Introduction to Telecommunications Network Engineering, Second Edition : 9781580535007

Telecommunications is one of the fastest growing business sectors of modern
information technologies. A couple of decades ago, to have a basic understanding
of telecommunications, it was enough to know how the telephone
network operated. Today, the field of telecommunications encompasses a
vast variety of modern technologies and services. Some services, such as
the fixed telephone service in developed countries, have become mature,
and some have been exploding (e.g., cellular mobile communications and
the Internet). The deregulation of the telecommunications industry has
increased business growth, even though, maybe because, tariffs have
decreased.

The present telecommunications environment, in which each of us has
to make choices, has become complicated. In the past, there was only one
local telephone network operator that we chose to use or not use. Currently,
many operators offer us ADSL or cable modem for Internet access and we
have many options for telephone service as well.

Telecommunications is a strategically important resource for most
modern corporations and its importance continues to increase. Special attention
has to be paid to the security aspects and costs of services. The everchanging
telecommunications environment provides new options for users,
and we should be more aware of telecommunications as a whole to be able to
capitalize on the possibilities available today.