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Tables of Contents for The Essential Guide to Telecommunications
Chapter/Section Title
Page #
Page Count
Preface
xxiii
Acknowledgments
xxv
Part 1 Fundamentals
Basic Concepts
3
42
Analog and Digital
5
8
Analog Signals
6
1
Digital Signals
7
6
Bauds, Bits, Bytes and Codes---Getting Down to Basics
13
2
Overview
13
1
Baud Rate vs. Bits per Second---Electrical Signal Rates vs. Amount of Information Sent
13
1
Codes---Adding Meaning to Bits
14
1
A Byte = A Character
15
1
Bandwidth---Measuring Capacity
15
2
Narrowband vs. Wideband---Slow and Fast
16
1
Compression and Multiplexing
17
8
Compression---Manipulating Data for More Capacity
18
2
Streaming Media
20
3
Multiplexing---Let's Share
23
2
Protocols and Architectures
25
3
Architectures---A Framework for Multiple Networks to Communicate
26
2
LANs, MANs and WANs
28
17
LANs---Local Area Networks
30
1
LAN and WAN Devices
31
5
Home LANs---Sharing Printers and High-Speed Internet Access---A Lack of Technical Support
36
2
MANs---Metropolitan Area Networks
38
1
WANs---Wide Area Networks
38
1
Higher Speed Services for LAN Traffic
38
1
New Devices for Carrier and Internet Service Provider Networks
39
6
Telephone Systems, Peripherals and Cabling
45
48
Telephone Systems---PBXs, Centrex and Key Systems
47
16
What Is a PBX?
47
1
PBX Trunks
48
1
Demarcation---The Location Where Telcos Wire Trunks
48
1
PBX Telephones
49
1
Centrex---Telephone Company Supplied Service
50
3
Key Systems
53
1
Wireless PBX and Key System Telephones---On-Site Mobility
53
4
Direct-Inward Dialing---Bypassing the Operator for Incoming Calls
57
1
Convergence and Telephone Systems
58
5
Add-on Peripherals for Key Systems, PBXs and Centrex Systems
63
9
Call Accounting---Tracking Calls and Usage
64
8
ACDs---Specialized Equipment to Handle Large Volumes of Calls
72
8
Network-Based ACD Functions
73
1
LAN/PBX/ACD Connectivity to Enhance Productivity
74
1
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) for Call Centers
74
2
Integrated Voice Response Units---Using the Telephone as a Computer Terminal
76
3
Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)---Routing Callers More Intelligently
79
1
Media: Wireless, Fiber and Unshielded Twisted Pair Copper
80
13
Wireless LANs
81
2
Electrical Properties of Copper Cabling
83
1
Fiber Optic Cabling---High Capacity and High Costs
84
9
Part 2 Industry Overview
The Bell System and Regulatory Affairs
93
42
The Bell System Prior to and after 1984
95
8
Divestiture of the Bell System from AT&T in 1984
95
3
Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) after 1996
98
3
Transporting Calls Between Carriers
101
2
Local Competition Prior to the Telecommunications Act of 1996
103
5
Uneven Competition for Local Telephone Service Throughout the U.S.
