AC3: Dolby Digital/5.1 - digital audio which offers discreet sound in each rear speaker.

Access Fee: A fee will be assessed to accounts that do not have DishFAMILY, America’s Top 60, America’s Top 120, America’s Top 180, America’s Everything Pak, DISH Latino, DISH Latino Dos, DISH Latino Max, DISH Latino Everything Pak, Dominion Sky Angel, or the Great Wall TV Package.

Active Satellite: A functioning satellite that receives and transmits radio-communications signals to or from an earth station.

Address: A code assigned to a remote control, allowing the remote control to communicate with an electronic component.

Ala-carte Service: Services offered which may be independent of any programming packages, i.e., Disney, Dish CD.

Alternate Audio: A feature on our receivers that allows the user to select different languages with which to hear programming. Our programming providers must also broadcast in this language.

Altitude and Azimuth: We use altitude and azimuth to describe the location of an object in the sky as viewed from a particular location at a particular time. The altitude is the distance an object appears to be above the horizon. The angle is measured up from the closest point on the horizon. The azimuth of an object is the angular distance along the horizon to the location of the object. By convention, azimuth is measured from north towards the east along the horizon.

Amplifier: A device used to boost the strength of an electronic signal.

Angular velocity: The rate of change of angular displacement with respect to time.

Antenna: Device which picks up and delivers satellite signals to a receiver; most commonly a dish antenna.

Antenna Gain: A measure of the ability of the antenna to focus signal waves in a particular direction.

Apogee: The point in the orbit of the moon or of an artificial satellite most distant from the center of the earth.

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL): A group of DSL technologies that reserve more bandwidth in one direction than the other, which is advantageous for applications that need more bandwidth in one direction (e.g. web surfing).

Bandwidth: Range of frequencies occupied by a signal or allowed by receiving equipment (basically, what a receiver is capable of receiving).

Bandwidth: The range of frequencies, measured in hertz (Hz), that can pass over a given transmission channel. The bandwidth determines the rate at which information can be transmitted through the circuit.

Basic Packages: Our programming packages that do not incur an Access Fee: America’s Top 60, America’s Top 120, America’s 180, America’s Everything Pak, DISH Latino, DISH Latino Dos, DISH Latino Max and the Great Wall TV Package.

Beam: A satellite transmission pattern. It may be wide, narrow or spot.

Bent-pipe: A signal relay scheme in which a terrestrial-based signal is sent to a satellite, which then relays the signal back to earth with minimal processing by the satellite.

Binary: Numbers relating to a system of numeration having 2 as its base.

Bird: An alternate name for a satellite.

Bit: A single digital unit of information.

Bit Rate: The speed of a digital transmission, measured in bits per second.

Broadband Satellite: Special high-bandwidth satellites that provide multiple channels of data over a single communications beam.

Broadcast: To transmit a signal over the spectrum to be received by multiple receiving devices.

Broadcast Programming: The local cable channels. These are local channels available via the system.

Bus Structure: An interrelation or arrangement of parts and parallel circuits that connect the major components of a space-bound computer, allowing the transfer of electric impulses from one connected component to any other forming a complex entity.

Byte: A set of ?bits? that represent a single character. There are eight bits in a Byte.

C-band: Signal frequency range (3.70-4.20ghz) used for satellite TV in America and Africa.

Cable Television Transmission: The transmission, usually for a fee, of television signals, including signals that originate at over-the-air television stations, to consumers on a wired network.

Caching: Occurs when access providers store Web page data in a temporary location on their networks to speed up access and reduce traffic.

Capacity: The information carrying ability of a telecommunications facility.

Carrier Wave: A Carrier Wave is a radio wave that can be modulated in order to transmit a signal.

Central Office (CO): A telephone company facility that handles the switching of telephone calls on the public switched telephone network (PSTN) for a small regional area.

Channel Lock-outs: A feature on our receivers, also known as V-Chip technology, which allows one to lock out certain channels and requires a code to view that channel.

Circuit: A two-way communications path.

