This glossary includes key terms of the IoT (Internet of Things) & M2M (machine-to-machine) communications industry, including wireless and cellular technologies spanning many different markets. It is updated to present current terminology and usage. Your participation and feedback are most welcome—to submit comments, new entries, or suggestions, contact us today.

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
There are 12 names in this directory beginning with the letter #.
1xEV-DO
1 times Evolution-Data Optimized (used in ANSI-2000 CDMA).
1xRTT
1 times Radio Transmission Technology (used in ANSI-2000 CDMA).
2.4 GHz
A short-range wireless band commonly used in wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ZigBee.
2G
The second generation of GSM cellular technology that improved performance by adding to the cellular radio spectrum to help solve coverage issues and drops in signal due to urban obstacles. It was also the turning point in moving from analogue transmission methods to digital, adding digital encryption and paving the way for cellular data usage.
3G
The third generation of GSM cellular technology, offering substantially improved data transfer rates over its predecessor, 2G. While the original release of 3G used the UMTS method, improvements have been made to increase capacity and data speeds with additional protocols including HSPA.
3GPP
Third Generation Partnership Project (GSM family of technologies).
3GPP2
Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (CDMA family of technologies).
4G
The fourth generation of GSM cellular technology and the latest upgrade to the GSM network, providing greater data transfer speeds. 4G is also referred to as LTE.
6LoWPAN
A communication protocol that compresses Ipv6 packages for small, low power-devices to let them communicate within the Internet of Things.
802.11ah
New Wi-Fi protocol that uses sub 1 GHz license-exempt bands as opposed to conventional Wi-Fi that operates in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
868 MHz
License-free RF band commonly used for short-range applications such as thermostats, burglar alarms, and industrial uses.
92 MHz
License-free RF band commonly used for short-range applications. The low frequency allows for better penetration through walls and obstacles; however it has a low data transfer rate.