103
1
Competitive Access Providers (CAPs) to Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs)
103
4
The Evolving View of the Feasibility of Local Competition
107
1
Factors Leading to Passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996
108
2
Regional Bell Companies' Desire to Expand Their Offerings
108
1
Interexchange Carriers', Utility and Cable TV Companies' Desires to Enter New Markets
108
1
Demand for High-Speed Telecommunications Services
109
1
Technological Capabilities to Provide High-Speed Services at Low Costs
109
1
The Viability of Wireless Services for Local Exchange Service
109
1
The Desire for a Uniform National Policy on Local Competition
110
1
The Telecommunications Act of 1996
110
7
Major Features of the Act
111
6
Post Telecommunications Act of 1996 Developments
117
10
FCC Rulings, Legal Challenges and Progress Toward Deregulation
117
1
Permission for RBOCs to Sell In-Region Long Distance
118
2
Unbundled Network Elements (UNEs)---Competitors Leasing Parts of RBOCs' Networks
120
1
Fines Levied on Incumbents for Failure to Provide Timely Access to Competitors
121
1
Reciprocal Payments
121
1
Local Access Fees---A Shift in Balance Between Local and Long Distance Costs
122
1
Local Number Portability
123
1
Creating an Equal Playing Field and Conserving Numbers
123
1
Four Types of Telephone Number Portability
123
4
Impact of the Telecommunications Act of 1996
127
2
Appendix
129
6
Network Service Providers and Local Competition
135
40
Local Competition
137
18
Strategies for Entering the Local Calling Market---Resale, Wireless, Cable TV and Construction of Facilities
148
7
Carriers
155
3
Interexchange Carriers---IEXs
156
2
Bandwidth Trading: The Commoditization of Bandwidth
158
3
Merchants---Managing Risk for Carriers
159
1
Exchanges---A Place to Make Trades
160
1
Master Trading Agreements---Shortening the Transaction Cycle
161
1
Local Service Providers
161
12
AT&T
161
2
Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (Integrated Communications Providers)
163
4
Resellers and Switchless Resellers
167
2
Building Local Exchange Carriers (BLECs)
169
1
Agents
170
3
Summary
173
2
The Public Network
175
64
Switched Services---Local and Long Distance Calling
177
7
Attributes of Real-Time Switching Services
178
5
DTMF: Access to Voice Mail and Computers
183
1
Store-and-Forward Switching---Nonsimultaneous Sending and Receiving
184
1
Dedicated Services
184
9
Overview of Dedicated Services
185
3
Network Topologies---The View from the Top
188
4
Declining Sales of Private Lines
192
1
Virtual Private Networks---Connectivity for Remote Access, Intranets and Extranets
193
4
VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) for Electronic Commerce
194
1
VPNs for Intranet Service
194
1
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) for Remote Access
195
1
Security on Virtual Private Networks
196
1
``The Last Mile'' or Access Networks
197
6
End and Tandem Central Offices
199
2
Digital Loop Carrier Systems---Fiber Optics and Copper Cabling in the Last Mile
201
1
Carrier Hotels---Interconnecting Carriers and Providing Secure Space for Equipment
202
1
Optical Networking
203
9
Passive Optical Networks
204
3
Optical Add and Drop Multiplexers (OADM)
207
1
Optical Cross Connects (OXC)---Optical Switches
208
4
Network Intelligence and Signaling
212
9
Overview of Signaling
213
2
Background
215
3
Common Channel Signaling, Efficiency and Redundancy
218
1
Signaling System 7---The Glue for Links Between Carriers
218
2
SS7 Components
220
1
Convergence---Technical Advances Leading to Improvements in IP Networks
221
8
Improvements in Routers
222
1
Digital Signal Processors (DSPs)
223
1
Voice Compression
224
1
Higher Capacity Networks---Optical Technologies
224
1
Softswitches---Programmable Switches
225
2
The Quality of Service Issue for Voice over IP
227
1
SS7 in Packet Networks
228
1
Examples of Converged Networks
229
4
Free Calls or Low Priced Calls over the Internet
231
1
H.323---A Way to Make Telephone Calls over IP
232
1
Prepaid Calls over the Internet
232
1
Document Sharing and Click to Talk
233
2
Document Sharing
233
2
Summary
235
4
Part 3 Advanced Technologies, The Internet and Wireless
Specialized Network Services
239
52
T-1--24 Voice or Data Paths over One Telephone Circuit
243
7
Channel Banks---Connecting T-1 to Analog PBXs and Central Offices
244
1
DS-0 and DS-1--64,000 or 56,000 vs. 1,544,000 bps
244
1
Media Used for T-1 Signals
245
1
European vs. American and Japanese T-1---24 vs. 30 Channels
246
1
A Sampling of T-1 Configurations Using T-1 for Combining Voice, Fax, Video and Data
