The up-to-date edition of the bestselling guide to the basics of telecommunications and digital technology Understanding Telecommunications and Lightwave Systems presents a nontechnical treatment of how voice, video, and multimedia can simultaneously travel over today's evolving telecommunications systems. This updated Third Edition provides a comprehensive overview of the telecommunications field as well as a detailed introduction to the latest lightwave technology. The author's examination of recent techniques and developing technologies in telecommunications includes: Third-generation cell phones with microbrowser capabilities Changes in the global PCS network Optical switching and transmission parameters Lightwave systems and Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing A new chapter (Chapter 17: The Internet) that examines this multimedia structure and the network economy it has created Satellite communications, new transcontinental carriers, lightwave undersea systems, and other advances toward improving global communication Understanding Telecommunications and Lightwave Systems is the perfect introduction for anyone whose work requires a fundamental understanding of current developments in telecommunications, as well as for students or inquiring readers who want an overview of telecommunications and the exciting technology of lightwave communications.