The telephone influenced our lives both at a personal level and also within business and trade. The traditional telephone is connected to a public Switched telephone network PSTN and uses electrical signals to transmit verbal messages.
It has a receiver or earpiece and transmitter or a microphone. When a caller picks up the telephone at one hand to call the electric current is activated and gives a dial tone to show that the line is ready to receive a command; he then punches in the other party's number and the signal in form of a tone is sent to that other party's telephone rings. When he picks up the connection is complete and they can start talking.
And then the cell phone came along and we no longer needed to be close to a telephone to make and receive verbal messages. Also known as the mobile phone it uses mobile or cell stations which are then connected to the PSTN. The cell phone can also allow users to send text, send and receive email; browse the internet, other data like photos and videos.
The coverage and market penetration of the cell phone has overtaken traditional telephony in such a short time. Companies are coming up with newer, sleeker multipurpose models at a very fast rate. And the cell phone is always in the news for good and for bad reasons. There is growing debate and demands to regulate its use while driving, and it is mostly forbidden in cinema halls, at some restaurants, classrooms, some banks and in most hospitals. Those who think they cannot afford to miss a call will put it on vibrate mode anyway. The cell phone is not only a new way to communicate but has acquired a fashion symbol status. Peers compete to own the latest sleekest cell phone. It is also influencing culture and entertainment with a festival of cell phone shot movies bringing together competitors who make this short movies.
The development of VOIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol calls has also been a big challenge to traditional telephony. In plain language it is the making of calls through the internet to another computer or to a traditional or mobile phone. VOIP is cheaper than traditional telephony. One needs a broad band or high speed internet connection and not much special equipment to get started.
It is possible to see VOIP overtaking also cell phone usage because it is possible for VOIP providers to enable mobile communication through what is called WI-FI hotspots. WI-FI hot spots are areas where users can access the internet. WI-FI uses radio signals to enable internet browsing.
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