Sometimes speaking “tech” is like speaking an entirely different language. Let us clear up some of the possible confusion for you! Here are some of the most commonly used abbreviations and acronyms in the telecommunications industry:
BTN – Business Telephone Number, the main telephone number on a customer’s account.
CSR – Customer Service Record, a comprehensive and detailed report of a customer’s phone account
DID – Direct Inward Dial, a digital phone number that rings directly to a specific user
DMARC – Demarcation point, the termination or interface location of network facilities at a customer’s location
FCC – Federal Communications Commission, an agency of the government that is responsible for the regulation of interstate communication services
IP – Internet Protocol, the standard signaling method used for all internet communications
LEC – Local Exchange Carrier, the local telephone company that provides the customer’s phone service
MMS – Multimedia Messaging Service, a cellular text message that also contains pictures or videos
PIC – Primary Interexchange Carrier, the defaulted long distance provider through which all calls from a subscriber line are routed
POTS – Plain Old Telephone Service, analog telephone signal that delivers voice services through copper lines
PRI – Primary Rate Interface, 23 channels able to carry digital voice and data services
PUC – Public Utilities Commission, public utility owned and operated by a municipal or local government, under the oversight of local elected officials
RCF – Remote Call Forward, a phone number that always forwards to another number
SIP – Session Initiation Protocol, a signal protocol commonly used for controlling internet telephony for voice
SMS – Standard Messaging Service, a text message sent through cell phones that contains only text characters
VoIP – Voice Over Internet Protocol, communications services that are transmitted over the internet, rather than an analog public telephone network
