615-237 Telecommunications Concepts

This subject is regarded as a non-science subject for students enrolled in the BSc, BASc and combined BSc courses.

Fifty points of 100-level information systems subjects.

This subject provides participants with an understanding of the concepts of information and communication technologies (ICTs) within a contextual framework.

Subject topics range from the technical - that of communications networks, methods and standards, to the organisational and societal role played by telecommunications. These, as well as the regulatory frameworks, underpin the modern telecommunications environment.

At the completion of this subject, students should understand and be able to discuss:

• the fundamentals of communications networks;

• the international standards and protocols required to achieve network interconnection and interoperability;

• network and organisational security;

• the relationships between telecommunications and society and organisations; and

• the emerging technologies and issues in the telecommunications environment.

In addition to the subject-related skills, students will acquire or extend other valuable, generic skills. These include:

• collaboration in group-work;

• written and oral communication skills; and

• the confidence to tackle unfamiliar problems.

Individual and group tasks comprising active participation, seminar papers and presentations (60%): a 3-hour end-of-semester written examination (40%).