EMERGING TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES
Communications 484 (Spring, 2009)
Instructor: Professor
Rob Frieden
102 Carnegie Building
863-7996; E-mail: rmf5@psu.edu
Class Hours: Tues./Thur. 9:45 a.m.-11:00 a.m. (273 Willard)
Office Hours: Monday 9-11 a.m.; Wed.
GENERAL PERSPECTIVE
Convergence in telecommunications and information processing technologies and markets has begun. Much of the traditional ways of thinking about information, communications and entertainment (“ICE”) has less significance, but no one knows for sure what will become the next “killer application” and market winner.
Successfully managing a career strategy requires interdisciplinary skills including the ability to understand how technologies make businesses profitable and how technological innovations can destroy existing business plans. While you do not need a degree in information technology, law, economics, business or computer science you must have the ability to:
* make the Internet serve real time research and data acquisition needs in addition to leisure time surfing and entertainment;
* work with block diagrams;
* understand countless acronyms;
* accept complexity, uncertainty, change and the need for self-direction; and
* integrate other skills with the technologies used to manufacture a product, or deliver a service.
I have designed this course to
introduce the technologies in telecommunications and information processing,
with an eye toward giving you the necessary perspective on how old, “legacy”
technologies work and how new technologies will come to market. We will
investigate old, new and prospective technologies primarily through an
interactive classroom analysis, including a look at incumbent or emerging
companies bringing products and services to market.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
This upper level,
elective course will challenge you. You have no obligation to take this
course whatsoever. Therefore, I assume that
if you enroll in this course you have a keen interest in the subject matter and have the willingness to
work hard to master complex and interdisciplinary materials. By enrolling
in this course you agree to participate
in it and to comply with all rules and regulations of this University.
Additionally you acknowledge a willingness
to ask and answer questions and to use the Internet for applied research and
study.
You
must attend each and every class, because we will flesh out the assigned
materials and few if any students already have expertise in how ICE
technologies work. If you cannot make this commitment, you should not
enroll in this class.
The course will examine a number of technologies used by the mass media, telephone companies, wireless carriers, satellite operators, information service providers, consumer electronics manufacturers and others. You must prepare for each class by reading the assigned materials and generally taking responsibility to understand the technology, or to ask questions. Additionally, I assume that you have an interest in the subject matter and do not consider it a chore to "keep up with the technology." You do not meet this obligation by referring to the basic tutorials available from Howstuffworks.com, but this site offers an appropriate starting point.
Required readings are collected in an online syllabus and are available via World Wide Web sites. Please understand that these materials only provide a starting point for your development of understanding on the various technologies we will assess. As part of our course contract, you also will conduct the Internet searches and go to the Web pages I assign. You should assume the responsibility to work with me to master what can be difficult, acronym-laden material.
You
will have ample opportunities to evidence growing competency in this course
through in-class assessments, three tests and a group project. You should make
it a point to stay up to date on technology and marketplace developments by
reading such publications as Business Week, The Economist, Forbes,
The Wall Street Journal, The New
York Times, and USA Today, etc.
GRADING
The
course will have four tests throughout the semester. I will delete your lowest test score provided
you take all four tests. I do not offer extra credit opportunities.
Additionally any student receiving a D or lower on any test must schedule an
appointment with me.
After the completion, of course I will determine the need for a grade curve. Absent such an adjustment, the following scale shall apply:
93 to 100 percent = A
90 to 92 percent = A-
87 to 89 percent = B+
83 to 86 percent = B
80 to 82 percent = B-
77 to 79 percent = C+
70 to 76 percent = C
60 to 69 percent = D
Below 59 percent = F
Unit One: Establishing a Foundation for
Understanding: Spectrum Ether
and Internet Clouds
In this unit, we will identify the major
market segments, now existing in telecommunications and information processing
with special emphasis on the developing Global Information Infrastructure and
new ways to think about the radio spectrum. We will begin to consider how
markets and technologies are merging, becoming less significant or becoming
more important. We also will lay the foundation for exploring what new
technologies will reach critical mass, particularly ones using the Internet and
radio spectrum.
This exercise requires you
to acquire a new list of buzzwords and acronyms, including convergence, multimedia,
compression, broadband, bandwidth, throughput, digital, etc. Additionally we
will begin considering how the technologies addressed in class will constitute
a part of the information super highway. Will it be a telephone company
delivered, switched medium that builds up, over time, from the twisted wire
pair to include coaxial and fiber optic cable? Will wireless and cable
television operators play a role? What will become the “killer applications”?
