Telecommunication is the transmission of information over large distances, with the intention of communicating with other people. Beginning with the telegraph, and picking up with the invention of the telephone, telecommunication has slowly become integrated into our lives to the point that we cannot imagine living without it. What follows is a brief overview of the development of the industry that has risen around telecommunication.
Telecommunication started in a primitive form in Ancient Greece, as far back as the 4th century BC, when people used hydraulic semaphore systems to send visual messages between each other; however, they could only send rigidly predetermined messages. During the middle ages people would light huge beacons on high places to communicate. In fact, this is how word was sent from Plymouth all the way to London to warn of the arrival of the Spanish Armada.
The industry really took off in 1839 when the first commercial electrical telegraph was created by Sir Charles Wheatstone and Sir William Fothergill Cooke. This, and the invention of Morse code by Samuel F. B. Morse, made people realise how quickly, easily, and conveniently large bodies of information could be transferred over vast distances. And this, of course, made industry boom when companies realised they could charge for providing these communication services.
Alexander Graham Bell deserves to be mentioned as the next big name in this history, for he is credited with the invention of the telephone. Commercial use was quite slow to get started, but once it did it grew to become an integral part of the way in which we live and conduct business. Because of the large amount of companies offering telephone services, just about everyone has them, because they are cheap and high quality.
From these early technologies, the mobile phone emerged, first as a walkie talky that can be used in cars, but advancing quickly over the years following its introduction. Mobile phones offer the ability to talk to people over vast distances wherever they are, as well as access any other kind of information in public space. The desire to stay in touch, the technological revolutions, and the competition of companies has all contributed to telecommunications not being utilised by everyone.
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