Transmission Systems (I E E Telecommunications Series)

The past 15 years have seen very rapid progress in the technology of telecommunications and the development of services which have totally eclipsed the evolution of the previous 100 years. Transmission-system development has played a key role in this progress, with the migration from analogue carrier systems operating over twisted-pair, coaxial and radio bearers to digital systems which are now concentrated on optical fibre. These changes have themselves been fuelled by the dramatic progress made in semiconductor technology, which opened the door to an unprecedented revolution in electronic equipment and information technology. The direct result has been a very rapid fall in the cost of transmitting information over long distances. Numerous new service opportunities have thus arisen with the realization of low-cost transmission and the availability of highly-integrated terminal equipment. Now, there is no facet of life which is not influenced by telecommunications. Transmission networks form an essential part of the infrastructure of all modern industrialized nations, and a key contributor to their economic success and social stability. This volume addresses telecommunications transmission over the modern period, using both analogue and digital technology. The book is organized to form a natural progression from the fundamental need for telecommunications, the transmission media available, systems options and design, performance specification and requirements, to the network planning process, and finally, future trends.