EMERGING TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES

If you cannot take the test on its scheduled date, you should work with me to take the test before the scheduled test date.. If you cannot take the test before the test date, you must wo

INFORMATION PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES

Communications 484 (Fall, 2019)

Instructor: Professor Rob Frieden

102 Carnegie Building

863-7996; E-mail: rmf5@psu.edu

Class Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 12:05– 1:20 p.m 370 Willard

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 9:15-11:15 a.m and by appointment

GENERAL PERSPECTIVE AND COURSE OBJECTIVES

Convergence in information, communications and entertainment (“ICE”) technologies and markets has become a reality Successfully managing an ICE career requires

interdisciplinary skills including the ability to understand how technologies make businesses profitable and how technological innovations can promote, or ruin business plans You can enhance your employment prospects by mastering the ICE vocabulary and understanding how companies use existing and new technologies to deliver products and services

While you do not need a degree in information technology, law, economics, business, or computer science, you must have the ability to:

* use the Internet for applied research;

* understand block diagrams;

* master a new vocabulary of words and acronyms;

* accept complexity, uncertainty, change and the need for self-direction; and

* have a command of the written and spoken word

This course explores the technologies in telecommunications and information processing

so that you can understand how old, “legacy” and new technologies work and serve consumers

We will investigate old and emerging ICE technologies primarily through an interactive

classroom analysis, focusing on products and services of incumbent and emerging companies Conscientious students will enhance their digital literacy

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

This upper level, elective course will challenge you, because of its breadth and complexity You have no obligation to take this course whatsoever Therefore, I assume you have a keen interest in the subject matter and will perform the homework By

enrolling in this course, you agree to participate actively by attending all classes and by complying with all University rules and regulations Additionally, you agree to: take notes,

refrain from using electronic devices in class for non-academic purposes, ask and answer questions and use the Internet for applied research and study

You must attend every class, pay attention, refrain from multi-tasking and make this course a priority We will flesh out the assigned materials in class and few if any students already have expertise in how all ICE technologies work You CANNOT rely solely on the lecture notes and review materials I provide you

Approximately 20 percent of test questions will address topical issues discussed in class and nowhere else You can successfully answer these questions if and only if you attend class and pay attention to the discussion.

To put it bluntly, you should avoid this course if you have no real interest in the subject, have a goal of putting in the least amount of work enough to scrape by with a C, or you enrolled simply because of the class meeting time Additionally, this course does not work well for students addicted to their smartphones and unable to ignore incoming

content, lacking a command of the spoken and written word, gunning to blame the

instructor for a poor grade, keen on playing the victim of some insult, or unable to stay on task throughout class time.

Required readings are collected in an online syllabus and are available via Web sites I also will post slides and other notes Please understand that these materials only provide a starting point for understanding the various technologies we will assess You should take

responsibility to work with me to master what can be difficult, acronym-laden material I do not recommend just adding a few lines of notes on the margins of the slides Also, please understandthat I cannot generate slides that will cover every concept we will examine Instead, I seek to generate an interactive conversation

You should make it a point to stay up to date on technology and marketplace developments

by reading such publications as BusinessWeek, The Economist, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and USA Today, etc.

Advance Notification and Apology

I respectfully request your tolerance in the likely event I utter something that comes across as rude, insensitive, mean, bizarre, or coarse I mean no harm and have no personal vendettas, or toxic agenda While I organize and rehearse my lectures, I do not recite from a script and on occasion something I say may appear inappropriate, or distracting Please

understand that when I seek to engage an individual student, I am trying to stimulate his or her understanding and participation in the course, or simply to establish a rapport

To be clear: my sole intent throughout the course is to make it lively, career enhancing and worthwhile I have no interest in causing discomfort to anyone and apologize in advance

GRADING

Please note: while we may have some flexibility in material covered on any class session, the four pre-test and tests dates are locked in Therefore, you have advance notice

of the “mission critical” test dates for the course

Penn State attracts students with a large range of capability and commitment Every test

I have administered generates a wide range of performance Some of you may fail a test, or eventhis course, not because you lack basic skills to learn and thrive, but because you did not

appreciate the breadth and scope of what the course requires

On the other hand, I understand that you can have a bad day, or temporarily fail to

manage your time and priorities adequately To compensate for this scenario, the course will have four tests The combined assessments total 400 points meaning that each assessment

represents the same available points At the beginning of a few classes, I will pose an “extra credit” question worth up to 5 points to your final grade! Additionally, I will determine whether

to apply a “curve” and how many points to add

Please note that Penn State’s online course management system does not readily facilitategrade revisions, e.g., to apply a curve You still can calculate your approximate grade by keepingtrack of your scores on each test and adding the curve as well as extra credit points

