TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Data Communication Versus Telecommunications

Re: Data Communication Versus Telecommunications

Justin Time (a_user2000@yahoo.com)
30 Nov 2004 06:04:34 -0800

jrefactors@hotmail.com (Matt) wrote in message
news:<telecom23.572.7@telecom-digest.org>:

> When people say telecommunications, it implies data communications,
> correct? I want to know if data communication and telecommunications
> usually are used interchangably.

> Please advise. thanks!!

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: In the Usenet hierarchy, 'telecom' is
> one of the sub-groups under the larger category 'dcom'. I would say
> the two terms are mostly interchangeable, but data communications
> does include a lot more than just voice. PAT]

The meaning would have to depend on the context. The more general
term is telecommunications, having two major divisions, voice and
data. The reason telecom -- voice is a sub-group of dcom -- data
communications on the Internet newsgroups is due to the original focus
of the Internet, computer-to-computer communications. As far as the
history goes, data communications in the form of telegraphy pre-dates
telephony or voice communications. My understanding of the word
telecommunications is that it encompasses every form of communication
that was carried by wire (before the age of wireless.)

Rodgers Platt

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