Clarke Belt: Named after its founder Arthur C. Clarke, the Clarke Belt is an orbit used by satellites at a height of 22,250 miles, in which satellites make an orbit in 24 hours, yet remain in a fixed position relative to the Earth’s surface.

Clarke Orbit: A circular orbit in space 22,237 miles from the surface of the Earth at which geostationary satellites are placed. Also known as geostationary orbit. This orbit was first postulated by the science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke in Wireless World magazine in 1945.

CMCI: The modem-to-customerpremises-equipment interface (CMCI) is a interface specification that describes the process of converting TCP/IP Ethernet protocol to TDMA protocols using DOCSIS packets. This interface describes the communications between a subscriber computing device and the cable or satellite network.

Co-Location: Ability of multiple satellites to share the same approximate geostationary orbital assignment due to the fact that different frequency bands are used.

Coaxial Cable: Cable consisting of an outer conductor surrounding an inner conductor, separated by an insulating material.

Communications Satellite: A satellite that is used to relay telecommunications information.

Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC): A term for a telecom company that was created after the Telecommunications Act of 1996 made it legal for companies to compete with ILECs.

Compression: Reduction of bandwidth needed to transmit video or audio which increases the capacity of a satellite transponder.

Conduit: A pipe, usually made of metal, ceramic or plastic, that protects buried cables.

CONUS: Continental United States

CSMA/CD: Carrier Sense Multiple Access / Collision Detect (CSMA/CD) is the low level network arbitration protocol used on Ethernet. Nodes wait for quiet on the net before starting to transmit and listen while they are transmitting. If two nodes transmit at once the data gets corrupted. The nodes detect this and continue to transmit for a certain length of time to ensure that all nodes detect the collision. The transmitting nodes then wait for a random time before attempting to transmit again thus minimizing the chance of another collision. The ability to detect collision during transmission reduces the amount of bandwidth wasted on collisions.

Datagram: The datagram is a self-contained, independent entity of data carrying sufficient information to be routed from the source to the destination computer without reliance on earlier exchanges between this source and destination computer and the transporting network.

DBS: Direct Broadcast Satellite.

DBS Band: Signal frequency range (11.70-12.40ghz) intended for direct TV broadcast by satellite channels. Not all TV satellites use this band.

Decimal: Numbers relating to a system of numeration having 10 as its base.

declination: In Astronomy, declination is the angular distance to a point on a celestial object, measured north or south from the celestial equator.

Decoder: Unit that is connected to a satellite receiver in order to unscramble a picture that is protected by encryption.

Default Gateway: The Default Gateway in a computer is a particular setting assigns the gateway or Router that will be used to access the Internet or WAN unless canceled or overridden by the operator.

Delay: The time it takes for a signal to go from the sending station through the satellite to the receiving station. See “latency”.

DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a protocol that provides a means to dynamically allocate IP addresses to computers on a local area network. The system administrator assigns a range of IP addresses to DHCP and each client computer on the LAN has its TCP/IP software configured to request an IP address from the DHCP server. The request and grant process uses a lease concept with a controllable time period.

DHP: Digital Home Plan.

Dial-up Connection: A data communication link that is established when the communications equipment dials a phone number and establishes a connection with the equipment on the other end over a phone line.

Digital / Digitized: Any type of information that can be output, transmitted and interpreted as individual bits of binary information (the use of the number 0 and 1), using electrical or electromagnetic signals that can be modulated to convey their specific content.

Direction: “Also called “azimuth.” Refers to the left or right positioning of the satellite antenna. Direction is noted on the compass in the form of numbers indicating degrees. When adjusting the antenna, enter the ZIP Code into the Point Dish and Signal Strength menu. The menu will display the direction and elevation to the satellites.”

DISH Comm: Based on Home Plug 1.0 technology, which allows audio and phone data to be sent throughout a home over existing electrical wiring to other satellite receivers and compatible devices.

DISH-on-Demand: DISH Network’s pay-per-view (PPV) services.

DISHNets: Network services (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX) offered by package from New York and/or Los Angeles and qualifying through ZIP code and SHVIA.

