This book will provide a comprehensive survey of telecommunications technologies and services, at a reasonable level of technical depth, and in the author’s unique plain-English, commonsense style. Recent developments in technology to be explored will include:

* Power Line Carrier (PLC)
* Broad over Power Line (BPL)
* Passive Optical Network (PON)
* 802.11g
* Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO)
* 802.16 & WiMAX

This work will expand on the discussion of a number of other technology topics that have become subjects of greater interest in the last three or four years since the publication of Communications Systems and Networks, 3rd Edition and competing works:

* Fiber Optics
* Storage Area Networks (SANs)
* Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
* CATV Networks
* Wireless
o Bluetooth
* Cellular
o 2.5G & 3G
o Photos
o Video
o Ring Tones & Ring-Back Tones
* Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
o IP PBX
o IP Centrex
* Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) vs. H.323
* Regulation & Convergence

Divestiture and Revestiture, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)

A practical, accessible survey of telecommunications and data communications services and technologies

Finally, there is a commonsense guide to telecommunications and data communications that non-engineers can understand. Popular author Ray Horak provides comprehensive, up-to-date information in plain English, instead of confusing technotalk. Recent developments covered include:

* 802.16 and WiMAX
* Passive Optical Network (PON)
* 802.11g/n
* Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO)
* Broadband over Power Line (BPL)
* Instant Messaging
* ZigBee

In addition, Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook expands on topics of increasing interest, including:

* Fiber Optics
* Storage Area Networks (SANs)
* Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
* CATV Networks
* Wireless, including Bluetooth
* Cellular, including 2.5G and 3G, photos, video, and ring tones and ring-back tones
* Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), including IP PBX and IP Centrex
* Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) vs. H.323

Complete with a discussion of the current regulatory and business environments, including divestiture and revestiture as well as mergers and acquisitions, this is the ideal reference for non-engineering professionals in the end-user, carrier, content or service provider, manufacturing, regulatory, or financial communities.