Assignments:
New America Foundation, The Citizen’s Guide to the Airwaves (2003);
available at: http://www.com.washington.edu/program/courses/a05/com597/J%20H%20Snider%20Citizen%20Guide%20to%20Airwaves.pdf.
New America Foundation, J.H.
Snider, The Cartoon Guide to Federal
Spectrum Policy (2005); available at: http://www.newamerica.net/files/archive/Pub_File_1555_1.pdf.
Packet Switching Demo; available
at: http://www.pbs.org/opb/nerds2.0.1/geek_glossary/packet_switching_flash.html.
Roberto Saracco, An Exciting
Future, audio-visual presentation; available at: http://www.comsoc.org/socstr/memprog/dislec/tut/saracco/Sister%20Society%20Italy/LectureSaraccoOnLine.html.
Review BBEurope Opening Session, Multimedia
as driver for BB; available at: http://www.bbeurope.org/
(click on BBEurope 2007 link).
Additional Materials:
Jeff Tyson, How Internet Infrastructure Works, available at: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet-infrastructure.htm
Nick Pidgeo, How Ethernet Works, available at http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ethernet.htm
Curt Franklin, How Routers Work, available at: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/router.htm
Ethan Zuckerman & Andrew McLaughlin, Introduction to Internet Architecture and Institutions, (August, 2003); available at: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/digitaldemocracy/internetarchitecture.html
Commission on Preservation and Access, The Evolving National Information Network, Technology Primer, available at http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/evolv/primer.html
Internet Society, Barry M. Leiner et al, A Brief History of the Internet;
available at: http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml
Unit Two: Basic Telephony
In this unit, we will walk through a number of block diagrams that graphically show how a telephone call travels from Point A to Point B. Understanding how the conventional telecommunication infrastructure provides transport and switching functions will enable us to explore whether and how other enterprises can compete in markets heretofore considered a natural monopoly and "bottleneck." By understanding how the telephone company provides services, we can begin to see how a cable television or wireless local loop carrier might provide a competing service.
Assignments:
Cisco, Understanding Telephony
Basics, available at: http://cisco-elearning-sjdc.digisle.net/cmn/pec/cim/voip_v2r4/content/module1/mod1_tech2.htm.
Dale Hatfield, Trends in Technological Development, available at http://www.pff.org/irle/2004presentations/hatfield.pdf (slides 1-27).
Additional Materials:
Marshal Brain, How Telephones Work, available at http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/telephone6.htm
How Telephones Work—An Overview, available at: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/freshwater/howtele.htm
Feb 5th
(estimate) First Test
Unit Three: Analog and Digital Television
In this unit, we will examine the migration from a 525 line, analog (“NTSC”) broadcast television system to a higher resolution, digital system. While our examination will concentrate on digital television, we cannot ignore the spectrum allocation, regulatory, standard setting and business aspects. In particular we will assess the ongoing battle between broadcasters and television manufacturers, who want cheap, interlaced sets, and computer manufacturers and Internet ventures, who want more expensive, non-interlaced sets. In conjunction with this assessment we will consider where consumers will install their DTV sets: in the family room as a television, or elsewhere as part of an information appliance.
Our examination of the evolving telephony and television networks constitutes part of a broader assessment of technological and market convergence. As well, we will flesh out buzzwords like digitization, compression, interactive, etc.
Assignments:
HDTV Info
Port, An Overview of TV Resolution,
available at: http://www.hdtvinfoport.com/HDTV-Resolution.html.
HDTV –
Demystified, available at: http://www.hdtvinfoport.com/HDTV.html.
HDTV-Glossary,
available at: http://www.hdtvinfoport.com/HDTV-Glossary.html.
Timefordvd.com, Digital TV & HDTV Tutorial, available at: http://www.timefordvd.com/tutorial/DigitalTVTutorial.shtml.
Additional Materials:
Samsung Corporation, Understanding TV Basics, interactive guide available at: http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/campaign/dtvguide/module_3_1.jsp
Samsung Corporation, What is HDTV, interactive guide available at: http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/campaign/dtvguide/module_2.jsp
Samsung Corporation, Types of Digital TVs , interactive guide available at: http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/campaign/dtvguide/module_4.jsp
Timefordvd.com, High Definition: The Future of DVD, available at: http://www.timefordvd.com/tutorial/pf/HDDVDTutorial.shtml
Timefordvd.com, Digital TV & HDTV Tutorial, available at: http://www.timefordvd.com/tutorial/DigitalTVTutorial.shtml
Marshall Brain, How Television Works, available at http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/tv.htm
Jeff Tyson, How Computer Monitors Work, available at http://computer.howstuffworks.com//monitor.htm
Marshall Brain, How Digital Television Works, available at http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/dtv.htm
Gary Brown, How HDTV Works, available at http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/hdtv.htm
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/faqs/dtvfaqs.html;
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/digitaltv.html
Unit Four: Cable Television
We will examine the three phases of cable television development: 1) community antenna television that imported broadcast television signals; 2) cable television that added non-broadcast programming and began to develop narrowband upstream signal processing; and 3) two-way interactive, broadband telecommunications via cable television.
