Public Network Basics Author:Jack L. Dempsey This introductory book explains how the parts of the public telephone network and how the effectively operate together operates. Many changes have occurred in public telephone networks and this book is the perfect solution for those involved or interested in the operation and latest available telephone systems. While it is common knowledge that ... more »Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, it is often overlooked that he also invented the telephone network. True, it was not much by today`s standards of a network--just two cone shaped speaker contraptions set up in separate rooms connected by a length a wire--but it was indeed the first telephone network. Also, the concept of a network has changed wildly from the model used for Bell`s historic first call on March 10, 1876. Modern switching, digital transmission, fiber optics, wireless telephony and most recently Internet telephony, are just a few of the many wrinkles that have affected the designs of public network architectures over the last century or so. Network changes have been driven by both technological advancement and commercial aspirations. Public network operators have responded to user demands for faster and more capacious communications, just as they have also discovered the potential of new technologies--fiber, packet switching, software and digital signal processing for example. The network does indeed start and end with the telephone, but the real story of public network telephony lies in between. Therefore, an explanation of public network basic must start with the telephone, but there are many places to go from there. Literally thousands of people who need to understand how public telephone networks operate have found this book and other works of the author Jack Dempsey extremely valuable. Public Network Basics, provides details of the latest technologies and systems used in public networks.« less