8/13/2019 Issa Asad on the History of Telecommunication
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An important history lesson: Telecommunication
Telecommunication is defined as: communication over a distance
by cable, telegraph,telephone, or broadcasting. It originates from
French, with the prefix tele meaning at adistance. But it means so
much more than a textbook definition. It is how we in the modernage
communicateour entire lives, we have known technology to be an aid
of communication.
Even before the technological advances, people have been
communicating at a distancethrough any means available. How has it
developed? Find out the crucial history oftelecommunications that
many dont take the time to discover.
Early History
In the times before modern technology, many people discovered a
wide array of uses for lightand sound; specifically for
communication purposes. Fires, smoke signals, and drums werepopular
choices for communicating with others over a distance. However,
there were manyflaws with this form of communication, and had a lot
of room to improve upon. Thisimprovement was finally discovered in
the 1800s, with the introduction of electricity.
1843 saw the introduction of Samuel Morses telegraph system,
revolutionizing the world ofdistance communications. This single
wire transmitter allowed for coded signals to be sent atgreat
distances, expanding the boundaries of rapid communication.
Later in the century, Alexander Graham Bell took the ideas of
Morse and greatly improved uponthem, wanting to create a device
that could transmit sounds rather than codes. His success ledto the
invention of the first telephone. Soon after the invention of the
telephone came the PublicSwitched Telephone Network, further
expanding the way people communicated.
The Jump to Modernity
1923 saw the invention of the first television, breaking into
the first form of visual
telecommunication, and forever changing the course of the
industry. The mid-20th
Century sawa rapid development of telecommunications, including
transistors (which boost and exchangeelectrical signals),
integrated circuits, and microprocessors.
The microprocessor is the basis for all modern computing
technology, and is a pivotal momentin the telecommunication
industrys history. Without the advent of the microprocessor,
wewould not be able to quickly communicate with others as we do
with computers and the internet.It is arguably one of the top
developments for the telecommunication field.
Foundations for Modern Telecommunications
The internet is the most important tool for modern communication
methods. With its history
tracing back to the mid-1950s, the internet connects millions of
users together into one net ofglobal exchange and communication.
The internet is being developed daily to improve qualityand
features. Some key improvements include:
Mobile Broadband- also known as wireless internet, mobile
broadband makes accessing theinternet even easier, and at many
different locations across the globe.
