Every country has the sovereign right to manage energy at radio frequencies in its territory. When the airspace through which the radio waves travel is public property (which is most of the time), and there is contention for its use (which is all of the time), regulation is required to allow the rational use of the shared resource.
…
The range of radio frequencies, called the radio spectrum, is divided into blocks of frequencies allocated for different services. Allocations are divided into allotments, which are bands of frequencies assigned to specific users or to the public. A license to emit radio-frequency energy at the specified frequencies in a specified area is issued by government to record the assignment of the allotment and the conditions for its use.
… these lesson notes continue on page 19 of the CWA Study Guide.
Relatively new to telecom? Frustrated with all the jargon and buzzwords? Grab this opportunity to get the training you need!
Join thousands of satisfied non-engineering professionals! Bust the buzzwords, demystify the jargon and understand today’s converged broadband IP telecommunications, the technologies and services, the underlying ideas, and how it all fits together.
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Eliminate lack-of-knowledge embarrassment and frustration. Be more confident with a solid base of telecommunications knowledge you can build on, from fundamentals to IoT and everything between.
Some people, needing a comprehensive base in telecom, attend only the core training Course 101 the first three days, and get the included CTNS Certification. Others, who already have a base, attend Course 130 the last two days for VoIP, the Security module, 5G and IoT with examples like Smart Cities, and get the included CVA Certification. Most people attend all five days, designated as Course 111 BOOT CAMP, to get the most comprehensive and highest quality telecommunications training available, at a discounted price, with three TCO Certifications included: CTNS, CVA and the prestigious TCO CTA Certification.
Student evaluations from the May 2022 BOOT CAMP Live Online
“Thank you again for such an informative class. It has given me a deeper understanding of the communication technology my program provides. This seminar helped me understand the basics of communication traffic signals and how they are labeled and transported across networks. I liked the logical layer upon layer approach to presenting the technical and complex communication environment. The instructor was nerdy in a fun and engaging way. I enjoyed his teaching style.” – Heidi Schuster, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, May 2022
“This seminar was excellent. I learned so much and until this week, I didn’t realize how many ‘light-bulbs’ I had in my head, because the connections were lighting up like 4th of July! I really enjoyed the layout of the class. The manual is written in layman’s terms and as a non-engineer, I appreciated it. The instructor, Richard, was the best. Loved his style of teaching, from the manual, real-life examples/stories, humor, and diagrams. Thank you! I truly enjoyed this course and the way it was presented.” – Resha McIntosh, FirstNet, May 2022
“This class was beneficial for me on three overall levels: Professional, Personal and Educational. Even though this class was taught in a professional (work) setting, the material is relatable on multiple levels. Anyone who is interested in technology and communication should definitely take this course. The instructor is flat out phenomenal! The subject taught at hand was multifaceted and dense. In short, this class is not easy to teach or swallow as a student but the instructor created an relaxed environment. His expertise and comical attitude made it easier to relate to the material taught. The instructor used a myriad of visual aids to help build the bridge for the student to learn or at least understand the material. Teracom could not have chosen a better person in my opinion.” – Chris Patterson, FirstNet, May 2022
“I need to know about telecommunications for my job but I have very little technical experience or knowledge. I have taken several introductory telecommunication courses over the past six years and this is by far the best one I’ve ever taken. I now have confidence in my basic knowledge of telecommunications after completing the course. It was amazing to see how telecommunications works and how the various components work together.
The course materials are excellent, well organized, and has enough details in the diagrams to be helpful but not so much it becomes overwhelming. I found the explanations (on the even pages) next to the slides/diagrams to be very informative and clear.
The instructor is fantastic! Highest recommendation! Seriously! The instructor is incredibly knowledgeable and continuously made relevant correlations to real-world situations. I do not have a technical background. This instructor kept my attention for three days and I was able to follow and understand a vast majority of what he was teaching.
