Professional Documents
Culture Documents
What Is Telecommunication
What Is Telecommunication
telecommunication?
What is telecommunication?
Goro Oba
The Department of Telecommunication,
Michigan State University
What is 2
telecommunication?
Abstract
opportunity to examine what it is. While the word ‘telecommunication’ has been
brought to public attention, how many of us can exactly define it? How many of
our consciousness cannot catch up with it. As a new graduate student of the
article. According to the requirement, this article consists of the following: areas
What is telecommunication?
From this viewpoint, one may say that telecommunication is literally one of the
in a daily life. Then, how can we define communication, whose categories seem
between people and places (p.13). From this definition, I realize that discussion
newspaper, and watching television are all grouped into the same category
them.
at more detailed categories. The first thing I notice is that the way of
to communicate back to the source (Straubhaar & LaRose, 1997, p.11). Before
newspapers. This is the reason why television and newspapers are called the
telephone. This means that telephone is not categorized as one of the mass
mind, I will again take a look at the definition of telecommunication that I cited
establish connections among the network users (Charp and Hines, 1985,
Glossary). It follows from what has been said thus far that telecommunication is
The fact that both information and technology are essential for
business. (p.1)
In fact, the telecommunication industry has been prosperous for the past eight
years. Statistical Abstract of the United States (2000) reported that gross
percent share of the economy has increased from 5.9% to 8.3%. For people
business.
more. Dizard (1997) divided the media into two groups, old media and new
media.
give consumers more control over what services they receive, when
important seems that they provide two-way interactivity. Consider television, for
interactive system was to offer home viewers a variety of films to choose from.
view” (p.212). Actually, not only has the interactivity been spread, but it has
also been evolving. According to the issue of Broadcasting and Cable noted by
Schlosser (2000), Fox sports will let viewers use set-tops to select camera
angles on sports events. While I feared that a director would not be required
interactive service.
demand to know how PCs and the Internet will solve all human problems” (P10).
After all, the computer is nothing but a tool for me. Generally, we use tools, for
course, the computer itself cannot cure a serious disease. We, however, can get
some hints to cure it efficiently with the computer; the World Wide Web would
surely provide us the information about doctors, medicine, and hospitals. The
better we use tools, the better our lives become. This common pattern would
the telephone or television. Then, what differentiates them from others such as
a car or a desk? The difference is that the tools for telecommunication are
terms such as the Information Society or the Information Age. In such society,
people will always tend to get some information more or less. Given that this
situation continues for the time being, a key question that telecommunication
information would be a utility for us such as water, electricity, or gas. They are
certainly required not only in daily life, but also in emergency. Under disaster,
Sony and so on, therefore, are pushing the global strategy forward. This fact,
between the information haves and have-nots” (p.24). Although the evolution of
can afford to have the latest technologies. Straubhaar & LaRose (1997) pointed
many experts fear that relatively low access to computers will keep
have-nots is also seen in the domestic scale. In the earlier sentence, I noted key
explained, ”Universal service is the idea that everyone should have access to
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telecommunication?
basic telecommunications services. The policy has long been a central one in
service to all but 5 percent of American homes” (p.254). As a result, almost all
the residents in the U.S. recognize telephone service as a kind of utility. They
make phone calls as easily as they use water, electricity, or gas. The question is
Commission (FCC) officially made it clear that every effort would be made to
those who live in rural, high-cost areas (Schwartz, 1997, p.75). In order to
achieve this, the FCC is encouraging new enterprises to enter into the
that might result in making advanced universal service possible. However, even
if the network for advanced universal service were possible and cheaper,
have-nots in the new information age. Until recently, users have had terminals
such as plain old telephone sets, installed easily. But now users have to buy new
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telecommunication?
terminals by themselves for new services. Are the terminals such as personal
cannot yet afford to buy them. Actually, only 7.9% of households who
68.3% of college graduates do. Among households whose income is less than
$5,000, only 15.9% have computers, although 79.9% of those whose income is
more than $75,000 have them (Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2000,
p.569). Economist Robert Reich has underscored the impact that the
information gap has on achieved U.S. society; “No longer are Americans rising
accordingly. Apart from their intention, producers might insist that the freedom
and morally. For this reason, the regulation of such content is imposed on the
media. For example, in 1996 Congress passed a law requiring V-chip to permit
(Straubhaar & LaRose, 1997, p.97). Consequently, those kinds of programs are
being broadcast under the principle that kids’ eyes would not reach it. Media is
swaying between the two contradictory values, and V-chip looks like a
network. The users of the network are also the “publishers,” but they
ethics, and in any event the authors of the most offensive forms of
Actually, we can access Web sites containing pornography easily. Even if the
sites warn that person under twenty-one years are not allowed to enter, they
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telecommunication?
can easily browse the sites, by just clicking ‘enter’. There is, at the moment,
nothing like V-chip or ID check on the Web. Apparently, the Webmasters should
be responsible for the content in this situation. However, no matter how strictly
the content is regulated, they can easily get around a surveillance network
because they are anonymous. This kind of mess has seldom happened in the
media history. The mass media have often been blamed for the content, and
the media that the freedom of expression is not admitted until we can take the
as one in the field of science or electronics. It is, therefore, said that the
approaches from such field as management, economics, law, sociology, art, and
science. This is terrific because I can adopt the best way that meets my need.
At the same time, taking advantage of this diversity, I should also link one to
global strategy, international law, cultural context, and technology. This clearly
shows that the most effective way to study is to consider subjects plurally, not
noted the interactivity on cable TV, to tell you the truth, I have never
equipped with the function. It sounds like an armchair theory, no matter how
telecommunication study.
Although I had worked as a director for NTV, one of Japan's national TV networks
for about 10 years, recent changes in the broadcasting industry and my own
conducted will become more complex. Already in Japan, Cable TV has gradually
spread, and there are now several cable networks with some very attractive
inevitable, and I feel I have been given the precious opportunity to witness the
birth of a new era. The more I consider our strategy in the emerging era, the
more I can visualize the incredible potential for growth. However, I must
changing environment, and this is the primary reasons I have decided to study
consistently followed the U.S. lead whether in the move from black and white to
color, the mimicking of content, or the use of the latest technologies. If I were
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telecommunication?
the U.S., I would be better equipped to map out a network strategy for Japan.
enter and thrive in various regional markets, while at the same time dealing
with the broadcast policies of other countries. This is an area which Japan will
soon have to deal with and I would like to be prepared to make a dynamic
East Asia, Japanese TV networks have the potential to become major players in
this region, where Japanese pop culture is widely accepted and extremely
of program shall we broadcast in this region? Moreover, what are the best
strategies for entering and prospering in this market? I do not have specific
answers now, but I feel I will have them after analyzing the international
References
blocks and networks. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall PTR.
Dizard, W., Jr. (1997) Old media new media: mass communications in
Schwartz, K.D. (1997, June 23). FCC plan ensures dial tone for all. Info
world, 75.
Web: http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/statab/sec18.pdf
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telecommunication?
Rudge, A.W. (Ed.). Communications after AD 2000. London: Chapman & Hall.