Wireless Communications Vs. Land Line Essay, Research Paper

In recent years there have been numerous articles written on the subject of telecommunications. There has been many jobs that have been created, there has been legislation that has passed through congress in order to preserve the rights of the consumer, there have been countless lives saved because of the emergency services provided by the telephone. The information that the Internet provides in just a few clicks is all because of the invention of the telephone. In the past there has been little advancements in the telecommunications field, mainly because of the government regulated (and created) monopoly of AT&T. However since the break up of the company we have seen a technological revolution. With this technological revolution we as consumers have a wide variety of choices for our telecommunication needs. We can choose between several different ways to provide the Internet to our home. We can choose countless different plans for out long distance needs. But more importantly we can choose between these two options; Landline communications, or Wireless communications. One of the major questions posed in the telecommunication fields is will wireless communications replace landline communication systems as the common medium of communication? The answer is certain the future is wireless. In preperation to this article I wrote and e-mailed several companies early on. Unfortunately only one of the companies replied. AT&T replied with a ?no comment?.

If the wireless field can provide the necessary quality that we experience through landline communications, which in reacent years wireless companies have proven that it is possible, then I firmly believe we will never have to see a phone line again. Another advantage of wireless communications is that the amount of capital needed to create and maintain its infrastucture is minimal when compared to landline.

In July of 1877 the first telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell, Since than there has been staggering advancements made in the field of telecommunications.. In the break up of the monopoly of AT&T has lead to the creation of many independent telephone companies. The major companies that broke out because of the divestiture have made the amount of services and the quality of landline communications jump by leaps and bounds. However the cost of constructing and maintaining the infrastructure needed for landline service has been a tiresome experience. The possibilities that landline service offers are enormous, for instance, businesses can rent data lines that can pass enormous amounts of information in a single second. MCI World Com has recently announced that they have pumped three times the amount of information in the internal revenue service?s databases in one second through a single line. This gives landline services a distinct lead over wireless communication. Also because of the amount money that landline communications has tied up in its infrastructure they are willing to come up with new ideas. The new ideas are needed to help keep consumers from going with wireless communication mediums.

One of the major disadvantages to landline systems is that you need to be at a phone line in order to take advantage of its service. There are many extra fees associated with land line communications. Also the consumer is cut of from the service if they leave home. Long distance charges are still expensive dispite the recent decline. Today there are alternatives, such as flat rate long distance. These are companies that provide long distance for a set rate no matter where you call in the United States. Even though the advancements of voice messaging, and voice mail the consumer must find a land line phone in order to receive their messages.

In the past, the reality of wireless communications were unknown to most consumers, but today over 76 million people in the United States own wireless phones. And there are over 480 million subscribers worldwide. In the next two years that number is expected to jump to over 1 billion subscribers. Why all the attention? ?People want mobility.? Says Dr. Obermier a professor of telecommunications at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Dr Obermier, who has taught for four years at University of Nebraska at Kearney, and received a doctorate from Colorado State University, in Distance Learning, has worked with the prepetory programs delivered from satellites. He also was the State Director of technology for the Department of Education.

?People want devises that give them greater ease.? Cellular phones that will also run Internet applications or a personal communications system (PCS). Personal Communication Systems are unique because they allow the consumer to surf the Internet, talk on the telephone, fax, and many other features, such as voice messaging. All from a small hand held personal computer.

Wireless first rolled onto the market in 1983. There it held a minute fraction of the market, mainly because the system could not support the growing demand from consumers. Also it had an enormous amount of pit falls; the limited range of the phones, the amount of power needed to operate the phones, not to mention the price of the phones and monthly service.

However today, wireless companies have managed to overcome most of the problems associated with early wireless services, while reducing the prices of wireless communications to be competitive to the traditional landline service. In fact some analog wireless services are less than landline. In order for wireless communications to survive the companies have had to reduce prices while increasing the amount of services to the wireless package. One way competition is created is the expanded local calling areas that cellular phones enable.

One major down fall to the wireless communication realm is the difficulty of transmitting data. Data requires more bandwidth. Bandwidth is ? a range within a band of wavelengths, frequencies, or energies; especially: a range of radio frequencies which is occupied by a modulated carrier wave, which is assigned to a service, or over which a device can operate?. Because there is a limited supply of bandwidth most wireless companies can not offer data transfer. However there are companies that are looking into better forms of multiplexing. Multiplexing is the ability to send multiple messages through the same amount of bandwidth. Atte Miettinen, the manager of mobile e-services bazaar at Hewlett Packard, predicts that ?Mobile phones because they are cheaper than PC?s will be the ultimate Internet machines and will become the single most important and valued personal item in the near future.? While combining the wireless realm and data communications will require a little ingenuity I am sure it can be done.

Another disadvantage to wireless communications is the charges that apply if you leave or call out of your local calling area. However with the new flat rate long distance companies for landline phone companies we have seen the presence of wireless flat rate plans, such as gte?s . With wireless service the consumer can have as many services offered through landline systems.

Wire less communications will be the new medium for all the consumers? needs. As expressed earlier the consummer does have more choices now than ever before. The wireless systems of today will allow the complete integration of all the aspects of communication. It will combine the information provided over the internet, the instant axcess of both incomming calls and messages left in either e-mail or voice messaging. It will allow the fastest and least expensive passage of information from anywhere in the world. The future of telecommunications is unknown but some things are certain; first because of compitition the telecommunication field is certain only to improve, second because of the hectic day to day lives that are required of the modern day work force the public is going to demand wireless modes of telecommunications.