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Networking & Telecommunications vocabulary · Wireless and Mobile Networks

Base station

Meaning in networking & telecommunications, with examples

nounCommon term

In networking & telecommunications, base station means: The radio equipment and antennas, usually on a mast or rooftop, that connect mobile phones and other devices in a particular area to an operator's mobile network.

In Turkish: baz istasyonu

How it is used

Used by radio and mobile network engineers, regulators and the public. In 4G a base station is called an eNodeB, in 5G a gNodeB. People also say 'cell site' or, in everyday American English, 'cell tower'.

Example sentences

  1. A new base station on the hospital roof should improve coverage in the area.

  2. The power cut took three base stations offline in the north of the city.

Common collocations

  • base station site
  • install a base station
  • mobile base station
  • base station antenna
  • cell site
  • 5GThe fifth generation of mobile network technology, designed to offer much higher speeds, lower latency and support for far more connected devices than 4G.
  • handoverThe process of moving an active call or data session from one cell or base station to another as the user moves, without the connection dropping.
  • spectrumThe range of radio frequencies that can be used for wireless communication; mobile operators need licences from the national regulator to use particular parts of it.
  • signal strengthHow strong a received Wi-Fi or mobile signal is, usually measured in dBm; values closer to zero are stronger, so -55 dBm is better than -80 dBm.
  • carrierA telecommunications company that owns or operates a network and carries voice and data traffic for customers or for other operators.

More terms: Wireless and Mobile Networks

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