Communication networks
Transportation systems depend on reliable communication networks, as do economic activities. Advances in communications generally point to economic advances as well, a circumstance that has been amply demonstrated with the development of global communication networks and the rise of global trade. The fast-developing field of logistics—that is, "the planning, execution, and control of the movement/placement of goods and/or people, and the related supporting activities" (What Is Logistics? n.d., par.1)—is highly communications-dependent. Truckers depend on GPS for up-to-date traffic information to avoid congestion and find the best route, and businesses can use optimization software to send out freight forecasts and alerts. Social networking via functions like Twitter and Facebook has become a well-established feature of many businesses, allowing back-and-forth communication between customers and company representatives.
The U.S. Communications Sector Coordinating Council identifies five communications modes on its web site: broadcast infrastructure (TV and radio), cable (broadband network), satellite communications, commercial wireless networks, and wireline. This sector is undergoing rapid changes via deregulation and technological developments. These communication systems are often interconnected—for example, as with national television networks transmitting signals to satellite to local stations. Some of these communication modes are in the public sector, some are in the commercial sector, and some are in both.
To better understand how broadcast, cable, satellite, wireless, and wireline technologies work and how they are currently used, click the link below.
http://www.broadband.gov/broadband_types.html
Additional resource for further exploration
Read about how Twitter is changing the geography of communications, below.
