Glossary

Glossary Broadband: The delivery of higher bandwidth by using

transmission channels capable of supporting data rates greater
2G (Second Generation Mobile Communications): Also known as than the primary rate of 9.6 Kbps.
GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications): A digital system
for mobile communications that is based on a widely-accepted Churn: A measure of the number of customers or subscribers who
standard and typically operates in the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and leave their service provider, e.g. a mobile operator, during a given
1900 MHz frequency bands. time period.

3G (Third Generation Mobile Communications): The third Cloud: Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous,
generation of mobile communications standards designed for convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of
carrying both voice and data generally using WCDMA or close configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers,
variants. See also WCDMA. storage, applications and services) that can be rapidly provisioned
and released with minimal management effort.
3GPP (The Third Generation Partnership Project): A consortium
comprising several standards organizations which develop CloudBand: Our loud management and orchestration solutions
protocols for mobile telecommunications. The initial goal was enabling a unified cloud engine and platform for Network Functions
to develop a global technical specification for a 3G mobile phone Virtualization (NFV). See also NFV.
system. Since then, the operations have been extended and today Common Software Foundation (CSF): As a coherent software
the main focus is on 5G networks. suite, Nokia’s cloud-native Common Software Foundation is
4G (Fourth Generation Mobile Communications): The fourth designed to deliver applications that are hardware- and vendor-
generation of mobile communications standards based on LTE, agnostic, and easy to deploy, integrate, use and upgrade.
offering IP data connections only and providing true broadband Converged core: Wireless and fixed access convergence within
internet access for mobile devices. See also LTE. the core. As we move towards a 5G standalone core, service
5G (Fifth Generation Mobile Communications): The next major providers will be able to use a common set of control plane
phase of mobile telecommunications standards. 5G is a complete functions within the core to manage both wireless and fixed user
redesign of network architecture with the flexibility and agility to plane functions. The ability of a unified control plane will simplify
support upcoming service opportunities. It delivers higher speeds, operations and provide independent location, scaling and lifecycle
higher capacity, extremely low latency and greater reliability. management capabilities.

Access network: A telecommunications network between a local Convergence: The coming together of two or more disparate
exchange and the subscriber station. disciplines or technologies. Convergence types are e.g. IP convergence,
fixed-mobile convergence and device convergence.
Airframe: Our 5G-ready, end-to-end data center solution that
combines the benefits of cloud computing technologies with the Core network: A combination of exchanges and the basic
requirements of the core and radio telecommunications world. transmission equipment that together form the basis for
It is available in Rackmount and Open Compute Project (OCP) form network services.
factors. This enables the solution to be very scalable: from small CSP: Communication service providers.
distributed latency-optimized data centers to massive centralized
hyperscale data center deployment. Customer Experience Management: Software suite used to
manage and improve the customer experience, based on
AirScale Radio Access: A 5G-ready complete radio access customer, device and network insights.
generation that helps operators address the increasing demands
of today and tomorrow. The solution comprises: Nokia AirScale Devices & Services: Our former mobile device business,
Base Station with multiband radio frequency elements and system substantially all of which was sold to Microsoft.
modules; Nokia AirScale Active Antennas; Cloud RAN with Nokia
Digital: A signaling technique in which a signal is encoded into
AirScale Cloud Base Station Server and the cloud-based AirScale
digits for transmission.
RNC (Radio Network Controller) for 3G; Nokia AirScale Wi-Fi;
common software; and services which use intelligent analytics Discontinued operations: The continuing financial effects of the
and extreme automation to maximize the performance of HERE business and the Devices & Services business. HERE was
hybrid networks. divested to an automotive consortium and substantially all of
the Devices & Services business was sold to Microsoft.
Alcatel-Lucent: Alcatel-Lucent Group, that has been part of the
Nokia Group since 2016. Ecosystem: An industry term to describe the increasingly large
communities of mutually beneficial partnerships that participants
Anyhaul: Mobile transport solution for 5G networks covering
such as hardware manufacturers, software providers, developers,
microwave, IP, optical and broadband.
publishers, entertainment providers, advertisers and ecommerce
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Autonomous and adaptive intelligence specialists form in order to bring their offerings to market. At the
of machines, where machines have the ability to perform tasks in heart of the major ecosystems in the mobile devices and related
complex environments without constant guidance by a user and services industry is the operating system and the development
have the ability to improve performance by learning from platform upon which services are built.
experience.
ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute):
Bandwidth: The width of a communication channel, which affects Standards produced by the ETSI contain technical specifications
transmission speeds over that channel. laying down the characteristics required for a telecommunications
product.
Base station: A network element in a mobile network responsible
for radio transmission and reception to or from the mobile station.

