The essential guide to telecommunications

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Part I: Fundamentals, Data Centers, and IP PBXs
	1 Computing and Enabling Technologies
		Fiber-Optic and Copper Cabling
			Fiber-Optic Cabling: Underpinning High-Speed Networks
			Information Content Providers: Heavy Users of Fiber
			Splitting Capacity of Individual Fiber Strands into Wavelengths
			Fiber-Optic Cabling in Commercial Organizations
		Chips—Building Blocks of the Digital Age
			Machine Learning
		Packetized Data
			Per Packet Flexible Routing
			Throughput
		Deep Packet Inspection: Monitoring, Prioritizing, and Censoring Traffic
			DPI in Organizations: Protecting Confidential Information
			Governments Monitor: Terrorism, Web Access, and Unfavorable Comments
			Carriers, Networks: Categorization and Billing
			Traffic Shaping: Prioritizing Traffic
		Compression
			Streaming: Listening and Viewing without Downloading
			Compression: The Engine behind TV over the Internet
			Innovative Compression Algorithms—Fewer Bits, Higher-Quality Images
			Using Codecs to Compress and Digitize Speech
		Increasing Network Capacity via Multiplexing
			Time-Division Multiplexing
			Statistical Multiplexing: Efficient Utilization via Prioritization of Network Services
		Using Protocols to Establish a Common Set of Rules
		Protocols and Layers
		Virtualization: Space, Cost, and Maintenance Efficiencies
			Scalability and Energy Savings
			Virtualization—Enabling Cloud Computing
		Managing Virtualization
			Managing Memory, Virtual Machines, and Disk Storage in Virtualized Data Centers
			Containers: A Newer Form of Server Virtualization
		The Cloud: Applications and Development at Providers’ Data Centers
			Private vs. Public Cloud Service
			Cloud Computing Fees
			Rationale for Cloud Computing
			Three Categories of Cloud Services—Layers in the Cloud
			Amazon: The Gorilla of Cloud Computing
			Fewer IT Employees; Different Skills—DevOps
			Compatibility with the Cloud
			The EU–U.S. Privacy Shield
		Summary
		Appendix
			A Comparison between Analog and Digital Signaling
	2 Data Centers and LANs, Storage, and IP Private Branch Exchanges
		Introduction
		What Is a LAN?
		Switches, Media, and Protocols in LANs
			Layer 3 Switches—Transmitting Data between Switches and Data Centers
			Layer 2 Switches—Links to Nodes
			Virtual Local Area Networks for Specialized Treatment
			Protocols for Communications in LANs
			Network Operating Systems
			Data Centers—Centralized Locations for Housing Applications
			The Impact of Cloud Computing on Data Centers
			Environmental Controls in Data Centers
			Storage Systems—Managing Petabytes of Data
			The Impact of Virtualized Hardware Failure
			Managing Users’ Computers via Virtual Desktops
			Access to the Internet and Other Broadband Networks via Routers
			Software to Monitor LAN-Connected Devices
			Monitoring LANs—What’s Up? What’s Down?
		IP PBXs—Voice, Video, and Unifi ed Communications
			IP Telephone Systems—Voice and Applications on LANs
		IP Telephony—Converting Voice Signals to Digital Data
			Voice QoS and Security
			Assessing Network Quality by Using Voice Quality Measurements
			Prioritizing Voice and Video on a Virtual Local Area Network
			IP PBX Architecture
			Media Gateways, Protocol Translation, and Signaling
			Session Initiation Protocol—Compatible Trunks
		Unified Communications, Contact Centers, and Video Conferencing
			Integrating Conferencing, Instant Messaging, and E-Mail through UC
			Desktop Video Conferencing
			Video Conferencing
			Immersive HD Video Conferencing
			Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) vs. Hosted IP PBXs
			Contact Centers—Efficiencies for Incoming and Outgoing Communications
			Voice Response Units—Routing and Accessing Information via Touch-Tone or Speech
		Appendix
Part II: Industry Overview and Regulations
	3 Competition, Industry Structures, and Regulations
		Introduction
		The 1984 Breakup of AT&T
			The Telecommunications Act of 1996
			Costs and Competition for Cable TV Services in the United States
			The Transformation of AT&T, CenturyLink, and Verizon into Conglomerates
			AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink and Comcast—Recent Acquisitions
			Cable TV Providers—Comcast, Charter, COX Communications, and Altice
		Regulatory Issues
			Utility Pole Attachments—Critical for 5G
			Universal Service and Rate of Return
			Decreasing ICC Payments for Connecting Traffic—Gradually Being Reduced
