subject: What Is Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (dect)? [print this page] Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications, or DECT, is a European standard used primarily for cordless phone systems that has now reached a global scale. Countries including Australia, Asia and South America have all adapted the new standard, although in the US a variation called DECT 6.0 has been created using a slightly different frequency range. This makes the technology incompatible with systems in other parts of the world even if the same manufacturer produces them.
When cordless telephones were first developed they used low frequency radio ranges to transmit the analogue signals between the base station and the receiver. This exciting technological advancement enabled users to move freely around their home although the low-frequency transmissions limited their range somewhat.
In order to combat issues with range and interference it became necessary for cordless phone manufacturers to utilise higher frequency ranges that offered added security too. The standards are now set by DECT and clever frequency hopping technology is used to switch between over 50 frequency channels to minimise the amount of interference. This technology is not bound to telephones and many modern baby monitors utilise DECT to offer advanced audio and video transmissions.
The boundaries between services offered by traditional PSTN phone networks, cellular networks and internet providers are becoming increasingly blurred. This is aided by the advances in technology that can convert an analogue signal into a digital signal and vice versa. Even the regular phone network now transmits data digitally for part of the connection because it offers accuracy and reduced infrastructure costs. Internet (VoIP) phone lines can convert your IP address into a phone number that is then handed over to the phone network and so enables calls to be made between internet lines and landlines.
A regular home phone can use a VoIP service through an ATA device (Analogue Telephone Adaptor). These devices directly convert your sound transmissions into digital data and can also be used with other home gadgets including your PC. If you are looking to purchase a new cordless telephone there are some digital cordless phones that come readily available to connect to a VoIP line. Many digital cordless phones also offer a base with numerous handsets that can be distributed throughout your home.
There are lots of clever features available with modern digital cordless phones including the ability to blue tooth contact details from your mobile phone and send SMS messages. As the technology advances it is surely only a matter of time before the systems become completely synchronised.
