Backbone

   A primary communication path connecting multiple users.

Backhaul

   A terrestrial communications channel linking an earth station to a local switching network or population center.

Band

   A range of frequencies between defined upper and lower limits.

Bandwidth

   A measure of spectrum (frequency) use or capacity. For instance, a voice transmission by telephone requires a bandwidth of about 3000 cycles per second (3KHz). A TV channel occupies a bandwidth of 6 million cycles per second (6 MHz) in terrestrial Systems. In satellite based systems a larger bandwidth of 17.5 to 72 MHz is used to spread or "dither" the television signal in order to prevent interference.

Binary

   A computer language developed with only two letters in its alphabet.

Bird

   Slang for a communications satellite located in geosynchronous orbit.

Bit

   Abbreviation for a single binary digit.

Blog (weblog)

   A user-generated website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.

Braille

   A system of touch reading and writing for the blind, which employs embossed dots evenly arranged in quadrangular letter spaces or cells.

Braille Display

   Assistive technology that raises or lowers dot patterns based on input from an electronic device such as a screen reader or text browser.

Broadband

   A term used to refer to high-speed communication networks that are designed to handle bandwidth-intensive applications.

Broadcast

   The sending of one transmission to multiple users in a defined group (compare to unicast).

Browser

   A software application that enables a user to display and interact with text, images, videos, music and other information typically located on a Web page at a website on the World Wide Web or a local area network.

Byte

   A single computer word, generally eight bits.