaming (calling while abroad) in Europe, Asia and Australia
FAQs
Frequently asked questions.
Fixed line
Used to describe a landline phone, e.g. a phone that plugs into a wall socket.
Free Move
An alliance between Orange, Telecom Italia Mobile and T-Mobile dedicated to providing seamless services to European customers.
FTgroup
France Telecom group
GIF
Graphics Interchange Format. A type of picture or image file.
Gigabyte (GB)
A measure of computer data storage capacity = approx one billion bytes or 1024 megabytes.
GPRS
General Packet Radio Services. A 2.5G mobile network technology which enables faster and more efficient movement of data. GPRS allows the use of services like photo messaging, video messaging and improved services on Orange World.
GPS
Global Positioning System. A satellite-based location system. A common use of this system is satellite navigation.
GSM
Global System for Mobile Communications. One of the most widely used types of mobile phone network.
Hands free
Describes the facility that allows a phone to be used without the need to physically hold it.
Hot key
A key that, when pressed and held, enables access to specific applications and services.
HSCSD
High Speed Circuit Switched Data. A service that allows you to make a data call at 28.8kbps instead of the basic 14.4kbps or 9.6kbps. Orange is the only UK network to support it.
HTML
Hyper Text Markup Language. The language used to write pages on the World Wide Web.
HTTP
Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. A set of standard rules to allow the Internet to send and receive information. You will usually see this term at the start of a web site address.
Icon
A small picture representing a feature. Used on the menus of some phones.
IMSI
International Mobile Subscriber Identity. A unique number used to identify your mobile phone to the network.
Information menu
Additional menu on a phone providing simple access to Information Services. Information Menu is only available on selected mobile phones and requires a compatible SIM Card.
Infrared
Allows information to be exchanged between selected phones, PDAs or printers without using any wires. Linked devices must be within line of sight.
Internet
A large network of linked computers covering most of the world allowing the free transfer of information. Applications of the Internet include Email and the World Wide Web.
IP
Internet Protocol. The delivery method used on the Internet to ensure that information is sent to and from the right places.
IP Address
A unique address to identify each computer connected to a network or the Internet, allowing the correct delivery of information.
ISP
Internet Service Provider. Used to describe the company who provides your Internet connection. Orange broadband is an ISP.
IVR
Interactive voice response. An automated telephone tool used to provide information or directing calls to the right place. Many companies use IVRs for their customer support phone lines.
Java
An online software application.
Jog Dial
A single button for scrolling through and selecting menu options. Used for Sony phones only.
JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group. A type of picture or image file.
Kbps
Kilobits per second. A term used to describe the speed of your Internet connection.
Kilobit
Measurement of data size, abbreviated as Kb. There are eight kilobits to a kilobyte (see below). NB Data transfer rates are measured in kilobits per second, abbreviated as kbps.
Kilobyte
Measurement of data size, abbreviated as KB. A kilobyte is made up of 1024 bytes of data.
LAN
Local Area Network. Used to describe a network of linked computers that are close together geographically.
LBS
Location Based Services. Technology that can tell where you are at any given time, through your phone. There are two main types of service, satellite based (see GPS) and mobile network based. This can help provide information on local services, for example your nearest petrol station or cash machine.
LCD
Liquid crystal display. Describes the technology used in some TVs, monitors and mobile phone screens. LCD displays work by passing electricity through a solution trapped between two sheets of glass to create images. This allows the screen to be much thinner.
Mbps
Megabits per second. A term used to describe the speed of your Internet connection. Orange broadband offers speeds of up to 8Mbps depending on how far way from your local exchange you are.
Megabyte
A unit of data file size, abbreviated as MB (e.g. 125MB). A Megabyte is made up of 1024 Kilobytes.
MMS
Multimedia Messaging Service. Allows messages containing pictures and sounds and text to be sent between mobile phones or to an email address.
Mobile number portability
The ability to bring your existing mobile phone number with you if you change network.
Mobile Office Card
A device that slots into a laptop to enable Wirefree connection to the Internet.
MP3
Mpeg level 3. A commonly used digital music file format.
Multimedia
The combined use of media such as moving images, music, lighting, CD-ROMs and the Internet.
Ofcom
The telecommunications regulatory body. (Took over from Oftel.)
Operating systems
The program that manages programs in a computer or smartphone
Orange Home screen
A feature on some mobile phones that allows one-touch access to key services and exclusive Orange services, when not on a call.
Orange international calling
The Orange service allowing customers to make or receive calls when they are in a foreign country where Orange has an agreement with a local partner network.
Packet
A small parcel of data sent across a network
Partner networks
Mobile phone networks in countries with which Orange has an agreement, enabling Orange customers to use their phone in those countries.
