Objectives

After you read this chapter you should be able to:

• Describe the basic types of technology that make telecommunication possible
• Describe the nature and function of local area networks and wide area networks
• Discuss the uses and implications of email, instant messaging, blogging, teleconferencing, and other forms of online communication
• Explain how wireless network technology is transforming the ways people work and communicate
• Describe current and future trends in telecommunications and networking