220
220 NOKIA IN 2020
 Other information

Fixed Networks: Our Fixed Networks business group provides IPR licensing: Generally an agreement or an arrangement where a
copper and fiber access products, solutions, and services. company allows another company to use its intellectual property
(such as patents, trademarks or copyrights) under certain terms.
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA): Uses wireless networks to connect
fixed locations such as homes and businesses with broadband IP/Optical Networks: Our IP/Optical Networks business group
services. provides the key IP routing and optical transport systems, software
and services to build high capacity network infrastructure for the
Future X: A network architecture – a massively distributed, cognitive, internet and global connectivity.
continuously adaptive, learning and optimizing network connecting
humans, senses, things, systems, infrastructure, processes. LTE (Long-Term Evolution): 3GPP radio technology evolution
architecture and a standard for wireless communication of
G.fast: A fixed broadband technology able to deliver up to 1Gbps high-speed data. Also referred to as 4G.
over very short distances (for example, for in-building use, also
called “Fiber-to-the-Building”). Launched in 2014, G.fast uses Mission-critical networks/communications: One of the key
more frequencies and G.fast Vectoring techniques to achieve elements of 5G. Mission-critical communications meets the needs
higher speeds. of emergency responders such as emergency operations centers,
fire departments, emergency vehicles, police, and search and
Global Services: Our Global Services business group provides rescue services, replacing traditional radio with new communications
a broad variety of services to communication service providers capabilities available to smartphone users.
and enterprises ranging from network infrastructure services,
professional services and managed operations to network Mobile broadband: Refers to high-speed wireless internet
cognitive services and analytics. connections and services designed to be used from multiple
locations.
GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network): A fiber access
technology that delivers 2.5Gbps over a single optical fiber to Mobile Networks: Our Mobile Networks business group offers
multiple end points including residential and enterprise sites. an industry-leading portfolio of radio access networks solutions,
including 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G and Single-RAN, microwave radio links
GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications): A digital system and cloud computing hardware platforms.
for mobile communications that is based on a widely accepted
standard and typically operates in the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and MPLS: Multiprotocol Label Switching, a routing technique for
1900 MHz frequency bands. See also 2G. networks.
GSM-R (GSM-Railway): An international wireless communications MSO: Multiple System Operators (MSO) are operators of multiple
standard for railway communication and applications. A sub- cable television systems. The majority of system operators run
system of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), cable systems in more than one community and hence most of
it is used for communication between train and railway regulation them are multiple system operators.
control centers.
Networks segment: One of our three reportable segments until
HERE: A former Nokia company focused on mapping and location the end of 2020. As Nokia’s new operating model became effective
intelligence services, which was divested to an automotive on January 1, 2021, the reportable segments changed accordingly.
consortium in 2015.
NFV (Network Functions Virtualization): Principle of separating
Internet of Things (IoT): All things such as cars, the clothes network functions from the hardware they run on by using virtual
we wear, household appliances and machines in factories hardware abstraction.
connected to the internet and able to automatically learn
and organize themselves. Nokia Bell Labs: Our research arm engaged in discovering and
developing the technological shifts needed for the next phase
IP (Internet Protocol): A network layer protocol that offers of human existence as well as exploring and solving complex
a connectionless internet work service and forms part of the problems to radically redefine networks.
(Transmission Control Protocol) TCP/IP protocol.
Nokia Enterprise: Recognizing the growth potential of our
IP (Intellectual Property): Intellectual property results from business within the enterprise customer segment, we created
original creative thought, covering items such as patents, copyright Nokia Enterprise business group, effective 1 January, 2019.
material and trademarks, as well as business models and plans. It addresses the mission- and business-critical networking
requirements of asset-intensive industries such as transportation,
IPR (Intellectual Property Rights): Legal rights protecting the energy, manufacturing and logistics – as well as governments
economic exploitation of intellectual property, a generic term and cities.
used to describe products of human intellect, for example patents,
that have an economic value. Nokia Networks: Our former business focused on mobile network
infrastructure software, hardware and services.
IP/MPLS (IP Multiprotocol Label Switching): IP/MPLS is a routing
technique in telecommunications networks that directs data from Nokia Software: Our business group and a reportable segment
one node to the next based on short path labels rather than long offering carrier-grade software applications and platforms to
network addresses, thus avoiding complex lookups in a routing provide operations and business support systems, build, deliver,
table and speeding traffic flows. and optimize services, enable their monetization, and to improve
customer experience.

