Dr. Andrew Wheen trained as an Electrical Engineer, and subsequently completed a Master's degree in Microprocessor Engineering and a Ph.D. in Computer Architecture. Although his interests at the time leaned towards computing rather than telecommunications, he recognized that these two industries were converging rapidly, and concluded that telecommunications would offer great opportunities. After a few years working in hardware and software development for telecommunications manufacturers. Wheen moved into product marketing. He then joined a start-up network operator called Energis. Afte a challenging two years - during which Energis turned from a handbful of people to a full service operator with a nationwide network - he had sufficient knowledge and experience to transfer into management consultancy. Wheen's work in consultancy over the last 14 years has given him an insider's view of many major companies in teh telecoms industry, and a wide circle of contacts. Assignments have covered areas such as the development and evaluation of business plans, technical due diligence, the definition of new network services, vendor management, cost modeling, network architecture, and technology strategy.

Telecommunications is a major global industry, and this book, which opens with the early years of the electric telegraph, chronicles the development of this complex technology from its inception to the Internet in a simple, accessible, and entertaining way.

Chronicles the development of telecommunications technology from the electric telegraph to the Internet Appeals to a wide audience by explaining complex technologies in simple terms Looks at the origins of modern telecommunications for a wide and less technical audience

Acknowledgments.- List of figures.- List of pictures.- List of tables.- About the author.- Introduction.- Chapter 1: The birth of an industry.- Chapter 2: The telegraph goes global.- Chapter 3: A gatecrasher spoils the party.- Chapter 4: Early telephone networks.- Chapter 5: Going digital.- Chapter 6: A bit of wet string.- Chapter 7: The last mile.- Chapter 8: Computers get chatty.- Chapter 9: The birth of the Internet.- Chapter 10: Life in cyberspace.- Chapter 11: The mobile revolution.- Chapter 12: When failure is not an option.- Chapter 13: What comes next?.- Appendices A - Q.- Notes.- Glossary.- Bibliography.- Index.

Telecommunications is a major global industry, and this unique book chronicles the development of this complex technology from the electric telegraph to the Internet in a simple, accessible, and entertaining way. The book opens with the early years of the electric telegraph. The reader will learn how the Morse telegraph evolved into an international network that spanned the globe, starting with the development of international undersea cables, and the heroic attempts to lay a trans-Atlantic cable. The book describes the events that led to the invention of the telephone, and the subsequent disputes over who had really invented it. It takes a look at some of the most important applications that have appeared on the Internet, the mobile revolution, and ends with a discussion of future key developments in the telecommunications industry.