Although DECT 6. 0 operates at 1. 9 GHz, Rick decided the term DECT 1. 9 might have confused customers who equate larger numbers ( such as the 2. 4 and 5. 8 in existing 2. 4 GHz and 5. 8 GHz cordless telephones ) with later products.

DECT operates in multicarrier / TDMA / TDD structure.

The original DECT frequency band ( 1880 MHz – 1900 MHz ) is used in all countries in Europe.

* 1880 – 1900 MHz: DECT Cordless telephone

* 1. 9 GHz ( 1880 – 1900 MHz ) ( used for DECT communications outside the U. S .)

In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission in 2005 changed channelization and licensing costs in a nearby band ( 1920 MHz – 1930 MHz, or 1. 9 GHz ), known as Unlicensed Personal Communications Services ( UPCS ), allowing DECT devices to be sold in the U. S. with only minimal changes.

* 1920 – 1930 MHz: DECT Cordless telephone

These are available in Code Division Multiple Access ( CDMA ), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications – DECT ( TDMA / DCA ) ( See ETSI 6 EN 300 765-1 V1. 3. 1 ( 2001-04 ) -" Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications ( DECT ); Radio in the Local Loop ( RLL ) Access Profile ( RAP ); Part 1: Basic telephony services "), Global System for Mobile Communications ( GSM ), IS136 Time Division Multiple Access ( TDMA ) as well as analog access technologies such as Advanced Mobile Phone System ( AMPS ), for which there will be independent standards defining every aspect of modulation, protocols, error handling, etc.

The recently allocated 1. 9 GHz band is reserved for use by phones that use the DECT standard, which should avoid interference issues that are increasingly being seen in the unlicensed 900 MHz, 2. 4 GHz, and 5. 8 GHz bands.

The " 6. 0 " in DECT 6. 0 does not specify a spectrum band, but is a marketing term coined by Rick Krupka, Product Director with Siemens, for DECT devices manufactured for use in the U. S. and Canada.

Like DECT, DECT ULE standard uses the 1. 9 GHz band so suffers less interference than Zigbee, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, which all run on 2. 4 GHz.

As DECT and do not operate in the ISM band, they are not subject to the nor cause interference arising in this band from its use by 802. 11b and 802. 11g Wi-Fi, and cordless phones.

The recently allocated 1. 9 GHz band is used by the popular DECT phone standard and is considered more secure than the other shared frequencies.

Besides digital audio and digital video transmission, DVB also defines data connections ( DVB-DATA-EN 301 192 ) with return channels ( DVB-RC ) for several media ( DECT, GSM, PSTN / ISDN, satellite etc.

If frequency-hopping is avoided, each base station can provide up to 120 channels in the DECT spectrum before frequency reuse.

This forced development of a variation of DECT, called DECT 6. 0, using a slightly different frequency range ; the technology is nearly identical, but the frequency difference makes the technology incompatible with systems in other areas, even from the same manufacturer.

DECT handsets and bases from different manufacturers typically work together at the most basic level of functionality: making and receiving calls.

Since the onset of the migration from TDM PBXs to VoIP and VoIP hybrid solutions, manufacturers such as Lantiq, Ascom Wireless Solutions, Aastra Technologies, Philips, snom and Polycom have developed IP-DECT solutions where the backhaul from the base station is VoIP ( H. 323 or SIP ) while the handset loop is still DECT.

Operates clearly in common congested domestic radio traffic situations, for instance, generally immune to interference from other DECT systems, Wi-Fi networks, video senders, Bluetooth technology, baby monitors and other wireless devices.

* Frequency: in Europe, in China, in Japan, in Latin America and in the US and Canada, and products may NOT be used in the UK or Ireland as they cause and suffer from interference with the UK and Ireland cellular networks with illegal use of such products being prohibited by UK agencies, and UK and Ireland DECT and products may NOT be used in the US and Canada as they cause and suffer from interference with US and Canada cellular networks and aircraft and for that reason is deemed illegal to use by US and Canadian agencies such as the Federal Communication Commission and Industry Canada.

The intent is that two different products from different manufacturers that both conform not only to the DECT standard, but also to the GAP profile defined within the DECT standard, are able to interoperate for basic calling.

The DECT standard includes full testing suites for GAP, and GAP products on the market from different manufacturers are in practice interoperable for the basic functions.

PHS is essentially a cordless telephone like DECT, with the capability to handover from one cell to another.

A study of bedroom exposure in 2009 showed the highest ELF-EF from bedside lights and the highest ELF-MF from transformer devices, while the highest RF-ELF came from DECT cordless phones and outside cellphone base stations ; all exposures were well below International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection ( ICNIRP ) guideline levels.

The highest typical daily exposure, according to a study of 2009, came from cellphone base stations, cellphones and DECT cordless phones, with the highest exposure locations in trains, airports and buses.

Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications ( Digital European Cordless Telecommunications ), usually known by the acronym DECT, is a digital communication standard, which is primarily used for creating cordless phone systems.

DECT has almost universally replaced other standards in most countries where it is used, with the exception of North America.

DECT is used primarily in home and small office systems, but is also available in many PBX systems for medium and large businesses.

DECT can also be used for purposes other than cordless phones.

3G cellular also competes with both DECT and Wi-Fi for both voice and data.

Nowadays you can find DECT as well in special applications like Remote Controls for industrial applications.

In January 2011 a low power variant ( DECT ULE-ultra low energy ) was discussed at the DECT World and CAT-iq Conference with a whitepaper presented by Sitel ( Now Dialog ) Semiconductor.

The first successful interoperability tests were announced by the DECT Forum in June 2011.

And in September 2011 Dialog Semiconductor announced the first commercially available DECT ULE devices.

Unlike standard DECT, the low power variant enables this standard to be used in battery powered devices such as smartphone app controllable home automation or security systems.

The DECT standard includes a standardized interoperability profile for simple telephone capabilities, called GAP, which most manufacturers implement.

The DECT standard fully specifies a means for a portable unit, such as a cordless telephone, to access a fixed telecoms network via radio.

There are also other devices such as some baby monitors utilizing DECT, and in these devices there is no gateway functionality.

The enterprise PABX market had some success, and all the major PABX vendors have offered DECT access options.

The public access application did not succeed, since public cellular networks rapidly out-competed DECT by coupling their ubiquitous coverage with large increases in capacity and continuously falling costs.

There has been only one major installation of DECT for public access: in early 1998 Telecom Italia launched a DECT network known as " Fido " after much regulatory delay, covering major cities in Italy.

DECT has also been used for Fixed Wireless Access as a substitute for copper pairs in the " last mile " in countries such as India and South Africa.

In Europe the power limit laid down for use of the DECT spectrum ( 250 mW peak ) was expressed in ERP, rather than the more commonly used EIRP, permitting the use of high-gain directional antennas to produce much higher EIRP and hence long ranges.