Digital enhanced cordless telecommunications

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Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), known as Digital European Cordless Telephone^[1] until 1995, is an ETSI standard for digital portable phones and wireless data transfer. DECT has been standardised as EN 300 175.

DECT phones have two parts: One part is connected to the phone network, and usually called base station. The other part is a mobile handset. To be ready to communicate, each handset must be registered with the base station. After that, they can communicate and be used as normal "cordless" phones.

DECT uses a frequency band that is reserved for voice transmissions, called Unlicensed Personal Communications Services. In Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South America, the frequency band from 1880 MHz to 1900 MMHz is used. In the United States, the band is 1920-1930 MHz.To be sold in the US, only small changes need to be made to DECT equipment. These channels are reserved exclusively for voice communication applications and therefore are less likely to experience interference from other wireless devices such as baby monitors and wireless networks.

A newer standard that is similar to DECT is called CAT-iq

1. ↑ DECT Forum (March 2007). "DECT Operation and Evolution" (Microsoft Powerpoint (ZIP archive)). p. 5. Retrieved 2009-06-01.^{[permanent dead link]}