Connectivity Glossary

From dedicated internet access to remote peering, here are the key enterprise connectivity and networking terms explained in plain language by Delta Communications.

Dedicated Internet Access (DIA)

An uncontended, always-on internet connection reserved entirely for one business, delivering consistent speeds and an uptime SLA, unlike shared broadband.

Bandwidth

The maximum rate at which data can be transferred over a connection, usually measured in Mbps or Gbps.

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

A contractual commitment defining the performance a provider guarantees, such as uptime, latency and repair times.

Uptime

The percentage of time a network or service is operational and available. A 99.9% uptime SLA allows roughly 8.7 hours of downtime per year.

Latency

The time it takes data to travel from source to destination, usually measured in milliseconds. Lower latency means more responsive applications.

MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching)

A carrier-managed technique that routes traffic using labels rather than long network lookups, enabling prioritised, low-latency any-to-any connectivity between sites.

SD-WAN (Software-Defined WAN)

A software layer that connects multiple sites over any transport and routes each application over the best available path from a central policy.

Ethernet Private Line (EPL / EVPL)

A dedicated Ethernet connection between locations offering predictable, high-capacity point-to-point or point-to-multipoint connectivity.

International Private Leased Circuit (IPLC)

A dedicated, protocol-agnostic point-to-point private line connecting two international locations with reserved capacity.

BGP (Border Gateway Protocol)

The routing protocol that exchanges reachability information between networks on the internet, enabling control over how traffic is routed.

Autonomous System Number (ASN)

A unique number identifying a network that runs its own routing policy on the internet.

Peering

A direct interconnection between two networks to exchange traffic, often reducing cost and latency compared with paid transit.

Remote Peering

Peering with internet exchanges and networks worldwide from a single port, without deploying hardware at each exchange.

Internet Exchange (IX / IXP)

A shared physical location where many networks interconnect and exchange traffic directly.

IP Transit

A paid service that carries a network's traffic to the rest of the internet, typically priced per Mbps.

Point of Presence (PoP)

A physical location where a network provider maintains equipment to connect customers and other networks.

Redundancy / Diverse Path

Backup connections or physically separate routes that keep traffic flowing if one link fails.

Quality of Service (QoS)

Techniques that prioritise certain traffic, such as voice or video, to ensure performance for critical applications.

Network Operations Center (NOC)

A centralised team that monitors and manages a network around the clock to detect and resolve issues.

Cloud On-ramp

A direct, private connection from a network into a cloud provider such as AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud, bypassing the public internet.