ACMA - Glossary L

Information on our website often includes abbreviations, acronyms, technical language and jargon. To assist you, a glossary of commonly used terms is given here, with explanations.

The glossary is provided in the following alphabetical breakdown:

Commonly used terms	Explanation
LEAC	Law Enforcement Advisory Committee Committee that advises ACMA about on communications law enforcement matters.
LMDS	local multi-point distribution service A broadband service capable of providing local loop services, interactive video, high speed internet access and a range of advanced multimedia applications.
LNP	local number portability Portability for local fixed telecommunications service numbers. See number portability
local numbers	See geographic numbers.
low-impact facilities	Communications facilities considered to have a low impact on their environment, such as underground cabling, small radiocommunications antennas and dishes, in-building subscriber connections and public payphones. Under the Telecommunications Act, carriers have immunity from state and territory planning laws for installation of low-impact facilities.
LPON	low power open narrowcasting Radiocommunications class licence type authorising radio services at very low power outputs in the frequency range 87.5–88.0 MHz.
MB	Megabyte One million bytes. See byte(s).
Mbit/s	Megabits per second Data transfer rate of one million bits per second. See bit/s.
MCF	Mobile Carriers Forum Industry body established, among other things, to improve carrier efforts to co-locate mobile phone facilities and ensure coordinated network rollouts.
MDS	multipoint distribution service One-way domestic public radio service rendered on microwave frequencies from a fixed station that usually transmits in an omnidirectional radiating pattern to multiple receiving facilities at fixed points.
MHz	Megahertz One million Hertz. See also kHz and GHz.
MMS	multimedia messaging service Mobile telecommunications data transmission service for sending messages with a combination of text, sound, image and video to MMS-capable handsets.
MNP	mobile number portability Portability for mobile phone numbers. See number portability.
MP3	mpeg (moving picture expert group) layer 3 Audio compression standard for encoding music without losing sound quality. Files are compressed into digital audio files small enough for electronic transmission. Format commonly used for transferring, storing and listening to music on the internet.
MSD	mass service disruption Basis for claiming about an exemption by a CSP from complying with performance requirements under the CSG Standard due to circumstances beyond its control.
MVNO	mobile virtual network operator Mobile phone service retailer that uses a mobile carrier’s network and sets up a technical support layer replicating the carrier’s mobile switching centre, but maintaining control over its subscriber information.
NAC	Numbering Advisory Committee Committee established to advise ACMA about numbering matters.
narrowband	A class of telecommunications services such as dial-up internet access that offer data rates of 64 kbit/s or lower.
NATA	National Association of Testing Authorities Authorised body for accreditation of services that test equipment against standards.
NCD	nominated carrier declaration Declaration made by the owner of a telecommunications network unit (facilities or infrastructure for delivery of telecommunications services) nominating a licensed carrier that will be responsible for the specified network unit.
NEDE	new eligible drama expenditure Expenditure on new Australian or New Zealand television drama programs to meet content requirements that support the local television industry.
NGN	next generation network General term for developments in network architecture using various access and core technologies covering wired, wireless and mobile communications, enabling decoupling of services and networks, which will allow these to be offered separately and to evolve independently.
non dial-up subscribers	Subscribers with permanent and ‘always on’ connections to the internet using various technologies, including DSL, cable, wireless, satellite, dedicated data service, frame relay and ISDN connections that do not require the user to dial up.
NRF	Network Reliability Framework Requirement on Telstra from January 2003 to provide regular reports to ACMA on the reliability of its fixed line services, and to carry out remediation of the network in areas with particularly poor performance.
NRS	National Relay Service Translation service between voice and non-voice telephone users that provides access to the standard telephone service for people with communication impairment. The service relays voice, modem or telephone typewriter communications.
number portability	Arrangements allowing customers to transfer from one telecommunications service provider to another without changing their number.
NUSC	net universal service cost The cost of providing access to the standard telephone service and payphones through the universal service levy.

Glossary L – N