Communication Technology Update and Fundamentals, 11th Edition

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Introduction to Communication Technologies

August E. Grant, Ph.D.^*

We are surrounded by communication technologies. They are critical to commerce, essential to entertainment, and intertwined in our interpersonal relationships. In short, communication technology is the nervous system of contemporary society, transmitting and distributing sensory and control information and interconnecting a myriad of interdependent units. Because these technologies are vital to commerce, control, and maintaining interpersonal relationships, any change in communication technologies has the potential for profound impacts on virtually every area of society.

One of the hallmarks of the industrial revolution was the introduction of new communication technologies ...