NOKIA IN 2020 221

Glossary continued

Nokia Technologies: Our business group and a reportable segment Standalone (SA): Network architecture that allows independent
focused on advanced technology development and licensing. operation of a 5G service without interaction with an existing 4G
core and 4G radio network.
Non-Standalone (NSA): Network architecture that is built over
an existing 4G network. Technology licensing: Generally refers an agreement or
arrangement where under certain terms a company provides
Nuage Networks: A Nokia brand, focused on creating Software another company with its technology and possibly know-how,
Defined Networking (SDN) solutions that simplify and automate whether protected by intellectual property or not, for use in
communication service providers’ cloud networks and enterprise products or services offered by the other company.
Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN).
Telco cloud: Applying cloud computing, SDN and NFV principles
Operating System (OS): Software that controls the basic operation in telecommunications environment, e.g. separating application
of a computer or a mobile device, such as managing the processor software from underlying hardware with automated,
and memory. The term is also often used to refer more generally programmable interfaces while still retaining telecommunications
to the software within a device e.g. the user interface. requirements such as high availability and low latency.
Packet: Part of a message transmitted over a packet-switched Transmission: The action of conveying signals from one point
network. to one or more other points.
Platform: Software platform is a term used to refer to an TXLE (Technical Extra-Large Enterprise): Technically sophisticated
operating system or programming environment, or a combination companies, such as banks, that invest heavily in their own network
of the two. infrastructures to gain a key competitive advantage.
PON (Passive Optical Network): A fiber access architecture in VDSL2 (Very High Bit Rate Digital Subscriber Line 2): A fixed
which unpowered fiber optic splitters are used to enable a single broadband technology, the successor of ADSL. Launched in 2007,
optical fiber to serve multiple end-points without having to it typically delivers a 30Mbps broadband service from a street
provide individual fibers between the hub and customer. cabinet (also called a “Fiber-to-the-Node” deployment) over
Programmable world: A world where connectivity will expand existing telephone lines.
massively, linking people as well as billions of physical objects – VDSL2 vectoring: A fixed broadband technology launched in 2011,
from cars, home appliances and smartphones, to wearables, able to deliver up to 100Mbps over a VDSL2 line by applying noise
industrial equipment and health monitors. What distinguishes cancellation techniques to remove cross-talk between neighboring
the Programmable World from the Internet of Things (IoT) is the VDSL2 lines.
intelligence that is added to data to allow people to interpret
and use it, rather than just capture it. Virtual Reality (VR): The simulation of a three-dimensional image
or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or
PSE-3: The PSE-3 chipset is the first coherent digital signal physical way by a person using special electronic equipment,
processor to implement Probabilistic Constellation Shaping (PCS), such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors.
a modulation technique pioneered by Nokia Bell Labs.
VoLTE (Voice over LTE): Required to offer voice services on
RAN (Radio Access Network): A mobile telecommunications an all-IP LTE network and generally provided using IP Multimedia
system consisting of radio base stations and transmission Subsystem, which is an architectural framework designed to deliver
equipment. IP-based multimedia services on telecommunications networks;
SDAN: Software Defined Access Network. standardized by 3GPP.

SDN (Software-Defined Network): Decoupling of network control WAN (Wide Area Network): A geographically distributed private
and data forwarding to simplify and automate connections in data telecommunications network that interconnects multiple local
centers, clouds and across the wide area. area networks.

SD-WAN: Software-Defined Networking in a Wide Area Network WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access): A third-
(WAN) that simplifies and automates enterprise networks, generation mobile wireless technology that offers high data speeds
seamlessly connecting users and applications, from branch to mobile and portable wireless devices. Also referred to as 3G.
office to cloud. Webscale companies: Companies – such as Google, Microsoft,
SEP (Standard-Essential Patent): Generally, patents needed and Alibaba – which are investing in cloud technology and network
to produce products which work on a standard, which companies infrastructure on an increasing scale to fulfill their needs for
declare as essential and agree to license on Fair, Reasonable and massive, mission-critical networks.
Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) terms. Can be referred to as essential WING: Worldwide IoT Network Grid is a managed service that offers
patent also. CSPs the ability to support their enterprise customers with global
Single RAN: Single RAN (S-RAN) allows different radio technologies IoT connectivity across borders and technologies.
to be provided at the same time from a single base station, using WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network): A local area network using
a multi-purpose platform. wireless connections, such as radio, microwave or infrared links,
Small cells: Low-powered radio access nodes (micro cells or in place of physical cables.
picocells) that are a vital element in handling very dense data
traffic demands. 3G and LTE small cells use spectrum licensed by
the operator; Wi-Fi uses unlicensed spectrum which is therefore
not under the operator’s exclusive control.

222 NOKIA IN 2020