Telecommunication Technologies: From Telegraph to Mobile Phones

Telecommunication Technologies

Information and Communication

Information: The process of obtaining or processing data to gain knowledge.

Communication: The reciprocal process of transmitting information between a sender and a receiver, where both parties can perform both functions.

Key components of communication:

• Transmitter: The source of information.
• Message: The data or information being transmitted.
• Code: The language or symbols used to represent the message.
• Channel: The medium through which the information is transmitted.
• Receiver: The recipient of the information.

Evolution of Telecommunication Technologies

Telegraph

The first telecommunication device to achieve widespread adoption, the telegraph enabled long-distance messaging using electric wires and electromagnetic waves.

Telephone

Invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, the telephone allowed for the transmission of sound over long distances via an electric cable.

Fixed Telephony

Fixed telephones are located in specific locations and connected to a communication network through electrical cables. Key components include a microphone, headset, dial-numeric system, and audible warning devices.

Call Centers

Call centers route calls to operators or other central areas.

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones are autonomous devices that move with the user. They connect to the communication network through electromagnetic waves. These devices connect to call centers via antennas distributed across the territory, forming cells. These cells are areas that provide coverage and form a specific communication network among and between mobile phones and landlines.

Fax

The fax machine transmits printed documents via the telephone line, allowing for the reproduction of the document at the receiving terminal.

Electromagnetic Waves

Electromagnetic waves are periodic vibrations or oscillations of electrical and magnetic components.

A wave that repeats periodically is called a cycle, and its duration is called the period.

Communication via Electromagnetic Waves

Communication using electromagnetic waves requires an encoding system for information, a broadcasting system, and a reception system capable of decoding the information. The communication channel between the transmitter and receiver consists of electromagnetic waves.

Television

Further information on television technology is needed.