Chapter 7: Telecommunications, the Internet, and Wireless Technology

Summary:

In my opinion, the greatest, and primary, purpose of Information Technology is to facilitate a better medium of communication. With modern day global business and multi-national corporations, swift and effective communication is not only a luxury, but a necessity. The key component to successful communication lies in networks. The two traditional types of these were the telephone network and the computer network. Simple networks consist of two or more connected computers and include both hardware and system operating software via a hub or switch. The latest digital networks are made up of three technologies: client/server computing, packet switching, and standardized Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). TCP/IP is arguably the most important technology, which allows for a common set of rules that enables communication across a diverse set of hardware and software platforms.

Within a network, communication can be accomplished by either an Analog or a Digital signal. Examples of an analog signal include the speakers on your computer, a set of earphones, or telephone handset, basically anything that creates a wave form that your ear can hear. Digital signals exist in binary format. That is the alternating system of zero’s (0) and one’s (1) that computers use to interpret data. Digital signals are more efficient and have less data deterioration, but they still need to be converted to analog signals for human consumption. This is accomplished through Modems. Without Cable, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), or Wi-Fi modems, computers would not be able to communicate with analog networks such as telephone systems. Networks are generally classified in terms of geographical scope and include the Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) and typically fall into one of the three major topologies described by the illustration below.

I have given the internet my own personal nickname, the MOAN, short for the Mother of All Networks. Indeed, the internet is the most extensive public communication system in the world. For something that most of us use on a daily basis, most people probably don’t know how it works. This chapter breaks down the “how” into terms that the lay-person may understand, from those that provide internet service, to emerging technologies and governance of its use.

You don’t have to look far to see that we are living in the age of the wireless revolution. Wireless technology is all about transmitting data at ever-increasing speeds. Examples include the emergence of 3G networks…then 4G networks…and the skies the limit. Cellular phone data, for voice transmission, has two major standards. Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), which is primarily used in the U.S., and the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), used throughout Europe and most of the rest of the globe.

Other wireless technologies include the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems. This technology has become so common-place in today’s society that RFID tags have been implanted for many years into our pets, and most recently humans for medical trials. They also provide organizations and key decision-makers with a powerful tool for tracking merchandise. The best example of this being Wal-Mart’s’ supply chain management network.