Telecommunication – otherwise known as Telecom – can be defined as the science and activity of sending signals and messages over a long distance by the use of electronic or electrical equipment such as radio, television, telegraph, telephone, computer, cable, and satellite. The term is often used in its plural form – telecommunications, because it involves many different technologies.
Telecommunication occurs when the exchange of information between two entities or individuals includes the use of technology. Communication technology uses channels to transmit information as electrical signals, either over a physical medium such as signal cables, or in the form of electromagnetic waves.
It’s worthy of note that ancient means of communicating over a distance included visual signals namely, beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags and optical heliographs.
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A revolution in wireless communication began in the first decade of the 20th century with the pioneering developments in radio communications by Guglielmo Marconi who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1909.
Other highly notable pioneering inventors and developers in the field of electrical and electronic telecommunications include Charles Wheatstone, Samuel Morse, Alexander Graham Bell, Edwin Armstrong, Lee de Forest, John Logie Baird and Philo Farnsworth.
Telecommunication, which is one of the major factors that constitute an information society, has obviously contributed immensely towards nation-building. Indeed, the impact of telecommunications on the social, economic and political development of any country in existence cannot be overemphasized.
Telecommunication has helped vastly in so many areas of human endeavour including information dissemination, easy access to news reportage, education, politics, creation of awareness, advertisement, entertainment, as well as job creation and career cum entrepreneurship development.
The availability of telecommunication has enabled people the world over irrespective of age or status to easily access information even in their bedroom. The stated fact is obvious and indisputable.
The recent introduction of the social media, which can be accessed via smartphones and other related gadgets, has succeeded in boosting several personal cum business activities which were formerly done on a low pace with the use of the old telecommunication systems such as television and radio, et cetera.
The provision of the visual satellite dishes has equally assisted people from all walks of life to greatly appreciate the use of the television, either domestically or industrially, as a result of its ability to simultaneously assess every facet of the globe at all times.
To say the least, the transmission or dissemination of visual signals with the aid of the television alongside newspapers has helped profoundly in marketing of goods and services. This has been enthused by many schools of thought.
More so, the recent invention of Apps for video conference/meeting such as Zoom, Skype, Slack, BigBlueButton, BlueJeans, Whereby, GoToMeeting, Cisco WebEx, which interconnect members of a certain group/entity irrespective of their locations around the globe, is another essential impact of telecommunication on human endeavours.
The role of telecommunication in education has become so enormous that it cannot be expressed on a mere sheet of paper. The functionality of the various distant learning programmes situated all over, which are increasing on a daily basis, wouldn’t have been possible without the telecommunication system such as the internet.
The series of educating programmes, soap operas, and what have you, being televised by the various television stations across the country and beyond can equally be included as one of the avenues that have encouraged distant learning.
As regards socio-political matters, the telecom has recently proven to the citizenry that they can as well observe, or participate in, any electoral activity such as voting and counting of election results from their respective homes without stepping out of their respective premises. The electronic voting system is arguably a step that has helped tremendously to improve transparency during elections, thereby avoiding occurrence of various possible electoral malpractices and crises. The countries that have already keyed into it can testify to this assertion.
It’s not anymore news that millions of the individuals across the global community are currently employed by several telecom companies. In Nigeria for instance, statistics show that over twenty percent (20%) of her citizens are presently engaged with various telecom firms. It suffices to assert that the telecom industry is, at the moment, one of the major employers of labour in Nigeria, likewise other countries across the globe. The facts are conspicuous and verifiable.
Though telecommunication technologies play a very vital role in the information society and socio-economic development of any nation, it’s noteworthy that there are several anomalies needed to be addressed in the sector.
A situation whereby uncensored films, pictures, music, and all sorts of video are disseminated either via the television or the social media is totally unwholesome to the state of any nation, thus ought to be looked into severely by the apt authorities. The communication and broadcasting commissions of the affected countries can be of immense assistance towards regulating the content of the aforementioned materials.
The legislative bodies are equally not left out in putting up formidable laws that would tactically assist in checking the aforementioned societal menace. The implementation of such proposed bills, if eventually passed into law, should severely be handled by the executive arm.
Hence, the governments at all levels in collaboration with the various concerned agencies ought to prepare a stiff measure that would address the various ongoing questionable acts taking place in the said sector including propaganda, fraud, and all forms of immorality. This, no doubt, would go a long way in initiating and sustaining sanity in the system.
On the other hand, this is also an avenue to remind all the broadcasting stations across the world that it’s high time they swiftly key into the ongoing switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting, in line with the directive of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The awaited practice ought to be seen as long overdue, hence the delay shouldn’t be lingered any longer.
For any nation to truly witness tangible growth in the area of telecommunication and allied matters, all relevant bodies must be up and doing as well as strictly stick to the rules as they variously carry out their statutory obligations.
Telecommunication has undoubtedly assisted tremendously in boosting business prospects and awareness mechanisms of every existing entity or locality as well as nation, but it’s worth noting that a sound and healthy informed society can only be achieved if its telecommunication system is duly regulated by the apt stakeholders.
Aside regulation and related issues, the persons and corporate bodies making use of the telecom shouldn’t be told or reminded that whatever that’s worth doing is worth doing well.