DISH Network DVR Service: DVR service to allow one to watch what they want, when they want. Only available on DISH Network hard drive equipped receivers.

Distant Networks: Network services (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX) offered by qualify through zip code and SHVIA to receive network programming from cities outside the local DMA.

DMA (Designated Market Area): The areas designated by ZIP code to receive local network programming.

DNS: Domain Name Service/System (DNS) A general-purpose distributed, replicated, data query service chiefly used on Internet for translating hostnames into Internet addresses. Also, the style of hostname used on the Internet, though such a name is properly called a fully qualified domain name. DNS can be configured to use a sequence of name servers, based on the domains in the name being looked for, until a match is found.

DOCSIS (Data Over Cable System Interface Specification): A worldwide protocol standard used by cable modems to communicate over Coaxial cable networks. This protocol provides compatibility between modems made by different major modem manufacturers.

Downconvert: The process of converting 12.2-12.7 GHz signal to 950-1450 MHz at the LNBF.

Downlink: A signal’s path from satellite to dish antenna.

Downstream: The data path from (ISP) Internet Service Provider gateway to the subscriber terminal.

DSS: Digital Satellite System.

DSL: (Digital Subscriber Line) - High-speed Internet access over a telephone line using different frequencies than voice conversations or telephone modems.

DTH (Direct-To-Home): Official term used by the Federal Communications Commission to refer to the satellite television and broadcasting industries.

Download Speed: How quickly, measured in Kbps or Mbps, files download to your computer or receiver. Varies depending on the service plan, Internet service provider, and other factors, such as other traffic on the network.

Duplex: The simultaneous 2-way and independent transmission in which equipment may transmit and receive at the same time.

Dynamic IP address: Dynamic assignment of IP address is implemented using a protocol called, logically enough, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). When DHCP is active, it typically works in conjunction with a Domain Name System (DNS) to allow users to find an element’s address. Surfing the World Wide Web makes extensive use of these two protocols. When you dialup to your Internet service provider (ISP), DHCP is used to assign an IP address to your connection. When you enter a WWW address in your browser address bar or select a human-readable link on a web page, a DNS is used to turn your URL request into an IP address for transmission. These services can also be used in a directly connected network and in either case are typically administered by the information services (IS) department.

Earth Station: Equipment on earth that can transmit or receive satellite communications.

EHF (Extremely High Frequency): The lower part of radio frequency range from 3 to 30 gigahertz encompassed in Ka-band frequencies.

Encryption / Decryption: The process of electronically altering a video and/or audio signal during transmission and reception.

EPG (Electronics Program Guide): Part of the transport stream which contains the database and/or user interface for the electronic TV guide.

Equatorial: Of, relating to, or resembling the earth’s equator.

Ethernet: Ethernet is the physical medium for carrying communications; much like air is the medium that carries your voice. Ethernet cards, Ethernet cables, and Ethernet hubs are used to create the physical network that connects computers together. Although Ethernet can be run on coaxial cable, the current standard is CAT-5, and most current devices only support this cable type. Data signals can be transferred on Ethernet at either 10 million bits per second (Mbps) or 100 Mbps. Most current Ethernet devices support both speeds, but some older equipment will only operate at 10 Mbps.

Fair Access Policy: WildBlue?s Fair Access Policy (or FAP) is a policy to help ensure the consistent delivery of speeds to all customers by curtailing the speeds of the heaviest data users after exceeding the FAP?s usage thresholds to the benefit of the vast majority of customers. Every major satellite broadband provider employs a FAP of some kind.

Favorites Lists: Enables to create their own EPGs, allowing to browse through only those selected services when channel surfing.

FAQ: A list of frequently asked questions and their answers about a given subject.

Feed(s): The point of origin for many of our services, i.e. Disney has two feeds - East and West.

Feeder-downlink: The downstream data-path portion of the feeder-link. It is used by bent-pipe technology to form half of the complete upstream data-path.

Feeder-link: The link (either uplink or downlink) between the user terminal and the satellite.

