Excerpt
The telecommunications industry has experienced tremendous changes during the last 25 years on both the legislative and technical fronts. This book was written to cover some of the most important changes that have occurred. Older technologies are covered briefly but with enough depth to show readers how the technologies have changed and what benefits the new developments offer. The sections on voice, data, and the Internet are written for nontechnical individuals and gives an excellent overview of existing technology to allow you to better manage voice and data networks.
This edition provides updated information on the various components that make up the PSTN, the packet (or public) data network (PDN), and the Internet. The public switched telephone network (PSTN), has evolved from a voice-only analog network to a digital network handling both voice and data. The on-ramp to the PSTN remains mostly an analog twisted copper wire pair. Technologies such as Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) are being implemented to change this last remaining analog component to a digital-access medium. Many analog and digital technologies are discussed in depth, but the primary focus is on how the technology works, not how to repair systems or components. That level of detail can be found in an electronics engineering curriculum or in a manufacturing school.
Technicians must attend a manufacturer's school to learn a particular system and how to perform diagnostics on it. The technology behind a particular component in the PSTN is basically the same for all manufacturers of the component. Each manufacturer puts its own twist on a particular generic technology to turn it into a proprietary system with its brand name on it. This book will help you understand many telecommunications technologies in the generic sense. A technician with a basic understanding of technology will easily understand and gain much more from the manufacturer's training program.
Appendixes A-F round out the book by providing an in-depth treatment of basic electricity and other topics. Material on the basic principles of electricity in Appendixes A, B, and C is available to professors who find this information critical to their introductory classes. When telecommunications is taught as a class in an electronics engineering program, coverage of electrical principles as applied to telecommunications is essential, but becomes less essential for a class in a business administration or telecommunications management program. My course starts with legislation because I think it is important for telecommunications managers to understand how legislation shapes the industry and the services available. This approach also allows the class to start at a better pace than if we tried going right into basic electricity discussions.
OVERVIEW
The introductory chapters of Introduction to Telecommunications: Voice, Data, and the Internet deal with the evolution of telecommunications (Chapters 1 and 3) and with the relevant legislative history (Chapter 2). Chapter 4 discusses station equipment, Chapter 5 focuses on the twisted-pair local loop and other media, and Chapter 6 covers multiplexing. Chapter 7 treats analog and digital signals. Chapter 8 covers data communication, and Chapter 9 discusses ISDN and ADSL. Chapters 10 and 11 take up local area networks and wide area networks, respectively. Chapter 12 surveys Internet services, Chapter 13 is devoted to mobile telephones and personal communication systems, and Chapter 14 turns to management issues.