He clearly loves teaching and knows his stuff! I would happily sign up for another course if I knew he would be teaching it. Usually I like training courses that have group discussions and activities to break up the content; however, I liked the almost continuous lecture for this course. (The instructor was very open to questions though.) The instructor is exceptionally knowledgeable and I felt I got more from listening to him than I would have received from group discussions or activities.” – Tiffany Perry, May 2022
550 pages • Fully revised and updated • Published 2022
Packed with information, authoritative, up to date, covering all major topics – and written in plain English – Telecom 101 is an invaluable textbook and day-to-day reference on telecommunications for non-engineers.
This is the best comprehensive book on telecommunications available anywhere: based on the course materials for Teracom’s famous instructor-led Course 101 Broadband, Telecom, Datacom and Networking for Non-Engineers, the selection of content, its order, timing and pacing have been tuned, refined and constantly updated over years to effectively define and deliver the core set of technical knowledge needed by anyone serious in the telecom business today.
Telecom 101 Sixth Edition is right up to date with discussion of aircraft interfering with 5G in the C-band.
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Reviewing the Telecom 101 Table of Contents, you’ll find that many chapters are like self-contained reference books on specific topics; get all of these topics bound in one volume for one low price.
Compare this to hunting down and paying for multiple books by different authors that may or may not cover what you need to know- and you’ll agree this is a very attractive deal.
Telecom 101 is your go-to resource covering all major topics:
The modern Broadband Converged IP Telecom Network
Telecom fundamentals: modems and multiplexing
Network fundamentals: packets and frames, TCP ports, MPLS
Internet fundamentals: ISPs, DNS, cloud computing, web services, data centers
Digital media: digitized voice, video, images, quantities, text
VoIP fundamentals: system components, voice in packets, SIP, softswitches, gateways
Wireless: spectrum, mobile networks, LTE, 5G, broadband wireless, Wi-Fi, satellite
Fiber: fundamentals, wavelengths, DWDM, Optical Ethernet, fiber to the premise
Copper: the PSTN, analog, POTS, DSL, Hybrid Fiber-Coax, LAN cables
Equipment: routers, Layer 2 switches, call managers / softswitches, legacy CO switches and PBXs, gateways
The OSI Model: the Layers, their purpose, implementation, how protocol stacks work
Ethernet, LANs and VLANs: MAC addresses, MAC frames, Layer 2 switches, VLANs
IP: public and private IP addresses, subnets, routers, DHCP, NAT, IPv6
MPLS and Carrier Networks: Service Level Agreements, virtual circuits, business VPNs, Class of Service
Wrapping up: Technology deployment steps, analysis, design, implementation, The Future
Telecom 101 is the course materials for Course 101, allowing study and review of topics before attending a course, and a valuable desk reference after.
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eBook: available on Amazon, Google and Apple The eBook edition contains every word from the hardcover and softcover editions, in reflowable text and images that display on any device. A detailed hyperlinked Table of Contents allows pinpoint navigation to the information you need.
Relatively new to telecom? Frustrated with all the jargon and buzzwords? Grab this opportunity to get the training you need!
Join thousands of satisfied non-engineering professionals! Bust the buzzwords, demystify the jargon and understand today’s converged broadband IP telecommunications, the technologies and services, the underlying ideas, and how it all fits together.
Stay focused, engaged and learn with a professional instructor.
Eliminate lack-of-knowledge embarrassment. Be more confident with a solid base of telecommunications knowledge you can build on, from fundamentals to IoT and everything between.
Some people, needing a comprehensive base in telecom, attend only the core training Course 101 the first three days, and get the included CTNS Certification.
Others, who already have a base, attend Course 130 the last two days for VoIP, the Security module, 5G and IoT with examples like Smart Cities, and get the included CVA Certification.
Most people attend all five days, designated as Course 111 BOOT CAMP, to get the most comprehensive and highest quality telecommunications training available, at a discounted price, with three TCO Certifications included: CTNS, CVA and the prestigious TCO CTA Certification.
This is an easy sell with management. Your increase in productivity and accuracy will over time far outweigh the cost of a week’s training. Plus, you get bonus online courses and certification, and high quality printed course books.
