Telecom Dictionary Navigation

Telecom Dictionary - R

Raceway - This is a physical channel that loosely houses telephone and electrical wires in buildings.

Rack - Simply an equipment rack.

Radar - RAdio Detection And Ranging.  This is refers an electronic instrument that detects distant objects and measures their range by how they alter or reflect radio energy.

Radio - Modulated radio waves containing information are propagated through space as a means of communication.

Radio Wave - The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between the frequencies of 10 KHz and 3 MHz.

Rain Attenuation - A signal passes through thick clouds, and there is a signal loss due to absorption.

Rain Fade - see Rain Attenuation.

RAM - see Random Access Memory.

Random - Non sequiter.

Random Access Memory (RAM) - The memory in a computer that can be overwritten with new information repeatedly.  It is erased when the computer is turned off.

Rate - This is (1) the speed of occurrence of an event, or (2) the monthly price of a telephone or subscription service.

Ray - A beam of light energy.

Reactance - This phenomenon is the opposition to the current flow (similar to resistance) due to the presence of inductance, capacitance, or both.

Read - To get information from a storage location.

Read Only Memory (ROM) - The part of the computer's memory, containing essential operating procedures, that you can access but never rewrite.

Real Time - When there is no perceived delay between voice discussions or chats, you are using services in Real Time.

Receive Only (RO) - A term used to describe devices that can only receive and carry out instructions.

Receiver - This is an electronic device which enables one particular satellite signal to be separated from the myriad of other signals that are received by an earth station and converted into the signal format compatible with the television, computer, cell phone, or other video, voice or data device.

Recursion - This is when a function refers to or calls on itself.

Redundancy - (1) The unnecessary part, or (2) having one or more backup systems to compensate for main system failure.

Refractive Index - The ratio of the velocity of light in a vacuum to in some other medium.

Relay - A circuit-operating switch (it connects sets of wires together) that is operated electronically.

Remote - In telecommunications, remote means a system that is accessible via telephone -- compare to local.

Request to Send (RTS) - This command puts the modem in originate mode so it can start transmitting.

Reset - To restart a device from its original state.

Resource - (1) Any network component, such as a printer or file, or (2) any facility or capability of a computer system or network.

Resolution - (1) The smallest difference between two discrete measurements that an instrument can determine, or (2) a measurement of the quality of a digital image (in pixels).

Restart - To reboot (reset) your computer without actually turning it off.

Ring - The second wire in a pair of telephone wires (the Tip is the first wire).

RF - This is an abbreviation for Radio Frequency, and it simply refers to regular ole radio.

Right Brace - This is the character "}".

Right Bracket - This is the character "]".

RO - see Receive Only.

ROM - see Read Only Memory.

Rotary Dial - The older system of telephone dialing -- the circular dial.

Route - This is the pathway the signal takes.

Router - This is a network device with the purpose of determining the optimal (most efficient) path along which the packets of data transmission should be sent.

Row - A horizontal collection of cells in a table (as opposed to column -- a vertical collection of cells in a table).

Run - To initiate a software program.

Run Time - The time necessary for a software program to execute all its commands.

RTS - see Request To Send.