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The Seven Wonders of Telecommunications

The Seven Wonders of Telecommunications

This is a post that was inspired by the latest poll results on the latest Seven Wonders of the World.  In case you missed the list:  The final tally produced this list of the world's top human-built wonders: Link here

  1. ·          The Great Wall of China
  2. ·          Petra in Jordan
  3. ·          Brazil's statue of Christ the Redeemer
  4. ·          Peru's Machu Picchu
  5. ·          Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid
  6. ·          The Colosseum in Rome
  7. ·          India's Taj Mahal

I created this list with telecommunications as the focus, and the criteria involved technologies and products that had the broadest and most significant impact to telecommunications.

1)      The telephone  - I believe this should fall in the “Ya think?!?!” category.  Humans have an insatiable urge to communicate, and the phone was the first and most significant step to communications across a significant (beyond yelling) distance.  I will say that, at times, yelling can be more effective though.  ;)

2)      The modem – Here I am referring to the Hayes Communications “Smartmodem” that became the standard for digital communications across an analog network (POTS)

3)      TCP/IP – The Internet protocol suite.  With the importance of the Internet, this is more/less a no-brainer.

4)      SIP – Session Initiation Protocol has won out as the defacto standard for Voice over IP and its associated applications.

5)      Ethernet – The reason Ethernet is listed here is simply due to its simplicity.  The LAN standard just isn’t difficult to understand and use.  With Ethernet creeping into the WAN as well, things are getting bigger, faster and less expensive.

6)      WIFI – This article here explains it all.  WIFI more important than Starbucks coffee?!?!?  That puts is on the list of seven!!

7)      Asterisk – I am putting this open-source IP-PBX due to the fact that it single-handedly exposed the craziness in IP-PBX pricing models. It’s better, fast, and a whole heck of a lot cheaper.  This would need to get some more maturity before it made the “all-time” list.

 

Adam “voiploser” Uzelac

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auzelac – Mon, 2007 – 07 – 09 15:53
Asides – broadband – Ethernet – Internet – VoIP – Web 2.0
auzelac's blog

Adam, I think it is unanimous

Adam, I think it is unanimous. The 8th wonder is clearly Fiber Optics. However, to stay to the theme of the 7 Wonders of Telecom here is my list: 1. Fiber Optics - Huge! 2. TCP/IP - Figured I would role SIP and Ethernet back into the suite to make the list work 3. WiFi - Big enough and broad enough to get pulled out of the suite 4. Open Source Software - Just to recognize that Asterisk isn't the only one driving a break-thru 5. Modem 6. Telephone 7. Satellites

Rob Nance (not verified) – Fri, 2007 – 07 – 13 20:40
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That´s a good idea, i t

That´s a good idea, i think that the 7 wonders of telecommunications are: 1.- Telephone 2.- Wireless communications (mobiles, radio) 3.- Satellite communications 4.- Internet (TCP/IP) 5.- VoIp 6.- In wireline the FIBER OPTIC 7.- Ethernet

Alex Tapia (not verified) – Fri, 2007 – 07 – 13 18:47
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7 Wonders of Telecom

Thanks it is a good number of developments but I also agree that this is a list of great natural developments, I would rather consider breakthroughs and some time in the future history will tell if they were real wonders:

  1. Telephone.
  2. Radio and the development of the broadcast industry.
  3. Satellites.
  4. Modems.
  5. LAN & WAN.
  6. The Internet.
  7. Laser & Fiber Optics.

Regards.

JOSE MANCINI (not verified) – Fri, 2007 – 07 – 13 12:08
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7 Wonders of Telecom

Adam, The subject is very appropriate these days. We couldn't forget the satellites ... Nilson

Nilson Medeiros (not verified) – Fri, 2007 – 07 – 13 10:39
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7 Wonders of Telecom

Adam, Your list is indeed impressive, but I think you've overlooked one item far more important than several on the list: fiber optic transmission. This core infrastructure is foundation of the telecom revolution we've witnessed over the last 10 years. Without it, VoIP probably wouldn't exist (except perhaps on campus LANs). The internet wouldn't look like it does; music and video downloads would be almost unthinkable. And from a technical prospective, the fact that we power laser signal amplifiers on the ocean floor with another laser in the cable still fills me with awe.

John Richter (not verified) – Fri, 2007 – 07 – 13 09:45
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Interesting list.  Argua

Interesting list.  Arguably Mobile phone networks with their associated SMS should be on the list as the one technology that revolutionised comms even before the www.  I might also add, though perhaps it's stretching a point, that liberalisation of telecommunications has been a factor in expanding our industry.

Trevor Wills (not verified) – Mon, 2007 – 07 – 16 07:59
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