Wired communication refers to the
transmission of data over a
wire
file:Sample cross-section of high tension power (pylon) line.jpg, Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample d ...
-based
communication technology
Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication technologies. These means of ...
(
telecommunication cables). Wired communication is also known as wireline communication. Examples include
telephone networks,
cable television
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...
or
internet access
Internet access is a facility or service that provides connectivity for a computer, a computer network, or other network device to the Internet, and for individuals or organizations to access or use applications such as email and the World Wide ...
, and
fiber-optic communication
Fiber-optic communication is a form of optical communication for transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of infrared or visible light through an optical fiber. The light is a form of carrier wave that is modul ...
. Most wired networks use Ethernet cables to transfer data between connected PCs. Also
waveguide (electromagnetism), used for high-power applications, is considered wired line. Local telephone networks often form the basis for wired communications and are used by both residential and business customers in the area. Many networks today rely on the use of fiber optic communication technology as a means of providing clear signaling for both inbound and outbound transmissions and are replacing copper wire transmission. Fiber optic technology is capable of accommodating far more signals than copper wiring while still maintaining the integrity of the signal over longer distances.
Alternatively, communication technologies that don't rely on wires to transmit information (voice or data) are considered
wireless
Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information (''telecommunication'') between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided transm ...
, and are generally considered to have higher latency and lower reliability.
The legal definition of most, if not all,
wireless
Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information (''telecommunication'') between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided transm ...
technologies today or "''apparatus, and services (among other things, the receipt, forwarding, and delivery of communications) incidental to such transmission''" are a wire communication as defined in the
Communications Act of 1934 in 47 U.S.C. §153 �
59. This makes everything online today and all
wireless
Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information (''telecommunication'') between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided transm ...
phones a use of wire communications
by law whether a physical connection to wire is visible or is not. The
Communications Act of 1934 created the
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
to replace the
Federal Radio Commission
The Federal Radio Commission (FRC) was a government agency that regulated United States radio communication from its creation in 1927 until 1934, when it was succeeded by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FRC was established by ...
. If there were no real wired communications today, there would be no online and there would be no mobile phones.
Satellite communications would be the only current technology considered
wireless
Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information (''telecommunication'') between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided transm ...
.
In general, wired communications are considered to be the most stable and best of all types of communications services. They are relatively impervious to adverse weather conditions in comparison to wireless communication solutions. These characteristics have allowed wired communications to remain popular even as wireless solutions have continued to advance.
See also
*
Telecommunications cable
References
Telecommunications systems
{{telecomm-stub