Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook

Ray Horak held management and executive management positions with Southwestern Bell, Continental Telephone Company (CONTEL), and Communications Group Inc. An independent consultant and popular speaker, trainer, author, columnist, and writer, he is the author of the bestselling Communications Systems and Networks, published most recently by Wiley and now in its third edition. Mr. Horak teaches seminars around the world on a variety of telecommunications subjects. He also has considerable experience as a consulting technical expert and expert witness in litigation involving patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property matters.

A practical, accessible survey of telecommunications and data communications services and technologiesFinally, there is a commonsense guide to telecommunications and data communications that non-engineers can understand. Popular author Ray Horak provides comprehensive, up-to-date information in plain English, instead of confusing technotalk. Recent developments covered include:* 802.16 and WiMAX* Passive Optical Network (PON)* 802.11g/n* Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO)* Broadband over Power Line (BPL)* Instant Messaging* ZigBeeIn addition, Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook expands on topics of increasing interest, including:* Fiber Optics* Storage Area Networks (SANs)* Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)* CATV Networks* Wireless, including Bluetooth* Cellular, including 2.5G and 3G, photos, video, and ring tones and ring-back tones* Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), including IP PBX and IP Centrex* Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) vs. H.323Complete with a discussion of the current regulatory and business environments, including divestiture and revestiture as well as mergers and acquisitions, this is the ideal reference for non-engineering professionals in the end-user, carrier, content or service provider, manufacturing, regulatory, or financial communities.

Preface.Acknowledgments.About the Author.1 FUNDAMENTALS OF THE TECHNOLOGY: CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS.References.2 FUNDAMENTALS OF TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS: TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS.References.3 VOICE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS: KTS, PBX, CENTREX, AND ACD.References.4 MESSAGING SYSTEMS.References.5 PUBLIC SWITCHED TELEPHONE NETWORK.References.6 FUNDAMENTALS OF DATA COMMUNICATIONS.References.7 CONVENTIONAL DIGITAL AND DATA NETWORKS.References.8 LOCAL AREA NETWORKS: CONNECTIVITY AND INTERNETWORKING.References.9 BROADBAND NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE.References.10 BROADBAND NETWORK SERVICES.References.11 WIRELESS NETWORKING: EMPHASIS ON MOBILITY.References.12 VIDEO AND MULTIMEDIA NETWORKING.Applications and Benefits.References.13 THE INTERNET AND WORLD WIDE WEB.References.14 NETWORK CONVERGENCE.References.15 REGULATION: ISSUES AND (SOME) ANSWERS.References.APPENDIX A ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS, CONTRACTIONS, INITIALISMS, AND SYMBOLS.APPENDIX B STANDARDS ORGANIZATIONS AND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIGs).INDEX.