247
1
Fractional T-1---When 24 Paths Are Not Required
248
1
T-3---The Capacity of 28 T-1 Lines, 672 Channels
249
1
An Explanation of Time Division Multiplexing and Its Limitations
249
1
ISDN---Integrated Services Digital Network
250
7
Basic Rate Interface ISDN---Two Channels at 64,000 Bit per Second
253
1
Primary Rate Interface ISDN---24 Channels
254
3
Digital Subscriber Line Technology
257
10
Competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) and DSL
261
1
Incumbent Telephone Company DSL Offerings
262
1
DSLAMs---Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers
262
1
Obstacles to Digital Subscriber Line Availability---Cost, Ease of Implementation and Availability
263
3
DSL Lite---Lower Cost Service
266
1
DSL---A Technical Explanation
266
1
Frame Relay---A Shared Wide Area Network Service
267
4
Connections to Frame Relay---Frame Relay Access Devices and Access Line Speeds
269
1
Frame Relay for Transmitting Voice
270
1
Frame Relay Pricing---Ports, Circuits and Committed Information Rate
270
1
Potential Congestion on Frame Relay
271
1
Interfacing Between Carriers' Frame Relay Networks
271
1
Gigabit Ethernet---Ethernet over Fiber in Metropolitan Areas
271
5
Gigabit Ethernet Providers---OLECs
272
1
Gigabit Ethernet Through Partners
273
1
Gigabit Ethernet Availability
273
1
The Advantages of Using Ethernet
273
1
Speed Options---Bandwidth on Demand
274
1
Gigabit Ethernet Features at Lower Prices
275
1
A Sample Metropolitan Area Gigabit Ethernet Configuration
275
1
ATM---Asynchronous Transfer Mode
276
7
Fixed-Sized Cells---Less Processing
278
1
Switching in Hardware---Less Address Lookup
278
1
Asynchronous Switching---Improving Network Utilization
278
1
Bursting---Selling More Than the Total Capacity
279
1
Scalability---The Ability to Use ATM for High-and Low-Speed Applications and IP Traffic
279
1
Elements of an ATM Network
280
3
SONET---Synchronous Optical Network
283
8
Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) and SONET
284
1
SONET Functions---The Four Layers
285
1
SONET Rings---For Greater Reliability
286
1
Telephone Company SONET Offerings
287
1
SONET Connections to Wave Division Multiplexers
288
1
Meshed Optical Technology---Lower Costs, More Suitable for Data than SONET
289
2
Analog, Cable TV and Digital Modems and Set-Top Boxes
291
24
Transferring Data from Computers to Telephone Lines
292
2
DCE---Connections to Telephone Lines
294
1
Modems---Analog Telephone Lines for Transmitting Data from Digital Devices
295
4
Fax Modems
296
1
56-Kbps Modems to Achieve Higher Speeds
296
3
PCMCIA Modems---Smaller Is Better
299
1
NT1S-Connecting Devices to an ISDN Line
299
1
CSU/DSUs---Connecting Devices to a Digital Line
300
1
Cable Modems---Using Cable TV Facilities for Data Communications
301
6
Reverse Channels for Two-Way Data Communications
302
1
Cable Modems
302
3
Cable Modems for Business and for Remote Access
305
2
Set-Top Boxes
307
4
Interoperable Set-Top Boxes
308
2
Digital Cable TV
310
1
Appendix: Modem Standards
311
4
The Internet
315
56
The History of the Internet
317
6
Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs)
319
1
Who Runs the Internet?
319
1
Who Owns the Internet?
320
1
Peering---A Way to Exchange Data Between Networks
320
1
Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and Caching---Solving the Problem of Bogged-Down Web Sites
321
1
Internet Services
322
1
The World Wide Web---Linking and Graphics
323
7
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)---Formatting Web Pages
324
1
Home Pages
325
2
Hosting---Computers Connected to the Internet with Home Pages
327
1
Browsers---Moving from Web Site to Web Site
328
2
Email---Computers that Send, Store and Receive Messages
330
5
Email Attachments---To Aid Collaborative Projects
331
1
HTML Email as a Marketing Tool
332
1
Instant Messaging---Real-Time Text Chats
333
2
Internet Service Providers, Application Service Providers and Portals
335
7
Dialup and Dedicated Internet Access
336
2
Application Service Providers (ASPs)
338
1
Portals---Content as Well as Internet Access
338
4
Search Engines
342
4
Internet Addresses
346
3
Registries---Management of Entire Top-Level Domains
346
1
Registrars
347
1
Numeric IP Addresses
347
1
The Structure of Internet Addresses and Adding Capacity for More Addresses
347
1
New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs)
348
1
Country Code Top-Level Domain Names (ccTLDs)
349
1
Electronic Commerce and Advertising on the Web
349
5
Advertising on the Web---A Source of Revenue
350
1
Online Commerce---What Is Profitable and Sells?
