Understanding the Terminology

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UNDERSTANDING THE TERMINOLOGY

Here is a key to some of the concepts mentioned in this article: 1) Internet Protocol (IP)—specifies the structure and handling of datagrams sent over the Internet. It is defined in RFC (Request for Comments) 791.2) Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)—is a system of digital telephone connections that allows voice and/or data to be transmitted over digital circuits. 3) Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG)—an organization that defines standards for video compression. MPEG-1 provides VCR-quality video at a data rate of about two megabits per second; MPEG-2 provides broadcast audio and video using variable data rates. 4) Request for Comments (RFC)—a series of documents that defines standards for the Internet, which are published by the RFC editor of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). 5) Statistical multiplexing—a technique used in digital telephony to increase the capacity of a multi-channel system by not transmitting channels during periods of silence, such as when a party is listening rather than talking.

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