1. Describe a local land line phone system based on the following Landline Telephone Components; A. Local Loop: The local loop is truly a loop; it is a loop of copper wire that allows current to flow from the telephone to the central office and back. It is the dual-wire physical interface that connects a telephone to the central office. B. Central Office: The central office, also referred to as the local exchange, serves a group of subscribers (customers) in a local area. Think of the central office as a post office that serves a specific zip code. C. Local Exchanges: The central office, also referred to as the local exchange, serves a group of subscribers (customers) in a local area. Think of the central office as a post office that serves a specific zip code. D. POP: In the telephone system, the point where either an LEC or a long-distance carrier meets another long-distance carrier is defined as the point of presence (POP). The POP provides the interconnection to the long-distance carrier or interexchange carrier (IXC). E. Long Distance System: (modifier) (of telephone calls, lines, etc) connecting points a relatively long way apart. 3. (mainly US & Canadian) a long-distance telephone call. 4. a long-distance telephone system or its operator. F. Fixed Line: Telecommunications is the flow of various types of information from a variety of sources over a variety of transmission systems to a variety of consumers. In this section, you’ll learn the basic framework of telecommunications: how information flows through the telecommunications system, whether the information is accessed through a fixed line via a telephone or a computer connected to your wall outlet, or whether you access the information using wireless technology with a mobile device like a mobile phone, laptop, or tablet. 2. Define and describe the following Telecommunications Network Components: A. Cellular Telephones: i. Voice: Voice service is basically telephone service provided by using a fixed line. The voice service, that is, telephone service, is either provided using the traditional POTS method by telecommunications providers or through the Internet system using VOIP (voice over IP). With VoIP, your voice signal is digitized from analog, encoded, and placed into packets and transmitted over the Internet using Internet Protocol. The latter is used primarily by cable TV providers who had not previously implemented POTS network architectures. ii. Data: While the telephone started out purely as a device to transmit voice, it did not stay that way for long. The fixed-line telephone is an analog system capable of transmitting only a narrow range of audio frequencies. Because it only transmits a small portion of the audio spectrum, it may not seem like a good choice for a system to transmit data. However, for many years and for many subscribers, it was the only choice for transmitting data. B. Telephone Network Topology i. Demarcation Point: The demarcation point is typically made in the entrance facility portion of the main equipment room found in commercial buildings or the ONT (optical network terminal) of FTTH networks or basic telephone termination points inside a home. This cable connection is known as the “drop cable.” The demarcation point may also be at the MPOE (minimum point of entry), which is basically the first enclosed room inside the building where the telecom providers terminate their cabling, or it can be an extended demarcation point; that is, itself within the building. ii. Equipment: The demarcation point includes the tie-in of OSP (outside plant) cable to the customer premise equipment racks and active equipment. In FTTH networks, this connection is typically made in the customer premises whereby fiber-optic or copper cabling is connected to the ONT), like the one shown in Figure BA.7. From the ONT in an FTTH network, the signal is converted to an electrical signal and transmitted over the coaxial cable infrastructure of the home to set-top boxes and modems. iii. Access Networks: The access network is the part of the network that connects the individual consumer or business to the telecommunications system. Essentially, it is the gateway to telephone communications, Internet/data, and video—the services offered by telecommunications service providers. iv. Regional/Metro Networks: A metro network, also referred to as a MAN (metro area network), is responsible for aggregating information from the local exchanges of a specific service provider, as well as information from other independent service providers, and sending the information to the regional and long-haul/core network. These networks are typically owned by an incumbent service provider or shared through a consortium of network operators. Metro networks, as implied by the name, usually cover the area of a city. C. Cable TV i. Broadcast TV: Prior to the 1950s, information was primarily delivered over fixed lines or radio broadcasts. However, toward the end of the 1940s and during the 1950s, the television broadcast infrastructure began to develop. During that time, the primary method employed to deliver TV broadcasts to consumers was radio waves. TV stations would broadcast the black and white signal from large antennas similar to the one shown in Figure BA.9. The consumer would connect an antenna to their TV to receive the signal. While this system is still in use today, it does have limitations. ii. Community Antenna: One critical limitation in the TV broadcast system is range; TV signals will travel only so far, and the further you are from the broadcasting antenna, the weaker the signal becomes. Obstacles such as hills or large buildings may also block the signal, making it difficult for some consumers to receive a signal of sufficient amplitude to produce a clear image. One solution to this problem is community antenna television (CATV), more commonly known as cable TV. iii. Network Access Point: he network access point (NAP) is located close to the homes or buildings it services. The NAP is a terminal that serves as a connection point for drop cables. It may be installed in an aerial installation, in a pedestal, or in a hand hole. iv. Interface Device: The NID is typically mounted to the outside of the house or building. It is an all-plastic enclosure designed to house the electronics that support the network. The electronics in the NID will interface with existing cabling for television, telephone, and Internet connectivity. D. Telecommunication Services: i. RBOCs: RBOC refers to a regional Bell operating company. In 1982, the U.S. government filed a suit against AT&T, which was considered a monopoly at the time. As a result, AT&T divested its local exchange carriers into seven “baby Bells,” or RBOCs. ii. Unbundling: Unbundling the network helped to create the ability for CLECs to compete with ILECs. This is referred to as local-loop unbundling (LLU or LLUB). As mentioned previously, this is a regulatory process by which multiple telecommunications service providers can lease space on the local exchange connecting to a customer’s home or business. The local loop is the physical copper or fiber-optic cable connection between the local exchange of an ILEC and the customer home. iii. MSOs: An MSO is a multiple system operator, operating multiple cable TV systems. Well-known MSOs in the United States are Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Comcast, Charter Communications, and Cox Communications. MSOs are what we recognize as the cable TV company (CATV). Cable TV companies offer television service to consumers using radio frequency over HFC (hybrid fiber copper) and RFoG (radio frequency over glass) networks. iv. ISPs: An Internet service provider (ISP) is a company that provides access to the Internet. Consumers are mostly accessing the Internet using access ISPs. An access ISP connects a consumer to the Internet using copper or fiber-optic cables, or through a wireless connection. For homeowners, the Internet is accessed using broadband and Wi-Fi wireless access, dialup (ISDN, modem), DSL, FTTH, and cable services. v. Triple Play: High-speed Internet access is a key service offered to consumers. Also commonly referred to as a “data package,” high-speed Internet allows access to the Internet, or World Wide Web. This in turn allows access to a variety of information, emailing capability, various forms of video content (for example, YouTube), and interactive entertainment (such as online gaming). Innovations in the telecommunications system in the form of novel topologies, high bandwidth, high-speed Internet services, and transmission equipment are enabling the shift to greater video and data content delivery. vi. Cloud Computing: In the global telecommunications system, cloud computing is a way to increase the capabilities of a device or add new capabilities or services without making any hardware changes to the device. It typically allows the user to access these enhanced capabilities and services from any location in the world where there is Internet connectivity. For example, say you are traveling; you stop at a coffee shop and power on your laptop to check your email. To check your email, you open your web browser and join the local Wi-Fi network. Once connected to the network, you log into your email account and begin checking your email. You just used one of the many capabilities that cloud computing offers.