Feeder-links: The up/down communication links between the Gateway Terminal and the satellite.

Feeder-uplink: The upstream data-path portion of the feeder-link. It is used by bent-pipe technology to form half of the complete downstream data-path.

Feedhorn: A device which collects the signals at the focus of the satellite dish antenna and channels them to the LNBF.

Fiber Optics: A method for the transmission of information (sound, video, data) in which light is modulated and transmitted over high-purity, hair-thin filaments of glass.

Fiber ring: The fiber optic network wherein data is passed sequentially between nodes, each node in turn examining or copying the data, and finally returning it to the originating node. Typically, fiber rings are used to connect clustered groups or communities to the main fiber network.

Filter Sensitivity: Filter Sensitivity determines how aggressive the filters are in capturing suspect Email. The settings are Lenient, Moderate, and Aggressive. Lenient will capture less suspect Email, while aggressive is likely to capture more.

Firewall: A Firewall is a system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination of both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets. All messages entering or leaving the intranet pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified security criteria.

Fixed Service: Radio-communications service between specified fixed points.

Footprint: An area of the Earth that is able to receive a particular satellite’s signals.

Fragment: Fragment/Fragmentation is the breaking an arbitrary size packet into smaller pieces at the transmitter. This may be necessary because of restrictions in the communications channel or to reduce latency. The pieces are joined back together in the right order at the receiver (”reassembly”). Segmentation may be performed by a router when routing a packet to a network with a smaller maximum packet size.

FTP: FTP is a communications protocol governing the transfer of files from one computer to another over a network.

Gateway: Gateways provide a single source through which users can locate and gain access to a wide variety of communications services.

Gbps: Gigabits per second, or a billion bits per second. Also abbreviated as Gbit/s or Gb/s.

Geo: Prefix meaning of the earth, as in geocentric.

GEO (Geosynchronous Orbit): The revolutionary path traveled by a satellite in which the satellite orbits the earth in sync with the Earth?s rotation, so that it appears stationary in the sky. A stationary antenna located on Earth can remain pointed at the satellite at all times.

GEO Arch: The portion of the Geostationary Orbit seen from a point on the earth.

GeoSTATIONARY Satellite: A satellite whose circular and direct orbit lies in the plane of the Earth?s equator and which remains fixed relative to the Earth.

Geosynchronous: Satellites in orbit that travel in the Clarke Belt at the same rate that the earth turns, therefore completing one revolution every 24 hours.

Gravitational force: (physics) the force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth’s mass for bodies near its surface; “the more remote the body the less the gravity”; “the gravitation between two bodies is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them”; “gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love”–Albert Einstein.

Ground Control: A communication system for sending continuous radio messages to a satellite for control and operating instructions.

Grounding: Done to ensure that the electrical systems are as safe as possible for the humans who are using electrical devices. “The National Electric Code (NEC) states that the purpose of grounding is to “limit voltages due to lighting, line surges or unintentional contact with higher voltage lines to stabilize voltages and to provide a path in order to facilitate the operation of the over-current devices.”

Hardware: Components and accessories for DISH Network systems , i.e., remote, dish, LNBF, receiver.

HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface): An HDMI connection transmits both digital video and digital audio to the display.

HDTV (High Definition Television): Technology which significantly increases the resolution of video signals offering vastly improved picture quality over the current NTSC standard (1,125 lines of resolution per frame of video; 30 frames of video per second).

High Speed Data Port: Output on receiver which allows for connection to computer and for AC3 output.

Home Network: Group of interconnected personal computers that share a broadband Internet connection, data, and control of other devices on the network, such as a printer or scanner. A home network typically uses a router (or hub or switch) to connect the computers and other devices together.

Home Satellite Dish (HSD): A home receiver that permits the consumer to receive existing satellite transmissions.

A technology that allows compatible equipment to send and receive data via the home power lines. Host: A Host is a computer containing data or programs that another computer can access by means of a network or modem.

Host ID: A Host ID is the trailing part of an IP Address assigned to any device connected to the network, not just computers, by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The Host ID is the network number for a network device.

