Initially, the term telecommunications equipment can sound as though it belongs in a spaceship, yet we use this kind of equipment on a daily basis. Telephones, mobile phones, television, radio and the internet are all forms of telecommunications equipment. We look at how these have affected and enhanced day to day living.
There was a time when the only way to communicate with people who weren’t nearby was by letter or telegram; there has been widespread dispute over who actually invented the telephone, but it is certain that inventor Alexander Graham Bell was the first to patent the electronic telephone. While the fathers of teenage daughters who run up huge phone bills would disagree, the telephone has made life much easier for millions. It’s hard to imagine a life without a phone, especially as people are now moving across the country when they reach adulthood; it’s the perfect way to keep in contact with loved ones.
Possibly one of the biggest breakthroughs in telecommunications is the internet. It allows us to type something on our computer at home and then has someone on the other side of the world reading it. The internet now acts like a tutor to those struggling with homework, a billboard to those wishing to advertise products and simply as something to pass time. The ever growing popularity of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook has meant that now the internet is experiencing more daily activity than ever. To begin with, people used a dial-up internet connection; it was slow and often web pages took up to five minutes to load; now almost all internet users have broadband, which not only means that you can talk on the phone while surfing the net, but has also increased the speed of internet connection so now you can load a web page in a matter of seconds.
The telephone has recently been advanced with the introduction of the mobile phone; firstly this was something that only business men required in order to maintain contact with their work at all times. Now, almost everyone has their own mobile phone, in fact taking your mobile out with you every day is becoming as innate as remembering your purse or house keys. Every year mobiles become more and more hi-tech, with cameras being integrated into the phone and the ability to access the internet, soon all the telecommunications equipment we need could be condensed and able to fit into your pocket.