In telecommunication, the term handoff has these meanings:

1. In cellular mobile systems, the process of transferring a phone call in progress from one cell transmitter and receiver and frequency pair to another cell transmitter and receiver using a different frequency pair without interrupting the call.

2. In satellite communications, the process of transferring ground-station control responsibility from one ground station to another without loss or interruption of service.

Source: from Federal Standard 1037C and from MIL-STD-188