digital enhanced cordless telecommunication (DECT)

Wireless telephone technology developed specifically for cordless use (relatively large number of users within a small area) instead of cellular use (relatively small number of users over a large area). It employs single or multiple small base station(s) that can support 120 voice channels in a homes or offices over 10 frequencies (between 1.8 and 1.9 Gigahertz) through the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Within its indoor range of 20 to 50 meters (about 65 feet to 165 feet) and outdoor range up to 300 meters (about 1000 feet), it provides data transfer rate of 522 kilobits per second (kbps) which is expected soon to go up to 2 Megabits per second (Mbps). Developed originally by Ericsson (as CT-3) it, like the Global System For Mobile Communication (GSM), is administered by the European Telecommunications Standard Institute (ETSI) and uses time division multiple access (TDMA) to transmit and receive signals. DEST can coexist with GSM in the same device (dual mode phone) without any interference and, due to a built-in seamless handover facility, allows users to move between base stations (and cordless mode and cellular mode) during a call without being cutoff. Older name Digital European Cordless Telecommunication. Called also DCT-900.