Happy New Year!

Welcome back.
Now is the time to register to reserve your spot for training in the winter season.

BOOT CAMP
Live Online February 6-10
In-Person Washington DC March 6-10
In-Person Santa Clara California April 3-7

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 and frustration. Be more confident with a solid base of telecommunications knowledge you can build on, from fundamentals to IoT and everything between.

LIVE ONLINE February 6-10
Read the evaluations from a recent classJoin us!

IN-PERSON March 6-10 in Washington DC
IN-PERSON April 3-7 in Santa Clara CA

Restarting public seminars after the pandemic has been kind of like starting a small engine: a few pulls that didn’t work, then ignition, followed by one more pull before it starts.

After several tries, the August in-person BOOT CAMP in Washington DC was so popular, it sold out and we had to close registrations!

Then, November in DC: bupkes. Go figure.

Now, the March in-person BOOT CAMP in DC is beginning to fill up and already has enough registrations to run.

And, finally, after three years, Silicon Valley.
We’re back to a great facility in Santa Clara April 3-7.
Reserve your hotel room early. I’ve got mine!

Five Days or Three?

Specifically designed for non-engineers, Teracom’s renowned telecommunications training is organized into two courses back-to-back to make a full week called BOOT CAMP:

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 only the last two days Course 130, 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.

Full BOOT CAMP details

Register for BOOT CAMP

Printable BOOT CAMP brochure with detailed outline

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.
Cut-and-paste training request template to submit for approval

Tutorial: Voice Digitization (1)

Last month’s Google Analytics report said a top-three trending page on the teracomtraining.com site was the tutorial on voice digitization.

The material in that tutorial, graphics and text, was created in 1999 for a course workbook. But the fundamentals rarely change, and it is just as relevant and accurate today as it was then. Who are we to argue? Here it is again:

– – –

We look in detail at the voice digitization process to derive the data rate – number of bits per second – required to communicate a digitized voice signal, and understand the steps involved. Once the voice – half of a phone call – is digitized, it can be segmented and carried in IP packets along with everything else in the modern broadband converged IP telecommunications network.

There are three steps in voice digitization: quantization, sampling and coding.

Quantization: Change from continuous in value to discrete in value

Sampling: Change from continuous in time to discrete in time

Coding: Code value of sample into standard-format 1s and 0s

Voice Digitization (1)

Voice Digitization: Quantization, Sampling and Coding

continuous signal is one that exists at all values.  Pick any two values, and there can always be a value between them… like the voltage on copper wires representing your voice when making a phone call.  

discrete signal is one that is defined only at specific values, and is not defined between… like the number of people in a room.

Quantization is the process of changing from a signal that is continuous in value to a signal that is discrete in value. This is accomplished by dividing the possible range of values into a number of bins or levels or steps, and assigning a number to each of these levels.

Later, when asked what the value of the signal is, we say that the signal is “in level #4” rather than quoting its voltage accurate to some number of decimal places.  

Another example of quantization is sugar cubes. Instead of putting some random fractional value of a teaspoon of sugar in your coffee, your choices are “one lump or two”. The sugar has been quantized into uniform increments.

Many hardware chips implement 16-bit quantization, meaning 65,536 levels. These are consolidated into a smaller number of levels by software during the coding step below.

Sampling is the process of changing the signal from being continuous in time to one that is discrete in time: on a regular basis, we measure the value of the signal and record it. The value of the signal is recorded as the quantization bin number it was in.

How often do we need to sample the signal? A mathematician by the name of Nyquist proved that the signal has to be sampled more than twice as often as the frequency bandwidth of the signal to be able to reproduce it. This is called the Nyquist Rule.

The final step is coding. The value of the signal taken at each sample (the level number) must be coded into 1s and 0s so that it can be efficiently transmitted or stored in a computer.  

We are interested in using standard coding methods like G.711 for landlines or the AMR codec used for cellular, so that any device or software app can decode the value at the far end.  Skype uses a proprietary coding method, meaning that only the Skype app can be used to decode the values at the far end; whatsapp, for example, is not compatible.

The codes representing the value of the samples are then transmitted to the far end.

At the far end, the reverse process is performed: re-creating the analog waveform from the received codes by de-coding the level number, generating a voltage with a value equal to that of the center of the level, and smoothly changing the voltage in this manner as each new code comes down the line.

The objective of doing all of this is to move the analog voice signal from the near end microphone to the far end speaker, without adding in any noise.

Bonus: the digitized voice can be carried in IP packets interspersed with video, data and Internet traffic, on the modern broadband converged IP network.

There is in fact a small amount of noise added in, up front, as part of the analog-to-digital conversion. This is the quantization error, the difference in value between the center of the level, and where the signal actually was.

