This book initially grew out of part of the work of the U.S. Center of Excellence for the Implementation of Intelligent Transportation Systems within the School of Public Policy at George Mason University.

One aspect of the new economy is a transition to a networked society, and the emergence of a highly interconnected, interdependent and complex system of networks to move people, goods and information. An example of this is the in creasing reliance of networked systems (e. g. , air transportation networks, electric power grid, maritime transport, etc. ) on telecommunications and information in frastructure. Many of the networks that evolved today have an added complexity in that they have both a spatial structure – i. e. , they are located in physical space but also an a spatial dimension brought on largely by their dependence on infor mation technology. They are also often just one component of a larger system of geographically integrated and overlapping networks operating at different spatial levels. An understanding of these complexities is imperative for the design of plans and policies that can be used to optimize the efficiency, performance and safety of transportation, telecommunications and other networked systems. In one sense, technological advances along with economic forces that encourage the clustering of activities in space to reduce transaction costs have led to more efficient network structures. At the same time the very properties that make these networks more ef ficient have also put them at a greater risk for becoming disconnected or signifi cantly disruptedwh en super connected nodes are removed either intentionally or through a targeted attack.

ETHS alumnus, class of 1950.

Telecommunications Essentials, Second Edition, provides a comprehensive overview of the rapidly evolving world of telecommunications. Providing an in-depth, one-stop reference for anyone wanting to get up to speed on the $1.2 trillion telecommunications industry, this book not only covers the basic building blocks but also introduces the most current information on new technologies. This edition features new sections on IP telephony, VPNs, NGN architectures, broadband access alternatives, and broadband wireless applications, and it describes the technological and political forces at play in the world of telecommunications around the globe. Topics include Communications fundamentals, from traditional transmission media, to establishing communicationschannels, to the PSTN Data networking and the Internet, including the basics of data communications, local area networking, wide area networking, and the Internet and IP infrastructures Next-generation networks, including the applications, characteristics, and requirements of the new generation of networks that are being built to quickly and reliably carry the ever-increasing network traffic, focusing on IP services, network infrastructure, optical networking, and broadband access alternatives Wireless networking, including the basics of wireless networking and the technologies involved in WWANs, WMANs, WLANs, and WPANs

This synthesis will be of interest to administrators, operating personnel, and others interested in the management and operation of telecommunications systems in transportation agencies. Information is provided on the fundamentals of telecommunications, types of systems available, current uses in state DOTs, and implementation procedures and alternatives. Most departments of transportation have telephone and radio systems in use for communications with their own personnel and with the public. This report of the Transportation Research Board describes those systems as well as other telecommunications options that are in use by transportation agencies or are available for their use.