Assignments:
Dr. Walter Ciciora, An Introduction to Basic CATV; available
at: http://people.deas.harvard.edu/~jones/cscie129/nu_lectures/lecture13/CATV/CATV.html.
Review Fiber-to-the-Home
Council, Advantages of Optical Access
(2008); available at: http://www.ftthcouncil.org/UserFiles/File/BBP_Apr08_FTTHPrimer.pdf.
Additional Materials:
Curt Franklin, How Cable Television Works, available at http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/cable-tv.htm
read the latest news
http://www.cablelabs.com/; the cable industry's research lab
http://www.ncta.com/; the industry's major trade association
Feb. 26th (estimate) Second Test
Unit Five: Satellite Technology
Terrestrial, wireline telecommunication media like fiber optic cables appear as the preferred media for transmitting content. However, satellites excel in point-to-multipoint applications and can provide a "gap filling" service in areas where a business case does not support ubiquitous wireline service. We will examine the basic components in satellite telecommunications used to provide video programming, voice and data services.
Assignments:
Boeing, Corp. What Is A Satellite? available at: http://www.sia.org/industry_overview/sat101.pdf.
Bruce A. Henoch, Satellite Technology Basics (2007); available at: http://www.sia.org/Stratos-Henoch-SatelliteBasicsIWCE2007.pdf.
State of the Satellite Industry; available at: http://www.sia.org/COMSTAC%20Presentation.pdf.
Garmin, GPS Guide for Beginners; available at: http://www.garmin.com/manuals/GPSGuideforBeginners_Manual.pdf.
Cathal Mc Daid, GPS Overview;
available at: http://www.palowireless.com/gps/tutorial.asp.
Additional Materials:
David Hart, Satellite Communications; available at: http://www.cse.wustl.edu/~jain/cis788-97/ftp/satellite_nets/index.htm
Satellite TV Basics;
available at: http://www.satellite-tv.info/htm/sat-basics.html
Gary Brown, How Satellites Work, available at http://www.howstuffworks.com/satellite.htm
http://www.skyreport.com/ satellite broadcasting information
http://www.sbca.com satellite broadcasting trade association
http://www.spacer.com/ space exploration and satellite news
http://www.intelsat.com former global cooperative now privatized
Unit Six: Broadband Wireline Technologies
In this unit, we will begin to examine how technological innovations have caused previously discrete and stand-alone markets to become integrated and competitive. Telephony used to be considered a relatively narrowband, voice-dominated two-way, switched service while cable television used to be considered a wideband, video-dominated one-way service. Now, innovations in compression, digitization, computerization, switching, etc. make it possible for the telephone network to become broadband and for the cable television plant to become two-way. We also will examine the role of Competitive Local Exchange Carriers.
Cable modem and DSL
technology have changed substantially how consumers access the Internet.
Find out everything that you can about these two technologies. Identify some of the companies that have
manufactured the cable and DSL modems. What are the data rates in either
direction? Identify the current price points for service.
Assignments:
Rolf V. Ostergaard, Cable Modem Tutorial; available at: http://chapters.scte.org/newengland/reference/Cable_Modems/Contents.htm;
Peter Macaulay, DSL Standards Update; available at: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,12089082.
view
About.com Video, High-Speed Internet -
Cable Versus DSL; available at: http://video.about.com/compnetworking/Cable-Versus-DSL.htm.
BPL -
Broadband over Powerline; available
at: http://www.infocellar.com/networks/new-tech/BPL/BPL.htm.
Shane Kirwan and Greg South, Power
Line Networking Technologies Broadband Potential, available at: http://glasnost.itcarlow.ie/~net4/kirwans/bband.html#_Toc67235681.