How do we make the quantization error smaller on average? Make the levels finer. How many levels does the telephone company use? Enough so that a human can’t hear the quantization error noise on the line. Read the exciting conclusion in

NEXT TUTORIAL:  Voice Digitization 2

ALL TUTORIALS

Boot Camp Santa Clara, California

Have you been waiting for an In-Person Telecommunications course on the west coast?
Your wait is over!

Telecom Boot Camp – Apr 3-7 2023 Santa Clara, California.

Course 101 Apr 3-5 2023
Course 130 Apr 6-7 2023
Which should you take?

Registration is now open.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Boot Camp 2023

Plan your training for the new year now!

BOOT CAMP Live Online – Feb 6-10 2023
BOOT CAMP In-Person Washington DC – March 6-10 2023

BOOT CAMP Live Online, also called a virtual telecom course, has been so well received, what we thought was a temporary solution for the pandemic is scheduled on an ongoing basis.

Advantages which are budget-friendly and appreciated by management like:
Significant cost savings
High-quality color course books shipped directly to students
Get dispersed team members up to a common speed
Well-suited to work from home
No travel costs
Online courses and certifications included

Boot Camp In-Person
Time for a change of scenery and career-enhancing training!
Live, in-person, in-classroom training is the gold standard in training: the best you can get.
Attendees often network, and go out to lunch together.
Stretch your legs in the evening with a stroll along the reflecting pool, or checking out the scene of the crimes at the Capitol!

Next Boot Camp Courses

BOOT CAMP In-Person
Washington DC January 23-27 2023

Time for a change of scenery and career-enhancing training!  

Live, in-person, in-classroom training is the gold standard in training: the best you can get.

Attendees often network, and go out to lunch together.

Stretch your legs in the evening with a stroll along the reflecting pool, or checking out the scene of the crimes at the Capitol!

Here’s a copy-and-paste training request letter.

BOOT CAMP Live Online
December 5-9 2022

BOOT CAMP Live Online, also called a virtual telecom course, has been so well received, what we thought was a temporary solution for the pandemic is scheduled on an ongoing basis.

Advantages like:

  • Significant cost savings
  • High-quality color course books shipped directly to students
  • Get dispersed team members up to a common speed
  • Well-suited to work from home
  • No travel costs
  • Online courses and certifications included

are budget-friendly and appreciated by management.


Here is a cut-and-paste training request form to send to your boss!

Next Boot Camp In-Person

Boot Camp In-Person
Washington, DC Oct 24-28, 2022

The August Boot Camp In-Person class was full.

Reserve your spot for October now and don’t miss out on the opportunity to be face-to-face with your instructor.

The best telecommunications training you can get: ask questions and interact.

From the fundamentals to latest technologies, Boot Camp is specifically designed for non-engineers.

“Awesome course, really. Just very, very good.” – Tim Wilson, Ciena

Read more testimonies.

Next BOOT CAMP Live Online September 26-30

  ✓ Guaranteed to Run

BOOT CAMP Live Online has been so well received, what we thought was a temporary solution for the pandemic is scheduled on an ongoing basis.

Advantages like:

  • Significant cost savings
  • High-quality color course books shipped directly to students
  • Get dispersed team members up to a common speed
  • Well-suited to work from home
  • No travel costs

Online courses and certifications included are budget-friendly and appreciated by management.
Here is a cut-and-paste training request form to send to your boss!

In-Person Boot Camp Restarting

Boot Camp
Live Online July 18-22  ✔ Guaranteed to Run
In-Person August 22-26  ✔ Guaranteed to Run

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 and frustration. Be more confident with a solid base of telecommunications knowledge you can build on, from fundamentals to IoT and everything between.

LIVE ONLINE July 18-22  details
IN-PERSON Finally back in the classroom August 22-26 in Washington DC.

Specifically designed for non-engineers, Teracom’s renowned telecommunications training is organized into two courses back-to-back to make a full week called BOOT CAMP:
Course 101: Broadband, Telecom, Datacom and Networking for Non-Engineers, then
Course 130: Voice over IP, SIP, Security, 5G and IoT.

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.

Full BOOT CAMP details


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

Happy New Year!


Now is the time to invest in yourself and your team for the coming year.

Boot Camp Live Online is coming up Jan 24-28, 2022.
Register now so you don’t miss out on this great training opportunity with a live instructor.

Two Free Bonus Courses with CTA

On top of the sixteen courses included in the CTA Certification Package,
Course L2241 Introduction to Broadband Converged IP Telecom, and
Course L2221 Introduction to Voice over IP
are now included as free bonus courses with CTA.

Follow these instructions to add the two bonus courses to your dashboard at no charge after purchasing CTA.