Telecommunications—the state of the art

Abstract

Abstract This article is a survey of the technological foundations of telecommunications, including both point-to-point electrical communication wing wires, cables and other guiding media. and radio wave broadcasting to many receivers via terrestrial transmitters or Earth-orbiting space satellites. The characteristics of analogue and digital telecommunication signals, the means available for their transmission and switching me described, together with the organization of local distribution, national and global networks. The various services that can be provided over such networks, including in addition to telephonic communication, audio and video conferencing, data and facsimile transmission and new vied-display data/information access services (Teletext) are outlined. Finally, the sociological implications of these technological and service developments me considered, for example in terms of their impact on urban and rural planning, where people live and work, and on energy economy by reducing the need t...