Overview

Telecommunication systems and services involve the transfer of some type of information from one point to another. Telecommunication may consist of the transfer of voice, data, video media and telecommunication systems may combine and control this media in many ways.

Telecommunications technologies and systems are designed to reliably transfer information between the originating source of the information and the intended destination(s). Certain types of communication systems are designed to effectively transfer specific types of information. Although these systems may be capable of other types of telecommunications services (e.g. voice and data), other types of communication systems may be better choices. For example, mobile telephone system is very good at transferring voice information, but not very capable of handling video.

Telecommunications systems are characterized as being made up of end user equipment, access lines, interconnection equipment, and a coordinating (controlling) structure. Examples of end user equipment are telephone handsets, computer terminals, or pagers. These devices communicate with a telecommunication network through access lines and/or access points. Access systems can be interconnected with each other to form large networks. Control systems are responsible for authorizing access to the system, managing network resources, and measuring usage for billing and accounting purposes.

Some communication networks that have been traditionally used for non-telecommunication services have evolved to provide voice services. For example, cable television systems now offer high-speed Internet services and it is relatively simple to upgrade these two-way data networks to offer voice services.

Key Telecommunications Services

Telecommunications services can be divided into...