The technology of electronic telecommunications is advancing at an increasing rate, but the implementation of new systems and the growth of existing networks are constrained by many other factors, including international markets, government policies, regulation and social factors. This book, based on a meeting of The Royal Society, covers the broader issues of telecommunications and examines the potential impact of technological changes, including optics, mobile systems and the interface between telecommunications, computing and video.
1 Global strategies.- 2 The American scene.- 3 Future technological developments and their impact.- 4 The Japanese scene.- 5 From telephony to information networking — renovating the telecommunications infrastructure.- 6 Social implications.- 7 The impact of networks on financial services: the reality of electronic banking.- 8 Impact of regulations on communications.- 9 Communications strategy — the impact of market forces, regulation and technology.- 10 Architecture, technology and applications.- 11 Mobile communications in the 21st century.- 12 Broadcasting after ad2000.- 13 Optical switching.- 14 Broadband fibre.- 15 Why software engineering at a communications meeting?.- 16 Improving communications at the desktop.