			Alternate Connect America Model
			Lifeline Subsidies for Low-Income Residents
			Media Consolidation Issues
			Spam Calls—Robocalls
			Legislation to Protect the Privacy of Minors
			Lobbying Efforts to Influence Regulations
		The State of the Industry—Consolidation via Mergers
			Competition to Telephone, Mobile, and Cable TV Companies
			Mobile Operators
			Consolidation of Mobile Providers
			Selling Wholesale Network Services
			Other Competitors to Broadband Providers—Overbuilders
			Agents
			Resellers—Mobile Virtual Network Operators
		Non-Traditional Competitors: Alphabet, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Microsoft
			Google—A Search Conglomerate that Morphed into a Multi-Function Software Company
			Amazon—From Online Book Sales and Cloud Services to On-Ground Grocery Stores
			Facebook—An Influential Social Network
			Snapchat—A Visual Social Network App
			Microsoft—Office Productivity, Operating System Software, Cloud Hosting, and Xbox
			Twitter
			Apple
		Appendix
Part III: Managing Broadband Networks and Broadband Network Services
	4 Managing Broadband Networks
		Introduction
		The Public Network
		Core Networks—Between Cities and Continents
			Software Defined Networks to Manage Traffic Surges
			Network Function Virtualization—Architecture
			Submarine Network Systems
		Bandwidth Capabilities in Carrier Networks
			Carrier Gigabit Ethernet
		Optical Transport Networks—Carrying Multiple Types of Traffic
			Optical Transport Networks and SDN and NFV
		Transporting Movies and TV in the Core
			Using Headends to Receive and Transmit Programming
			Hub Sites
		Middle-Mile Networks
		Last-Mile Access Networks
			Adding Capacity to Access Networks
			Legacy Circuit-Switching Service
			Transitioning Customers to Voice over Internet Protocol and Fiber
			Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers
			Passive Optical Networks
			Sharing Fiber Capacity—PON Architecture
			PON Standards—Gigabit Ethernet
		Access Networks in Cable Operators’ Networks
			Using Cable Modems to Access the Internet
			The Cable Modem “Handshake”
			Using Set-Top Boxes to Interface to Cable TV
		Using Cable Modem Termination Systems for IP Traffic
			Supporting More Video via Set-Top Boxes
			Cable Modem Standards Transition to Higher Speeds
			Transitioning from Asymmetric to Symmetric Channels
			Full Duplex DOCSIS 3.1—Symmetric Speeds
		Telecommunications Services in National Emergencies
			Planning to Insure Reliability and Sustainability
			Internet Security and Sustainability
		Signaling
			An Overview of Signaling
			Interconnecting Carriers and Providing Secure Space for Equipment in Co-Location Facilities
		Appendix
	5 Broadband Network Services
		Introduction
			Disagreement within the FCC over the Definition of Broadband
		VoIP Calling Services over Broadband
			Residential vs. Enterprise Services
			Lower-Priced, Flexible Consumer VoIP Services Adopted by Enterprises
			VoIP for Very Small Organizations
			The Impact of VoIP and Wi-Fi on Traditional Carriers
			The Demarcation Point at Which Telephone Companies Wire Trunks
		Multi-Protocol Label Switching for Interoffice Connections
			MPLS Virtual Private Network—A Managed Service
			Routes and Security on MPLS
			MPLS Implementation
			MPLS for Multinational Locations
			Prioritizing Traffic via Classes of Service
		IP Virtual Private Networks over the Internet
			Using IP VPNs between Offices—Less Costly than MPLS
		Adding Security on Traffic Sent over IP VPNs
			Security Protocols on Access to IP VPNs
			Deploying Firewalls to Protect against Malicious Attacks
		Managed Services
			Managed Services Rather than Dumb Pipe Providers
			Managed Services—For a Variety of Functions
		Digital Subscriber Line—Distance Limitations; Operates on Copper Cabling
			How DSL Technology Works
			DSL Limitations
		Carrier Gigabit Ethernet
			Carrier Gigabit Ethernet Flexibility and Scalable Speeds
			Dedicated Wavelengths
			T1 and T3: Services Largely Replaced by Higher-Capacity Broadband
		Network Topology on Dedicated, Private Lines
			Dedicated Private Lines—For Greater Security
			Network Topologies—The View from Above
			Direct Dedicated Interconnections to the Cloud
			Session Initiation Protocol—Out-of-Band Signaling
			Wide Area Software Defi ned Networks for Enterprises
			Network Backups—Protection from Outages
		Appendix
Part IV: The Internet and Cellular Networks
	6 The Internet
		Introduction
		What Is the Internet?