Here’s a sampling of student evaluations from recent classes:
“Awesome course, really. Just very, very good.” – Tim Wilson, Ciena
“Thank you guys so much, this class was amazing! I would take this all over again!” – Austin Thompson, NHC
“Since I am very new to telecom, this helped me connect the dots, the different layers and terminology. I liked that it followed the printed workbooks very closely so I could read the summaries after the lessons. The instructor was great. He kept it light, added some jokes to keep it entertaining. I liked most when he did drawings with his explanations.” – Ashley Brinkman, Marketing Manager, MTA, Palmer Alaska
“The course was very beneficial for me. I wish I would have been able to take this class a few years back when I first started!” – Tamara Pepin, CRTC
“I had some of the basics; this class filled gaps and added much more depth. Instructor Richard was open to questions at any time, and revisited topics until we got it. Having the notes in the printed course book to follow along and add to was very helpful. Richard was very passionate about the course material and had great real-life examples.” – Robert Smieszny, NHC
“Richard is an excellent instructor. He has unmatched knowledge on the subject! He does a fantastic job interacting as if we are physically in a classroom with him!” – Daniel Herfel, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Extracted from Chapter 9 of the Telecom 101 reference book. Note: acronyms and abbreviations used below are explained in lessons leading up to this one.
9.7 Mobile Operators, MVNOs and Roaming
9.7.1 Mobile Network Operator
Mobile Network Operator (MNO) is the term
usually used to refer to a facilities-based carrier, i.e. a company that owns
base stations, a mobile switch, backhaul between them, and spectrum licenses,
and sells services to the public… and to other carriers.
The MNO implements external links to other
carriers for PSTN phone calls and for Internet traffic.
For PSTN phone calls, the MNO implements a
fiber optic connection to a building traditionally called a Toll Center or
Class 4 switching office. The termination of their fiber in that building is
called a POP. It is their physical point of presence in the building.
Many other carriers have POPs in the
building, including the ILEC, IXCs, CATV companies, other mobile carriers, and
any other company that wants to connect phone calls to a phone on the MNO’s
network.
The operator of the toll center, usually the
ILEC, provides a switch in the Toll Center to switch phone calls from one
carrier’s POP to a different carrier’s POP.
For Internet access, the MNO implements a
fiber optic connection to one or more Internet Exchange buildings, where they
pay the operator of the IX to route packets to other carriers with whom the MNO
has established IP packet transit and peering arrangements.
9.7.2 Mobile Virtual Network Operator
Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) is the
term used to refer to a non-facilities-based carrier… one that does not own
the hardware or spectrum licenses or POPs.
Instead, the MVNO enters into a long-term
contract with one or more facilities-based carriers to have them supply a
“white label” service that the MVNO sells.
Typically the MVNO will develop a unique
branding and sell smartphones and tablets to go along with its service.
When the MVNO deals exclusively with one
carrier, the MVNO bill to the customer would be typically generated by the
facilities-based carrier as a white-label service.
If the MVNO is very large and deals with
multiple carriers, the MVNO may operate their own billing system, which is a
significant investment.
The facilities-based carrier charges to the
MVNO includes a volume-discount rate for IP addresses and Internet traffic,
voice-minute airtime and switched access to the POP for PSTN phone calls.
The MVNO also has to pay for connectivity
from the POP to other toll centers for “long-distance” connections,
and the switched-access charge at the far end.
The rate plan the MVNO pays could be a mix of
fixed-rate leases and usage-based billing.
Unless the MNO is obliged to sell capacity to
MVNOs through regulations and tariffs, the nature of the plan is confidential
business information.
9.7.3 Roaming
Roaming service is very similar to the
service provided to MVNOs, in that it is the MNO that is providing the airlink,
base stations, backhaul, mobile switch and connections to the PSTN and
Internet.
In the case of roaming, the visitor uses
their own phone, and billing is usage-based.
Roaming is an important feature for smaller
players: they are facilities-based in selected cities, but to offer a national
and international service to their customers, they must have roaming agreements
in place with MNOs in other locations.
By denying roaming service to smaller or
startup carriers, or charging an exorbitant price for roaming, an incumbent
carrier can erect a barrier against competition.
In many countries, the right to roam and the
wholesale cost of roaming is regulated to encourage competition.
