Telecommunication

Telecommunication (/tɛlɪkəˈmjuːnɪˌkeɪʃən/; from Latin tele "far off" and communicare "to share") is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that feasible with the human voice, but with a similar scale of expediency; thus, slow systems (such as postal mail) are excluded from the field.

Etymology

The term telecommunication is a compound of the Greek prefix tele (τηλε), meaning 'far off', and the Latin communicare, meaning 'to share'. Its modern use is adapted from the French, because its written use was recorded in 1904 by the French engineer and novelist Édouard Estaunié.

History

The history of telecommunication is an important part of the larger history of communication. Early telecommunications included smoke signals and drums. Talking drums were used by natives in Africa, and smoke signals in North America and China. Contrary to what one might think, these systems were often used to do more than merely announce the presence of a military camp.

Types of Telecommunication Networks

Related Terms

Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski

Telecommunication