Telecommunications Making the World Go Round

My brother works in telecom in Las Vegas, dealing with the wireless side of the field. Since I didn't understand what that entailed, I did some research. I discovered that the telecommunications industry, which provides satellite and cable television, telephone and cell phone networks, broadband and mobile Internet, and other goods and services, is essential to the economy of the United States. The industry as a whole is partitioned into four branches: wired, wireless, satellite, and other telecommunications.

Wired carriers continue to lead the industry with services like landline telephones, DSL Internet connections, and cable TV and Internet. Wired telecommunications organizations transmit voice, TV, Internet, and other data through networks of wires and cables that they either own themselves or share with other organizations and companies.

Wireless telecom, however, has grown exponentially over the last few years. Wireless carriers offer phone, data, and Internet services via signal transmission through radio tower networks. The signals are sent directly to and from the customers' cell phones and computers. Part of wireless telecommunications includes offering mobile Internet to Internet-enabled cell phones, which is what my brother does. He helps develop new technologies to allow faster data transmission and better access to the Internet so that music, movies, and applications can be downloaded, stored, and played on cell phones.

Satellites are run largely by government organizations and private corporations that transmit more consequential data, such as messages for public safety officials, photos of the earth, severe weather reports, and more. Despite its name, Satellite TV is actually a wired telecommunications service and is not classified with satellite telecom.

Other participants in the telecommunications industry are resellers and operators (e.g. of radar stations, radio networks, etc.), which form their own branch in the field.