HRC: Harmonically Related Carrier is a standard used by Cable TV broadcasters to assigning frequencies to channel numbers. Cable services can use Standard, HRC, or IRC channel frequency. HRC and IRC uses channels 1-125, STD uses 2-125 channel assignments. Contact their Cable TV provider for the standard they use.

Hub: The Hub is a hardware device that is connected to several other devices, usually computers. A hub is used to connect several computers together and provide a local message handling service.

Hybrid Fiber/Coax (HFC): A type of network that includes coaxial cables to distribute signals to a group of individual locations (typically 500 or more), and a fiber optic backbone to connect these groups.

IANA: Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) The central registry for various “assigned numbers”: Internet Protocol parameters, such as port, protocol, and enterprise numbers; and options, codes, and types. The currently assigned values are listed in the “Assigned Numbers” document STD 2. To request a number assignment, e-mail.

ICANN: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a nonprofit organization that has assumed the responsibility for IP address space allocation, protocol parameter assignment, domain name system management and root server system management functions previously performed under U.S. Government contract by the InterNIC. ICANN was created by the late Jon Postel in the fall of 1998 in response to a policy statement issued by the US Department of Commerce. This statement called for the formation of a private sector not-for-profit Internet stakeholder to administer policy for the Internet name and address system. Replacing the InterNIC.

ICMP: Internet Control Message Protocol is an extension to the Internet Protocol (IP) that allows for the generation of error messages, test packets, and informational messages related to IP.

IGMP: Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) is an extension to the Internet Protocol, used by IP hosts to report their host group memberships to immediately-neighboring multicast routers.

Impulse Pay-Per-View: Conditional access service where the user is able to buy a particular program on a last-minute decision.

Inclination: The angle between the orbital plane of a satellite and the equatorial plane of the Earth.

Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC): A large telephone company that has been providing local telephone service in the United States since the divestiture of the AT&T telephone monopoly in 1982.

IRC: Incrementally Related Carrier is a standard used by Cable TV broadcasters to assigning frequencies to channel numbers. Cable services can use Standard, HRC, or IRC channel frequency. HRC and IRC uses channels 1-125, STD uses 2-125 channel assignments. Contact their Cable TV provider for the standard they use.

IRD (Integrated Receiver Decoder): A satellite receiver with a built-in decoder for unscrambling subscription channels.

IRR (Integrated Receiver/Recorder): Combined Echostar and JVC technology that incorporates a digital satellite receiver and digital video recorder in one unit.

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISND): Switched network providing end-to-end digital connection for simultaneous transmission of voice and/or data over multiple multiplexed communication channels and employing transmission that conforms to internationally defined standards.

Inter-exchange Carrier (IXC): A long-distance telecom carrier.

Interconnection: The connection of one telecommunication carrier?s network to another or the connection of a piece of telephone equipment to the nation-wide telephone network.

International Services: Programming services broadcast from different world locations, i.e., ART from the Middle East, RAI from Italy, TV Japan from Japan.

Internet: The global inter-connection of computers that forms the world?s largest computing network.

Internet Protocol (IP): The standard signaling method used for all communication over the Internet.

Internet Service Provider (ISP): An organization providing Internet access to the public using computer servers connected directly to the Internet.

Inter-satellite Link: A message transmission circuit between two communication satellites, as opposed to a circuit between a single satellite and the Earth.

Intranet: As soon as you have two computers with private address, you have a LAN. As soon as you have a LAN, in the strictest sense you have created an intranet. More typically, you would be considered to have an intranet once you have joined two or more LANs together across the Internet to form a WAN, or you have a Web server operating on your LAN providing internet services to local computers.

ionosphere: The ionosphere is the charged layers of the atmosphere that surround the Earth.

IP address: An IP address is the name of a computer, and so it must be unique on a network if communications are to occur unambiguously. The address is actually a 32 bit binary number such as: ?00001010000001010000010100001010?. We interpret the address in four pieces (octets ? meaning 8 bits each) separated with periods; the address above