As our world grows ever more complex, no one can expect to be knowledgeable in, let alone master every technology. But as telecommunications technologies permeate nearly every aspect of our lives, gaining a working understanding of their principles and applications has become essential for both professional and personal success. For the undergraduate student preparing for his or her future vocation to the accomplished professional on track for a rapid career move, this book is the "survival guide" to telecommunications–a quick introduction to the most important telecom technologies. Written with accuracy and rigor, this guide avoids any unnecessary background or academic style in order to introduce you directly to the core knowledge and understanding.

Wiley Survival Guide in Global Telecommunications: Signaling Principles, Network Protocols, and Wireless Systems provides in-depth discussions of key areas in telecommunications, including:

• Signal modulation, coding, transmission, detection, and error correction
• Telephony and data networking, from PSTN to packet-switched/LAN protocols and ISDN
• Core-network transmission protocols (SONET/SDH, ATM, TCP/IP, and Internet suite)
• Wireless communications (3G/4G mobile, satellite, and WLAN)

Designed to be accessible to a wide range of readers, the book steers you directly into the relevant issues, while elucidating the science and engineering involved without heavy-duty mathematics, allowing you to produce results using your pocket calculator. You can read each chapter in sequence or, if you prefer, jump to topics of interest as you wish. A wealth of easy and practical exercises illustrate the concepts; chapter-end summaries of main keywords and acronyms clarify the technical language; and a selected reference list including Web sites leads you to other helpful sources for further investigation.

Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to survive in the telecom world with this indispensible guide.