Pay monthly
The term for monthly payment contracts, where you receive a monthly bill for your mobile phone usage.
PCN
Personal Communications Network. The term sometimes used to refer to GSM1800 networks. Orange is a GSM1800 network.
PCS
Personal Communications Service. Orange is a personal communications service.
PDA
Personal Digital Assistant. An electronic device with various capabilities, depending on the manufacturer, including word processing, email, personal organizer and in some cases Internet access.
Phone book
Memory facility on a phone or SIM card that stores names and phone numbers entered by the user.
Photo Messaging
The ability to take photos and send them between mobile phones or to an email address. Text and sound can also be attached to photo messages. Sometimes referred to as MMS.
PIN
Security number used to prevent unauthorized use of a phone, or to provide a secure log-in for network services.
Polyphonic
The capability of playing more than one note at once to give a richer sound. Used in relation to ringtones.
Predictive text
An internal dictionary which makes keying in messages easier by using only one key press for each letter.
Quad-band
Handsets that work on the 850, 900, 1800 and 1900 GSM frequencies are called 'Quad-band'.
These frequencies allow Roaming (making calls abroad) in Europe, Asia, Australia, United States and Canada
RAM
Random Access Memory. Computer or mobile phone memory that can be read from and written to.
Ringtone
The tone or tune that a phone plays when it receives a call. Many phones allow customized ringtones and some feature a ringtone composer.
Ringtone composer
Feature on certain phones allowing you to create your own ringtone.
Roaming
The term is used to describe using your phone on a mobile network that you are not connected to. This usually applies when traveling abroad.
ROM
Read Only Memory. Computer or mobile phone memory that can be read from, but not written to.
SAR
Specific absorption rate. European standard rating system that measures how much radio wave energy the human body absorbs from mobile phones.
Satellite Navigation
A device which turns your phone into a global positioning system (GPS) for navigating while driving.
Screen saver
A software program that displays constantly changing images or dims the brightness of a display screen (on a phone, PC or PDA) to prevent images 'burning' into the screen.
Signature phones
A range of bespoke handsets developed in partnership with leading manufacturers that provide simple access to Orange services with one click.
SIM Card
The small removable chip inside an Orange phone that holds the customer's service details.
Smartphone
A mobile phone with mini-browser, Internet access and advanced PDA capabilities (calendar, contact manager, to-do list etc).
SMS
Short message service. A service which enables users to send and receive written messages on their mobile phone.
Soft key
Words or icons on screen for choosing and navigating applications on a mobile phone
Spam
An email or text message from someone you don't know and haven't asked to contact you. Spam is sometimes also referred to as unsolicited messages or Junk Email.
Speed dialing
A feature allowing a phone book entry to be assigned to a single key or number. A call can then be made by simply holding down the appropriate key for a second.
SPV
Sounds, Pictures, Video. A range of smartphones developed by Orange.
Standard calls
Calls to other Orange mobiles or UK fixed-line numbers.
Standby time
The length of time the battery will last when your phone is turned on but not in use.
Streaming
A transmission technique used to play content like videos and music, rather than downloading the whole file before playing a part of the file is downloaded and plays while the remainder is still being downloaded.
Talk time
Two meanings. Refers to free call time included in plans. Also used to describe the length of time the battery willlast when your phone is in use, as opposed to on standby.
Text message
A message of up to 160 characters that may be sent to another phone. Also called SMS.
Tri-band
Handsets that work on the 900, 1800 and 1900 GSM frequencies are called 'Tri- band'.
These frequencies allow Roaming (making calls abroad) in Europe, Asia, Australia, Northern United States and Canada.
Video Calling
View both yourself, and the person you've called, in high-quality, real-time video. Requires both parties to have a 3G phone and be in a 3G area. At times described as 3G Video Calling, for clarity.
Video Messaging
A service that allows a message containing a video to be sent from a mobile phone to another phone or an email address.
Voice answering
A feature available on some phones using an advanced hands-free kit that allows you to answer a call without touching the phone.
Voice dialing
Function on some phones that allows the users to make a call by simply saying the name of the person they want to call rather than touching the phone.
VoIP
Voice over Internet Protocol. A new technology that allows voice telephone calls to be made over the Internet. The Orange broadband Talk service uses this type of technology.
WAP
Wireless application protocol. Technology that allows mobile phone users to access content via the Internet which is specifically designed for mobile phones. Orange World uses WAP to deliver its services.
Wifi
Wireless Fidelity. Technology that allows devices to connect to each other using specific radio frequencies over a short range.
WML
Wireless Markup Language. The language used to write pages for use on WAP enabled phones.
World Wide Web
Sometimes shortened to WWW. A tool available via the Internet which displays content stored in other locations through a web browser like Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla or others.