Additional Materials:
International Telecommunication Union, ITU-T
Workshop Multimedia in NGN; Geneva, 10-11 (September 2007); available at: http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/oth/06/09/T06090000040001PDFE.pdf
Jaroslaw K. Ponder, Next Generation Networks: Challenges for
Future Regulatory Policy and Performance of Telecommunications Sector (July
4, 2005); available at: http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/presentations/2005/MSU_INT/ponder-ngn.pdf
Dr. Ghassem Koleyni, NGN: Network Evolution (Migration), NGN
Industry Event (Nov. 18, 2005); available at: http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/worksem/ngn/200511/program.html
(scroll down to Session I: NGN Technical Overview)
Mark Francisco, Different Rooms Different Views—The Evolving Home Networking Landscape,
ITU-T Workshop Opportunities and Challenges in Home Networking (Oct. 13-14,
2005); available at: http://www.itu.int/ITU-/worksem/homenetworking/avprogram.html
(scroll down to Session 3: Home Networking Services and Business Models)
Tom Anderson, Applications in NGN: New Applications for Converged Networks;
available at: http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/worksem/ngn/200511/program.html
(scroll down to Session III Future NGN Standards)
Curt Franklin, How DSL Works, available at: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/dsl.htm
Kitz.co.uk, How ADSL Works; available at: http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/equip.htm;
Cable Modem Basics, available at http://www.cablemodeminfo.com/cmbasicsx.html-ssi
Curt Franklin, How Cable Modems Work, available at http://computer.howstuffworks.com//cable-modem.htm
Craig C. Freudenrich, How Fiber Optics Work, available at: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com//fiber-optic.htm
Robert Valdes, How Broadband Over Powerline Works, available at: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/bpl.htm/printable
United Power Line Council, How Does BPL Work?, video; available at:
http://www.uplc.utc.org/
James Stenger, Broadband Power Line Tutorial; available at: http://www.wave-report.com/tutorials/bpl.htm
Robert Valdes, How Broadband Over Powerlines Works, available at: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/bpl.htm
http://www.isp-planet.com/cplanet/ news about CLECs
Unit Seven: Basic Terrestrial Wireless Technologies
Mobile wireless technologies have penetrated telecommunications markets with unprecedented success. Cellular radio ramped up from 0 subscribers in the early 1980s to over 250 million now in the U.S. Deep pocketed players have bid over billions of dollars for the privilege to use spectrum for so-called Third Generation wireless services. We will examine cellular radio, personal communication services, specialized mobile radio and other wireless technologies.
Assignments:
Tom Farley & Mark van der Hoek, Cellular
Telephone Basics, (2006); available at: http://www.privateline.com/mt_cellbasics/.
How Cellular Telephones Work http://gk12.harvard.edu/modules/how_cell_phones_work.doc.
Additional Materials:
Lara Srivastava, The Mobility and Ubiquity of ICTs (July 4, 2005); available at: http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/presentations/2005/MSU_INT/srivastava-portability.pdf
International Engineering Consortium, Cellular Communications, available at: http://www.eng.iastate.edu/ee423/EE421/Lecture/cellcommtutorial.pdf
Marshall Brain and Jeff Tyson, How Cell Phones Work, available at http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone12.htm
Ann Meeker-O’Connel, How Cell-Phone Services Work, available at http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone-service.htm
Dale Hatfield, Technological Trends in Wireless Telecommunications (1997); available at: http://tap.gallaudet.edu/hatfield.htm
http://www.wow-com.com, Cellular Telecommunications and Internet trade association
http://www.pcia.com/ wireless infrastructure trade association
Unit Eight: Broadband Wireless Networks
In this unit, we will examine a number of “next generation” wireless networks that offer the potential to make wireless devices a third screen for video/Internet content. We need to understand both how these work and whether a market can develop for services that can exploit much more bandwidth and data throughput.
Assignments:
IEEE
802.16 WMAN Resource Center, What is
Wi-MAX, available at: http://www.palowireless.com/i802_16/wimax.asp.
Benny
Bing, Broadband Wireless Access – The
Next Wireless Revolution, audio-visual presentation (2006); available at: http://www.comsoc.org/freetutorials/anritsu/bing2/.
Wireless
Inc., Ultra WideBand (UWB): A Technology
to Consider; available at: http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~bowgie/index.htm.
International Telecommunication Union, ITU-T Technology Watch Briefing Reports: Continuous Air-interface, Long
and Medium Range (CALM) (October 2007); available at: http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/oth/23/01/T23010000010001MSWE.doc.