The following standard grading scale shall apply:

365-400 points = A; 350-364= A-; 335-363=B+; 315-334=B; 300-314=B-; 285-299=C+;

250-284=C; 200-283=D; 199 or less=F

Missing a Scheduled Test

There are very, very few legitimate reasons for you to miss a scheduled test Generally, you should schedule known activities—including job interviews and other appointments—around test times In the rare instance where something truly unexpected has occurred, you must

notify me before the test if possible If you cannot take the test on its scheduled date, you should work with me to take the test before the scheduled test date If you cannot take the test before the test date, you must work with me to take the test within three days of its scheduled

date

First Test Performance

Your first test performance provides a good prediction of your final test grade Put another way, if you score well and maintain a good work ethic, you will excel Likewise, if you

do not recalibrate your efforts after a poor performance, you will end up with similar grades on subsequent tests I am always glad to discuss strategies for improving performance and other issues with you during office hours However, I will not provide tutorials, or summaries of what

we discussed in your absence

If you visit with me to discuss test performance, I will ask to see your class notes Not having such notes, or having a haphazard collection contributes to poor performance As I make

a point to cover every issue several times from different perspectives, you should have ample opportunity to take notes without losing track of the class discussion

Test Question Disputes

On occasion, I may create a confusing question, or one that arguably supports two correctanswers I will pull such questions, so they do not affect your grade If you believe you have identified a flawed question, I am glad to discuss the matter during office hours

objective of the Bellisario College of Communications and the University Cheating, including plagiarism, falsification of research data, using the same assignment for more than one class, turning in someone else’s work, or passively allowing others to copy your work, will result in academic penalties at the discretion of the instructor, and may result in the grade of “XF’ (failed for academic dishonesty) being put on your permanent transcript In serious cases, it could also result in suspension or dismissal from the University

The rules and policies regarding academic integrity should be reviewed by every student and can be found online at: http://senate.psu.edu/policies-and-rules-for-undergraduate-

students/47-00-48-00-and-49-00-grades/#49-2 and in the Bellisario College of Communications document “Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures.” Any student with a question about academic integrity or plagiarism is strongly encouraged to discuss it with his or her instructor

Students should be familiar with Senate Policy 49-20 of the Pennsylvania State Policies and Rules Handbook.

Reporting Bias

Penn State takes great pride in fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for students,faculty, and staff Acts of intolerance, discrimination, harassment, and/or incivility due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity at the Report Bias website: http://equity.psu.edu/reportbias/statement.

Confidential Services

Many students at Penn State face personal challenges or have psychological needs that may interfere with their academic progress, social development, or emotional wellbeing The university offers a variety of confidential services to help you through difficult times, including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, consultations, online chats, and mental health screenings.  These services are provided by staff who welcome all students and embrace a philosophy respectful of clients’ cultural and religious backgrounds, and sensitive to differences

in race, ability, gender identity and sexual orientation

Counseling and Psychological Services at University Park (CAPS): 814-863-0395 Penn State Crisis Line (24 hours/7 days/week): 877-229-6400 Crisis Text Line (24 hours/7 days/week): TextLIONS to 741741

Course Philosophy and Deliverables

This course will provide you with skills essential for success in many careers with

emphasis in telecommunications You can enhance your command of the written and spoken word, as well as build your vocabulary You can get the most out of this course by taking

advantage of what live interaction with a senior professor can achieve I have created this coursewith the expectation that you are eager to show up ready, willing and able to participate

You cannot come anywhere close to achieving maximum return on your college

investment by failing to attend, multitasking in class, refraining from taking notes and declining

to stay on task In exchange for your commitment to be a conscientious student, I will deliver to you my best and most enthusiastic efforts at helping you develop skills and competency that employers expect you to have

You can maximize the classroom experience by turning off your cellphones, and by using

a computer to take notes and nothing else Too many students fail to appreciate the toxicity of texting and other distractions to your professor and fellow students

Class Attendance

Remarkably, some students do not fully appreciate the need to attend every class, as well

as the absolute obligation for you to generate your own notes Reviewing my powerpoint slides and lecture notes provide no substitute for your active conversion of what you see and hear in class into your own notes While I will present the course material in the same sequence as linear slides and notes, the class will address the complex interplay of concepts and issues which most certainly do not follow a straight line Simply put, if you do not attend class you will miss out on what the course and live instruction can offer, a foolish blunder, particularly considering the financial sacrifices you and others may have to make for you to attend Penn State

Recommendation Letters and Reference Calls

You may not yet know the importance in having at least one professor agree to prepare a recommendation letter for you Prospective employers and graduate schools expect to receive such letters Additionally, should you apply for a government job—particularly one that

requires a security clearance—an investigating agent will call several of your professors You can ruin your employment prospects through lackluster performance and a cavalier attitude aboutattending and participating in class