351
3
Privacy on the World Wide Web
354
3
Opt-out vs. Opt-in---Different Approaches to Protecting Privacy
356
1
Legal Issues
357
4
Post-Napster Music Industry Online Efforts
358
1
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)---Royalties for Radio over the Internet
359
1
Anti-pornography Laws and Freedom of Speech
359
2
Filtering Software---Policing Corporate Browsing and Email
361
1
Open Cable---Cable Companies as Both ISPs and Network Service Providers
361
4
ISP Service for Cable TV
361
1
Open Cable Service---Trialing Connections to Other IPS
362
3
Intranets and Extranets
365
2
Intranets---Impact of Web Technology on Internal Operations
365
1
Extranets---Using Internet Technology with Customers, Partners and Vendors
366
1
Security on the World Wide Web---Establishing Trust
367
3
Public and Private Keys and Digital Certificates
368
1
Firewalls and Tunneling
368
1
Making the Internet a Trusted Place to Do Business
369
1
Conclusion
370
1
Wireless Services
371
48
Historical Background of Mobile and Cellular Services
376
1
Spectrum Allocation
377
2
Spectrum for Higher Speed 3G Services
378
1
Cellular Telephone Service---Technologies
379
5
Advanced Mobile Phone Services (AMPS)
379
1
Digital-Advanced Mobile Phone Service---D-AMPS
380
1
PCS---Personal Communications Services
381
1
GSM Service
382
1
Specialized Mobile Frequencies for Voice---Nextel
383
1
Cellular Vendors
384
3
Verizon Wireless
384
1
Cingular Wireless
384
1
AT&T Wireless
385
1
GSM Providers
385
1
Sprint PCS
386
1
The Structure of Cellular Networks
386
1
The Cellular Market
387
12
Efforts to Improve Service---Antenna Improvements
389
1
Health Concerns
390
1
Safety on the Road
391
3
Privacy and Advertising Intrusions on Cellular E911
394
1
Called Party Pays---An Impediment to Cellular Usage
395
2
Limited Mobility Wireless for Local Telephone Service
397
1
Wireless Number Portability---Keeping the Same Number When Changing Carriers
398
1
Limitations of Circuit-Switched Cellular for Data Communications
398
1
CDPD---Cellular Digital Packet Data, IP Wireless
398
1
The Transition from Second to Third Generation Cellular Networks
399
7
The Transition to W-CDMA - GPRS---Data Carried as Packets in 2.5G Networks
401
1
EDGE-Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution
402
1
Upgrades to W-CDMA from GSM---Costly
402
1
The Transition to cdma2000---1xRTT (First Generation cdma2000) and HDR (High Data Rate)
403
1
A Comparison Between W-CDMA and cdma2000
404
1
Handsets for 3G and 2.5G Services
405
1
All-Packet Cellular Networks for Voice and Data
406
1
4G---Futures
406
1
Mobile Internet Access, Messaging Services and Bluetooth
406
3
Mobile Commerce
407
1
Short Messaging Service (SMS)
407
1
Bluetooth
408
1
The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
408
1
i-mode Service Worldwide
409
1
Specialized Mobile Radio---Originally Voice, Later Data
409
2
Private Networks over Mobile Radio Frequencies
410
1
Specialized Mobile Radio---Packetized Data Networks for Two-Way Email and Field Services
410
1
Paging Services
411
2
Paging vs. Wireless Telephone Service
412
1
Two-Way Paging Using Narrowband PCS
412
1
Satellites
413
3
VSAT Service---Small Satellite Dishes
414
2
Vendors of LEOs
416
1
Time Division Multiple Access, GSM and Code Division Multiple Access Air Interfaces
416
3
Code Division Multiple Access
418
1
Time Division Multiple Access and GSM
418
1
Globalization
419
56
The Impetus to Deregulate
421
3
Steps in Deregulation
421
1
Challenges
422
1
Trends in Global Markets
422
2
Latin America
424
13
Brazil
424
5
Mexico
429
1
Argentina
430
3
Impact of Poverty
433
4
Asia
437
16
China
437
5
Japan
442
7
The Internet
449
1
Cellular Service
450
3
Europe
453
18
The European Union
453
2
Cellular Service
455
2
Germany
457
3
The United Kingdom
460
2
France
462
9
Africa and the Middle East---Emerging Markets
471
2
Africa
472
1
The Middle East
472
1
Conclusion
473
2
Glossary
475
12
Bibliography
487
2
Index
489