Telecommunications is acknowledged by many observers to be the hottest industry segment in the early twenty-first century. The word telecommunications comes from "tele," which means "distant," and "communication," which means "to make common." Thus, telecommunications is about sharing (or making common) information over distance.

The telecommunications industry consists of several distinct components, including telephony, the broadcast of audio and visual signals via cable and radio frequencies, and computer communications. Telegraphy was the earliest form of telecommunications, but this technology has all but disappeared from commercial use.

Birth of Telecommunications

Telecommunications began as a one-to-one form of communicating over geographic distances. The telegraph, which came into commercial operation in the late 1840s, was the first modern-day example of this form of communications. Because the telegraph required trained personnel at both ends of the line, all communication between individuals had to be processed through telegraph operators...