I gladly write recommendation letters and respond to telephone queries from prospective employers However, I agree to write such letters only for students who deserve them I have prepared strong recommendations even for students who have struggled in class I cannot write apositive letter for someone who, regardless of grade, did not make a positive and frequent

contribution to the class

Office Visits and E-Mail

I have an “open door” policy during office hours and can meet with you at other times by appointment I will announce or send via email any necessary changes to office hours on a given date Because of state/federal privacy laws and University policies, I cannot discuss your grades,

or test results during class sessions

You can reach me by telephone (814) 863-7996, email (rmf5@psu.edu), or Canvas Please note that I will communicate with you in class, or via the Penn State web mail system Failure to check your email and Canvas provides no excuse for a lack of knowledge about new assignments, and changes in course requirements

Aug 27 Introduction and Syllabus Rundown

Establishing a Foundation for Understanding: Spectrum Ether and Internet Clouds

(Aug 29, Sep 3, 5)

In this unit, we will identify the major market segments now existing in telecommunicationsand information processing with special emphasis on radio spectrum, the Internet cloud and the technological and market aspects of convergence

This exercise requires you to begin mastering a new list of buzzwords and acronyms Wewill consider how the technologies addressed in class use radio spectrum and closed-circuit media to make up the Internet cloud Also, we will get reacquainted with basic economics

concepts and see how they apply to ICE markets

Dale N Hatfield, Broadband Technologies and Applications: A Tutorial:

http://cobweb.ecn.purdue.edu/~mikedz/ee301/DigitalComm.ppt

Dr Hibbits, Circuit Switching and Packet Switching: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Dq1zpiDN9k4

Ben Mendelsohn, Bundled, Buried & Behind Closed Doors: http://vimeo.com/30642376

Keith Cambron, The Network of Networks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=zV63XR61Gx8&list=PLcVsnizexp8mi9V1ES6_LGWTYhoD3-o87

How YouTube Works – Computerphile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqQk7kLuaK4

CSPAN Communicators interview with Professor Dale Hatfield:

throughput measurement of output, which can be measured digitally in bytes

frequency band—the range of radio spectrum allocated for a particular service, e.g., 88.1-107.9 MHz for FM radio

kilo/mega/giga Hertz thousand, million and billion cycles per second

propagation—nature of signal transmission; typically, the higher up in spectrum, the more the signal operates like light, i.e., thin beams Also, the higher the frequency, the more likely foliage,buildings and terrain will attenuate or block the signal Line of sight refers to the need for a transmitter/receiver (transceiver) antenna to have a direct, unobscured invisible link to the antenna that transmits and receives content used by the consumer

frequency reuse—the ability to operate two or more transmitters on the same frequency if the transmissions are geographically separated; the higher the frequency the faster a signal attenuates(weakens) making it possible to reuse it at a nearby locale

co-channel and adjacent channel interference—two transmissions on the same frequency, or on a nearby channel

causes for spectrum scarcity/glut; spectrum value—high demand translates into high cost, e.g., auctions for cellphone spectrum vs zero cost for some spectrum Note that some unlicensed spectrum may trigger high demand leading to congestion and “the tragedy of the commons”analog vs digital—two primary transmission formats; humans are analog creatures (with eyes, ears, larynxes, fingers) thereby requiring analog devices to reproduce sound and pictures

(speakers, visible lines of video)

multiplexing function—channel multiplication as occurs with FM stereo creation of right and left sound channels

spectrum conservation strategies, e.g., frequency division; frequency reuse; sharing spectrum (including White Spaces) using low power and “smart” radios with digital signal processing

INTERNET TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS BASICS

the mantra of “Faster, Better, Smarter, Cheaper and More Convenient”

Internet as a “Network of Networks” as visually outlined in two of the assignments, as well as trace route reports

ICE: convergence of Information Communications and Entertainment

the culture and folkways of Netheads, Bellheads and Cableheads—3 different tribes having different characteristics, strengths and weaknesses

technological convergence—merger of previously discrete technologies that now can provide multiple functions

market convergence—merger of previously separate markets; an IP-centric Internet can offer access to previously separate markets; what are the opportunities and risks in such “one stop shopping” available as a “Triple Play”?