			Features of the Internet
			Protocols Used on the Internet
			The Impact of Capacity—The Availability of Broadband Networks
			Using Search Engines to Unleash Vast Stores of Information
			Search Engines—Mathematical Algorithms and Page Ranking
			Internet2—A Non-Commercial Outgrowth of the Internet
		Streaming—A Disruptive Technology
			Growth in Streaming
			Easier Set-Up and Increased Internet Uptake
			Accessing Streaming—Connected TVs, Game Consoles, and Mobile Devices
			Set-Top Boxes for OTT Streams
			Keeping and Attracting Subscribers—The Criticality of Content
			A Snapshot of Companies that Offer Streaming
			Ad Revenue on Streaming Services
			Streaming Worldwide
			Ease of Use and Technological Enablers
			Pay-TV—Skinny Bundles Plus Streaming on Set-Top Boxes
			Technical Challenges
		The Structure of the Internet
			Edge Routers
			Aggregation Routers in Core Networks
			Ensuring Reliability in the Core and Edge
			Enhancing Internet Performance by Using Content Delivery Networks
			Exchanging Data at Peering Points
			Address Structures
			Tracking and Managing Top-Level Domains
			Transitioning to IPv6
		Security: Connected, Ubiquitous Networks—Vulnerable to Malicious Hackers
			Methods Hackers Use to Attack and Infiltrate Networks
			The Five Rs of Information Security
			Cyber Terrorism between Countries
		Privacy
			Web Site Tracking, Connected Devices, and Free Search Engines
		The Impact of E-Commerce
			Combining Online Services with On-Site Stores
		Fostering Civic Participation and Engagement—Online Forums
			Town E-Mail Lists to Keep Communities Informed
		Network Neutrality
			The Issues Surrounding Network Neutrality
		The Digital Divide: Bandwidth, Skills, and Computers
			Internet Pricing and Competition
		Intranets and Extranets
			Intranets
			Extranets—Saving Money on Customer Service
	7 Mobile and Wi-Fi Networks
		Introduction
		Spectrum for Wireless Networks—A Critical Asset
			Cellular Structures—The Foundation of Mobile Networks
			The Division of Airwaves into Frequencies
			The Characteristics of Short and Long Wavelengths
			Spectrum Blocks
			Using Auctions to Allocate Spectrum
			Profits from Unused Spectrum on the Secondary Market
			Synchronizing Spectrum Internationally
			Mitigating Interference
			Unlicensed Spectrum for “Super” Wi-Fi
			Roaming—Using Mobile Devices in Other Networks
		More Efficient 4th Generation Digital Networks
			3G Technologies—Incompatible Standards
			Early LTE Implementations
		LTE—The First True 4th Generation Cellular Protocol
			4G LTE—Designed to Transmit Data and Voice in IP Packets
			LTE Capacity
			LTE Cell Sites’ Additional Functionality
			Backhaul—Connecting Cell Sites and Core Networks
			Elements of LTE Infrastructure
			The Three Elemental Functions of the LTE IP Core
			Databases in the LTE Evolved Packet Core
			Voice over LTE—Packetized Voice
			Accessing Applications and VoLTE—The IP Multimedia Subsystem
			Connections to Customers and Mobile Networks via the Cell Site, Towers, and Mobile Switches
			Heterogeneous Networks—Architecture for Densely Trafficked Areas
			Frequency- and Time-Division Air Interfaces in LTE
			4G Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Antennas
			The LTE Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing Air Interface
		5G Mobile Networks—Small Cells; Additional Capacity
			Massive MIMO Antennas for 5G Networks
			5G New Radio Service and 5G Applications
			C-RAN Centralized or Cloud-Based Radio Access Networks in 5G Networks
			Interoperability and Fall Back on 5G Mobile Networks
			Device Compatibility—A Multi-Year Gap
			Killing Lost or Stolen Portable Computers Using GPS
		The Internet of Things (IoT)
			Information and Privacy on IoT Services
			Unmanned Aircraft; Drones—Military and Commercial Applications
			Battery Life
		Applications and Services
			Mobile Payments
			Machine-to-Machine Communications between Devices with Embedded Radios
			Using Prepaid Mobile Services
		Wi-Fi Standards, Architecture, and Their Use in Cellular Networks
			The 802.11 Wi-Fi Standard
			A Deeper Dive into Wi-Fi Standards
			Wi-Fi Architecture in Enterprises
			Mesh Networks—Every Device to Every Device: Controller-Less Architecture
			Devices on Wi-Fi Networks—Access Points and Controllers
			Securing Wi-Fi Networks—WPA3
			Using Wi-Fi to Offload Traffic from Congested Mobile Networks
		Satellites—Geosynchronous and Low Earth Orbiting
			Satellite Networks
			Low Earth Orbiting Satellites—Fewer Delays; More Satellites; 200 to 1,200 Miles High
			High-Frequency Satellite Service within Airplanes for Internet Access
		Appendix
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Index
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