Introduction to Telecommunications (2nd Edition) - Softcover

Rosengrant, Martha

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9780131126152: Introduction to Telecommunications (2nd Edition)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0131126156 ISBN 13: 9780131126152

Publisher: Pearson, 2006

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It is essentials that readers understand both the technical concepts and the application of the concepts in the industry. This edition uses analogies, case studies and multiple diagrams to explain concepts and help reduce the complexity of the technical subject matter. Layering, organizing and making the information meaningful is the foundation behind the design and structure of this book. The first layer presents a high level view of the subject matter; terms are introduced and overviews presented. The second layer focuses on fundamental concepts such as protocols, the OSI layer and so forth. Once the core concepts have been defined, they are then incorporated into real world scenarios that are used to merge the theory with the application. Expanded section on telecommunications fundamentals. Presents the OSI model as it relates to common networking protocols. Includes a chapter on manipulating information for transport. New chapter on distributed switching systems used to carry VoIP. Provides readers with the latest methods used to route and switch traffic across the telecommunications network. Covers all three Service Providers, TelCo, CATV and Cellular. Suitable for anyone working in the telecommunications industry. Included in this group are Cable TV, Internet Service Providers, Telephone companies both incumbent and competitive and any organization that supports these industries. Equipment vendors may also find the book useful as it focuses on the Service Provider side of the industry - the group they sell to.

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From the Back Cover:

Focusing on all aspects of telecommunications, Introduction to Telecommunications provides a comprehensive overview of how information, including voice and data, travels throughout the world. Examples and analogies are used throughout the text to help simplify technical concepts and improve the reader's assimilation of the topic. Instead of providing straight content, this text presents entire scenarios that form a total picture of the subject matter being presented.

Important attributes of the book include the following:

A wonderfully descriptive foreword describes the history of telecommunications, starting in 1845 and concluding in 2000.
The book is divided into several sections, each containing three to five chapters. Part I: High Level Overview contains the first three chapters: The Basics–Sound, Electrical Signal, Electromagnetic Spectrum (Chapter 1), The Telephone and the Telephone Line (Chapter 2), and Connecting the Dots-Transporting Information Across the Super Highway (Chapter 3). Other sections describe Telecommunications Fundamentals, PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), Telecommunications Applications, and Emerging Technologies.
Objectives and a chapter outline at the beginning of every chapter help to focus readers on the most important topics to be presented.
Historical photos on each part opener illustrate how far the telecommunications industry has come.
A useful case study is divided among the chapters. This helps to bolster the students' understanding of telecommunications by requiring that they apply what they have learned by building a telecommunications network for a small town that lacks telephone and data services.

An Instructor's Manual (ISBN 0-13-032339-X) is also available with the text to help instructors work through and present the chapters and case study sections.

THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY

The information age is upon us. The raw materials are ones and zeros. The technology used to transport the ones and zeros provides numerous opportunities for entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers. Telecommunications is dynamically changing the way we work, learn, communicate, and view society. At no other time in history have so many people been given the ability to exchange ideas, sell their products, or learn through research and study. E-commerce, business-to-business information exchange, surfing the Web, chatting on the Internet, calling anywhere in the world, low long distance and local telephone rates, and hundreds of calling features are just some of the services being carried across the information superhighway.

The dilemma we all face is that we must adapt to the information age and the constant changes it presents. We all need to be versed in the way information is managed in order to function in the new digital society. Think of telecommunication as a huge jagged jigsaw puzzle with pieces that change continuously. In order to become part of the new digital technology, you must understand how the pieces fit together.

PURPOSE

The purpose of Introduction to Telecommunications is to provide a comprehensive guide for telecommunications students and specialists alike. The text was written and organized in a manner that is conducive to information retention. Numerous examples and analogies, designed to help simplify technical concepts and improve students' assimilation of key topics, are used throughout. Instead of simply stating facts, the text presents entire scenarios that help students to understand the "big picture," thus encouraging them to think critically instead of simply memorizing information.

STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

This text has been structured so that key facts are linked to the fundamental concepts necessary to develop true mastery of the discipline of telecommunications.

Each chapter begins with a list of Objectives and an Outline, both of which help point out the most important topics to be covered in that chapter. Having read through these first two sections, students will be prepared to pay extra attention to each objective as they read through the balance of the chapter. Key Terms and definitions placed in the margins help readers to more fully understand each discussion point. Chapters contain many informative photos and line drawings, which are used to illustrate important aspects of telecommunications.

All chapters have Review Questions, and most chapters have a Troubleshooting section. The review questions are designed to improve information retention, while the troubleshooting sections require critical thinking and application of theory. A Case Study is provided in most chapters. Beginning with Chapter 4, students are asked to make decisions about new services being offered to a small, fictitious town in Wyoming. Throughout the remaining chapters of the book, students will be presented with new challenges. They will need to decide where to place telephone poles, cables, and switching devices, and will have to determine which types of applications to offer. This very involved case study helps students to put together the telecommunications "puzzle." Upon finishing the last case study, students will have designed a complete communications network for Green Grass, Wyoming. Finally, chapters conclude with a list of the Key Terms—the words defined in the margins of the chapter.

The foreword, The Evolution of the Communications Network: A Historical Overview of Telecommunications, contains two sections. Part I: 1845 to 1920 delves into the origins of telecommunications. Part II: 1920 to the Present outlines the development of the telecommunications network as we now know it. Taken as a whole, the foreword gives you the background you need to fully understand the modern networks of telephone companies and the technical aspects of their services.

Part One: High Level Overview includes Chapter 1: The Basics–Sound, Electrical Signal, Electromagnetic Spectrum; Chapter 2: The Telephone and the Telephone Line; and Chapter 3: Connecting the Dots–Transporting Information across the Superhighway. The first few chapters present an overview of the telecommunications industry and address technical components necessary for the telephone network to function.

Part Two: Telecommunications Fundamentals contains Chapters 4 through 11. Topics covered include transmission media, time division multiplexing networks, analog-to-digital-conversion, signaling, and data communications. Real-world scenarios are used to help reinforce technical concepts and to better the readers' overall understanding.

Part Three: The Public Switched Telephone Network includes Chapters 12 through 14, which address switching equipment, the outside plant, and customer premises equipment. Both traditional telephone networks and new and growing networks formed by competitive carriers and Internet providers are discussed in detail. Chapters 1 through 11 provide a base of information for this section, which helps to provide an all-encompassing understanding of today's public switched telephone network.

Part Four: Telecommunications Applications consists of Chapters 15 through 17. Chapter 15, Services Offered to Residential Customers by the PSTN, describes calling features, long distance options, and Internet service, as well as many other important options. Chapter 16, Business Services–Voice and Data, covers the extensive list of options available to business customers. Chapter 17, The Internet, describes the hardware and software necessary to log on to, host, or build Internet sites, as well as defines key terms related to the ever-changing and ever-growing World Wide Web.

Part Five: Emerging Technologies examines the cellular phone network (Chapter 18) and the cable TV network (Chapter 19). The next generation switch, optical routing, and broadband services are presented in the final chapter (Chapter 20), which relies on students' retention of previously discussed information to form a global understanding of telecommunication's past, present, and future.

Input from reviewers is much appreciated. Thanks go to Mark Voegele, DeVry Institute of Technology, Fremont, CA; Robert E. Morris, DeVry Institute of Technology, Decatur, GA; John Cmelko, MDS Inc., Rochester, NY; Robert M. Kabanuck, Northwest Arkansas Community College, Bentonville/Rogers, AR; Andy Eatchel, Pima Community College, Tucson, AZ; Jeff McDonald, Pima Community College, Tucson, AZ; and Ed Tice, Cameron University, Lawton, OK.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

An Instructor's Manual (ISBN: 0-13-032339-X), designed to help instructors work through each chapter, is available.

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