Authority / TRA
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in Lebanon established by virtue of the Telecommunications Law.

Accounting separation
Regulatory remedy requiring an operator to separate a company’s accounts so that the costs and revenues associated with each subsidiary or business unit can be individually identified and allocated.

Active infrastructure sharing
Provision of specified services and active network elements needed to ensure interoperability of end-to-end services to users, including facilities for intelligent network services or roaming on mobile networks (Directive 2002/19/EC, TRAI.

Active optical network
A network in which the passive splitting point is replaced with an optical line distribution unit, which is a powered unit making it possible to have a higher bit rate on individual routes over longer distances than on a passive optical network.

ADR
Alternative dispute resolution.

ADSL
Asymmetric digital subscriber line.
A technology that enables highspeed data services to be delivered over twisted pair copper cable, typically with a download speed in excess of 256 kbit/s, but with a lower upload speed. Corresponds to ITU-T Recommendation (standard) G.992.1.

ADSL2
Asymmetric digital subscriber line 2
(ITU-T G.992.3 and ITU-T G.992.4). A sequel to the original ITU Recommendation. It allows increased line speeds, new power-saving elements, and extends the reach of the original ADSL specification.

ADSL2+
Asymmetric digital subscriber line 2
plus (ITU-T G.992.5). This revised version of ADSL2 enables increased speeds by increasing the frequencies used on the copper line.

Adware
Advertising-supported software.
A software package that automatically plays, displays or downloads advertising material to a computer after the software is installed or while an associated application is being used.

AMPS
Advanced mobile phone system.

Analogue
Transmission of voice and images using electrical signals. Analogue mobile cellular systems include AMPS, NMT and TACS.

Analogue network
A telecommunication network in which information is conveyed as a continuously varying electronic signal (see also Digital network).

API
Application program interface.

ARPU
Average revenue per user.
Usually expressed per month, but also per year.

ASN
Autonomous system number.

Asymmetric regulation
The application of different regulatory requirements on different regulated entities, based on their levels of market power or their possession of significant market power.

ATM
Asynchronous transfer mode.
A transmission mode in which the information is organized into cells; it is asynchronous in the sense that the recurrence of cells from an individual user is not necessarily periodic.

ATSC
Advanced Television Systems Committee.

AWS
Advanced wireless services.