Additional Materials:
Professor Marvin Sirbu, Municipal Wi-Fi Networks (February
22, 2005); available at: http://www.newamerica.net/Download_Docs/pdfs/Doc_File_2247_1.pdf
Sascha Meinrath Presentation, Community Wireless Networks, the Digital Divide and the Case for Mesh
(February 22, 2005); available
at: http://www.newamerica.net/Download_Docs/pdfs/Doc_File_2248_1.pdf
Wi-Max Forum, Business Case Models for Fixed Broadband Wireless Access based on WiMax
Technology and the 802.16 Standard, (Oct. 10, 2004); available at: http://www.wimaxforum.org/news/downloads/WiMAX-The_Business_Case-Rev3.pdf
Jeff Tyson, How
Wireless-Networking Works, available at http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network.htm
Federal Communications Commission, Rural Wireless Showcase and Workshop; presentations available at: http://www.fcc.gov/osp/rural-wisp/welcome.html
April 9th (estimate) Third Test
Unit Nine: Voice Over the Internet Protocol and Internet Protocol Television
In this unit, we will learn how the Internet can serve as a somewhat awkward vehicle for "free" telephone calling worldwide. Our analysis should show the increasingly versatile nature of the Internet and its how it may financially threaten incumbent service providers and the current pricing regime. We also will extend our examination of Internet-delivered video content.
Assignments:
Review Nortel Tutorial on Technical Challenges Associated with the Evolution
to VoIP, available at: http://www.fcc.gov/oet/tutorial/9-22-03_voip-final_slides_only.ppt.
BBEurope Plenary Session Connected devices as driver for BB; available
at http://www.bbeurope.org/; click on Papers
BBEurope 2007 link; Review Klaus Merkel, A
Broadcaster’s View on IPTV Networks.
Jaroslaw
Ponder, IPTV: New Challenge for Global
ICT Sector Policies (Oct. 12-13, 2006); available at: http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/oth/06/16/T06160000040001PDFE.pdf.
Additional Materials:
International Engineering Consortium, Voice over Internet Protocol; available
at: http://www.iec.org/online/tutorials/int_tele/
Ghassem Koleyni, Development Trends from Nortel;
available at: http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/worksem/ngn/200605/presentations/s5_koleyni.pdf.
Paul Berriman, Key Success Factors Beyond IPTV (Oct. 12,
2006); available at: http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/oth/06/16/T06160000020002PDFE.pdf.
Dr. Tim Kelly, The Rise of Voice Over Internet Protocol
(VoIP) (July 4, 2005) available at: http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/presentations/2005/MSU_INT/kelly-VoIP.pdf.
Jeff Tyson, How IP Telephony Works, available at http://www.howstuffworks.com/ip-telephony.htm
Simon T. Jones, IPTV Delivery Architecture (Oct. 12-13, 2006) available at: http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/oth/06/16/T06160000070001PDFE.pdf
Unit Ten: Internet Commerce, Surveillance and Privacy Protection
This concluding unit will offer an overview of technologies that either enhance or reduce privacy when using the Internet. We need both to build confidence and trust on one hand, but also to guard against predatory and harmful behavior. We also will examine how online technologies collect information about your Web browsing, ostensibly to provide you with suggestions about purchases and the “data miner” with information that could improve efficiency and profitability. When ventures can “sniff” out packets, the outcome has both positive and negative consequences.
Assignments:
Karen Coyle, A Primer on Internet
Privacy; available at: http://www.kcoyle.net/privacyprimer.html.
International
Telecommunication Union, Technical
aspects of Lawful Interception; ITU-T Technology Watch Briefing Report
Series, No. 6 (May 2008, updated July 2008); available at: http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/oth/23/01/T23010000060001MSWE.doc.
American Bar Association, Section of
Science and Technology, Information Security Committee, Digital Signature Guidelines Tutorial, available at: http://www.abanet.org/scitech/ec/isc/dsg-tutorial.html
RSA Laboratories, A Primer on RFID, available at: http://www.rsasecurity.com/rsalabs/node.asp?id=2116
(read the first 6 major topics)
Sandvine, The Value of Traffic Optimization in a World with Network Neutrality, White Paper (May, 2008); available at: http://www.sandvine.com/solutions/downloads/Traffic_Optimization_Whitepaper_May_2008.pdf.
Additional Materials:
Lara Srivastava, RFID and the Internet of Things (July 4, 2005) available at: http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/presentations/2005/MSU_INT/srivastava-internet-of-things.pdf
Marshall Brain, How E-Commerce Works, available at http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ecommerce.htm
Merrill Warkentin’s Required IT & eCommerce
Review Kurt Thearling, An Introduction to Data Mining,
available at: http://www.thearling.com/dmintro/dmintro_frame.htm
RSA Laboratories, Crypto FAQs, available at: http://www.rsasecurity.com/rsalabs/node.asp?id=2152
SuraSfot Security, Packet Sniffing--protocol
decoding and surveillance; available at: http://www.surasoft.com/articles/packetsniffing.php.
Sniffing (network wiretap, sniffer) FAQ; available at: http://cs.baylor.edu/~donahoo/tools/sniffer/sniffingFAQ.htm.
April 30th Fourth
Test