TOPIC



Introduction

The use of information technology in telecommunications has increased exponentially since it was introduced to the world.
The invention of the telegraph machine, Morse code, the telephone, the mobile phone, the internet and smartphones are all examples of information technology in the telecommunications industry. This essay will dive into information technology used in the telecommunications industry. It will discuss the problems faced in modern times, the potential solutions and finally, the future of telecommunications.

Internet Speeds

NBN

In modern times, internet connection speeds, mobile phone reception, data allowances and internet access are common topics of debate. In 2017, 86% of Australia’s population had a home internet connection (ABS, 2018) and with the emergence of online studying, video games, media streaming and social media, the need for a fast, reliable internet connection has never been greater. According to data provided by Ookla (2020) Australia is currently ranked 64th in the world when it comes to fixed home internet speeds with an average download speed of 42.20Mbps, a popular comparison in the media is with Romania, a small eastern European nation believed to have an inferior economy in relation to Australia, which is ranked 4th with an average of 148.98Mbps. Most people making this comparison usually leave out the fact that Australia has a land mass of over 32 times that of Romania and in order to have a fixed line to a household, a cable needs to be installed from the house all the way back to a telephone exchange. The population of Romania is approximately 19 million whereas Australia has 24 million people. Considering these figures, it shouldn’t take long to realise that the population density in Romania is much greater than that of Australia, therefore, the distance in telecommunications cabling is much less.

Satellite Internet Solution

Satellite

According to The International Telecommunications Union, approximately 3.5 billion of the Earths population have access to internet (Graydon, M. 2019). Previously, in this essay I stated that 86% of the Australian population had access to home internet. 3.5 billion is only about 47% of the Earths population which means that there are still more people than not that do not have access to the internet. The reader should stop and think about how their lives have benefited, and probably, have taken for granted, having a reliable internet connection for the last 2 decades. The continent of Africa currently has approximately 18% of its population connected to the internet. The solution that is currently in the works for this issue is satellite internet. Still in its infancy, satellite internet has yet to reach communities that need it most, but works are currently underway to meet that goal with companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The idea of satellite internet has recently become a viable solution to the issue because of the decrease in costs required to launch satellites into space and improved technology which will improve latency (Graydon, M, 2019). SpaceX currently has more than 350 satellites in orbit with plans for that number to eventually increase to 12,000 (Thompson, A 2020). Meaning there is still a long way to go until this becomes a reality for the most remote communities.

The Future of Information Technology in Telecommunications

Time will pass, engineers will fix the problems that we currently face but as technology evolves it is likely that, in 10 years’ time, we will be complaining about problems that are yet to exist. Maybe people will be teleported into virtual settings to have meetings and catch up with friends. It may sound like a crazy thought but if a human living in ancient Rome was shown a smartphone capable of FaceTime and the internet, they would probably think it was magic. Maybe the future of telecommunications in information technology is something that we can barely even fathom as possible right now.