Analog Terminal Adapter (ATA)

An Analog Terminal Adapter, or ATA, is a device that allows one to connect a normal PSTN telephone to the Internet in order to make or place telephone calls.

An ATA device may work in conjunction with a computer, such as a USB ATA device, or it may be a stand-alone device that communicates with a service provider over the Internet. The latter types of devices are common with many broadband VoIP service providers.

See Also: Voice over IP (VoIP)