ABBREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS RELATED TO GSM



ABBREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS RELATED TO GSM

We now live in a computer age where communication is done easily and globally with the aid of the GSM cell phone.  This development has led to the coinage of some pertinent abbreviations and acronyms which we use daily without knowing or even giving thought to their meaning.
 Let us now discuss such GSM-related abbreviations and acronyms in this article.
GSM
Meaning:
GSM is derived from the words Group Special Mobile, but it is now given the universal meaning of Global System for Mobile Communication.  GSM was first developed and introduced by the European Telecommunications Standard Institute in 1991, but the technology is now being used in most parts of the world.       GSM uses cellular, a communication system that divides a geographic region into sections, called cells, and the purpose of this division is to make the most use out of a limited number of transmission frequencies. With this engineering feat, two cells can use the same frequency for different conversations so long as the cells are not adjacent to each other.
As is already known, GSM is used with the aid of cell phones or hand phones commonly called ‘handsets’ equipped with SIM cards for identification and account.
Examples of Usage of the Acronym GSM:
(i)                Please buy a Nokia C-2.0 GSM cell phone for me on your way from the work today.
(ii)             Has GSM network been restored in Borno State now?
(iii)           Omotekoro has bought a new Samsung GSM cell phone (handset) for her grandmother.
(iv)           Which is the cheapest but durable GSM cell phone in the market now?
(v)             Kindly send me your GSM number through e-mail.
SIM
Meaning:
     SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module or Subscriber Identification Module.   As many of us already know, a SIM card contains a unique serial number, international mobile subscriber identity  number, security authentication and ciphering information, temporary information related to the local network, a list of contacts, a list of the services the user has access to, and two passwords namely:  a personal identification number (PIN) for ordinary use, and a personal unblocking code (PUC or PUK) for PIN unlocking.
     There are four types of SIM cards namely: Full-size SIM (which is like the size of an ATM card, but no longer in vogue); Mini-SIM; Micro-SIM and Nano-SIM.
Examples of the Usage of the Acronym SIM:
(i)                Joe, what type of SIM card do you have?
(ii)             I am using Glo SIM and the network is very strong in my neighbourhood.
(iii)           Lady Ngozi has advised me to buy an Etisalat SIM card into my modem for browsing.
(iv)           I shall buy a SIM card for my little son to enable him use his cell phone.
(v)             All mini-SIM cards apparently have the same size, irrespective of the network.
PIN
Meaning:
The acronym PIN stands for Personal Identification Number.  It is usually a 4-digit numeric password shared between a user and a system, and that can be used to authenticate the user to the system.   Generally, the user is required to provide a non-confidential user identifier or token (called the user ID) and a confidential PIN to gain access to the system. Upon receiving the user ID and PIN, the system looks up the PIN based upon the user ID and compares the looked-up PIN with the received PIN. The user is granted access only when the number entered matches with the number stored in the system.
PIN is used for various devices and documents these days, including GSM
cell phones, ATM cards, voter’s cards, various bank forms, various examination entry forms etc.
Examples of Usage of the acronym PIN:
(i)                New ATM card holders are usually given temporary digits which they are required to change to their desired PIN at the time of activation.
(ii)             Post-UTME candidates are required to generate PINs with which they can pay their screening fees into bank accounts.
(iii)           What is the PIN of your voter’s card?
(iv)            Have you written out the PIN of your cell phone SIM for ease of reference in the future?
(v)             For security reason, do not ever reveal the PIN of your ATM card to anyone.

PUC or PUK
Meaning:
PUC stands for Personal Unblocking Code and PUK stands for Personal Unblocking Key, and both acronyms mean the same thing.  PUC or PUK is a SIM-specific code assigned and provided by the service provider.
As a user, once you enter the PUC or PUK code, you must set a PIN.  The PUC or PUK is used to unlock the PIN code if your SIM card (and sometimes the phone) is blocked.   Such phone could be returned to its original unlocked state by entering a PUC, provided by the service operator after verification. If the wrong PUC is entered ten times in a row, the device will become permanently blocked and irrecoverable, requiring a new SIM card. Cellular phone users are therefore advised by most providers to keep their PUC or PUK written down in a safe place separate from the phone, for ease of reference when the need arises.
Examples of Usage of the acronym PUC or PUK:
(i)                Do you know the PUC of all your SIMs?
(ii)             Please tell your friends to write out their PUKs and keep them safely for emergency needs. 
(iii)           How many digits does your PUC have?
(iv)           Whenever you buy a new phone for your aged parents, do well to write out the PUC.
(v)             PUCs or PUKs are less spoken of because they only come to play when SIM cards (and sometimes cell phones) are blocked.


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  1. Samson O. Eruvwavwe19 March 2020 at 02:43

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