distance insensitivity—technologies whose costs don’t vary with distance from sender and receiver; may also be a price averaging strategy

stickiness—length of time spent at a single web site

Metcalfe’s Law—positive network externalities

Moore’s Law—doubling of capacity every 18 months

point-to-point vs point-to-multipoint

TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol—the Internet traffic management standard; Internet Protocol—Internet addressing system

packet switching vs circuit switching impact on quality of service and efficiency

trace route function

burstiness in data (Internet) transmissions—variability in throughput demand

technology push/demand pull—top down, supply-side view of the market versus bottom up demand-side view

multimedia; multi-casting; multi-tasking; multi-plexing

simplex/duplex—one way versus two-way transmission

latency—delay in receiving content

scalability—ability to add capacity on an incremental basis as demand grows

streaming—real time delivery, processing and display of content

routers and “best efforts” routing

hierarchical structure of the Internet

cacheing/buffering

proxy servers/mirror sites; how to anonymize, or establish a virtual presence in another country

asymmetrical traffic volume—unequal throughout requirements for downloading and uploading traffic

how the Internet appears on a chart as a cloud

equipment inside the cloud: broadband telecommunications links, servers and routers

Internet 2.0 emphasis on social networking, interactivity, collaboration, and new sources of content, e.g., through podcasts, wikis, online communities and social networks

proliferation of sensors, and a growing “Internet of Things;” machine-to-machine links

ECONOMIC/BUSINESS PRINCIPLES

economies of scale; economies of scope

natural monopoly

vertical integration; horizontal integration

externalities; positive networking externalities/Metcalfe’s Law

All You Can Eat pricing; metering and other pricing strategies

early adopters

critical mass/critical inflection point

Unicorn Internet ventures

Extra Credit Opportunity: Before the start of the Sep 4th class: Find out what a trace route does and execute one Print out the results of your trace route for my collection Basic Telephony/Circuit Switching (Sep 10)

In this unit, we briefly will get acquainted with our analog, human existence and how all information, communications and entertainment technologies must accommodate these

characteristics We will use “old school” analog telephony as a case study

Understanding how the conventional telecommunication infrastructure provides transportand switching functions will enable us to explore whether and how other enterprises can compete

in markets heretofore considered a natural monopoly and “bottleneck.” By understanding how the telephone company provides services, we can begin to see how cable television, wireless local loop and Internet carriers can provide a competing service, or complete replacement Also,

we will contrast circuit switching from packet switching technology

circuit switching—strengths and weaknesses as compared to packet switching

Public Switched Telecommunications (or Telephone) Network

creation of a weak electronic signal when audio signals cross a membrane coupled with a copper wound iron or magnetic core; how analog human creatures speak and listen

basic elements of a telephone, microphone and speaker

the concept of modulating a signal onto a carrier; surfer on wave analogy

modulator/demodulator function as in an analog modem

multiplexing/traffic aggregation

local loop bottleneck

why wireline telephone companies use direct current instead of alternating current

duplexing—the installation and use of two lines for simultaneous transmission and receptionbandwidth of a voice telephone and what bit rate it can support

how voice telephone networks are ill-suited to provide Internet access; the role of dedicated vs best efforts routing and Internet users’ bursty and asymmetric traffic requirements

SWOT analysis of PSTN Retirement

Sep 12 First Pretest

Sep 17 First Test

Analog, and Digital Television (Sep 19, 24)

In this unit, we will examine the completed migration from a 525-line, analog (“NTSC”) broadcast television system to a high definition resolution digital system, as well the numerous enhancements in so-called smart televisions While our examination will concentrate on digital television, we will acquire an understanding of how analog, standard definition television works

We also will consider next generation television that offers three-dimensional display and even more pixels, lines and columns of resolution

Robert Silva, Lifewire, What Is a Quantum Dot (aka QLED) TV?

What you need to know about Quantum Dot and QLED TVs:

https://www.lifewire.com/quantum-dots-enhance-lcd-tv-performance-1847342

Concepts You Need to Master

television as a content access platform; the “first screen” of four or more now available

location of television sets and computer monitors; impact of convergence on each set’s function and location

second, third and fourth screen access

analog television components: cathode ray tube for exciting and shooting electrons at 20,000 volts onto a phosphorescent screen

rasterization-scanning lines of resolution

interlaced scanning vs progressive scanning

broadcast television frequency bands: VHF Ch 2 – 6, 59 - 88 MHz; VHF Ch 7 – 13, 175 - 216 MHz; UHF Ch.14-82, 470-884 MHz now reduced to channels 14-51

all the terms used to describe various television sets in a Best Buy advertising circular

aspect ratio: 16 x 9 length and width replicates movie theater screens

plasma—super electron acceleration in a narrow space filled with xenon or neon gas

rear projection, especially Digital Light Processing—fast switching mirrors

liquid crystal display

light emitting diode display

organic LEDs—carbon film eliminates the need for side, or back lighting and therefore sets drawless power and weigh less

Quantum Dot LED—nanometer sized particles

3D television: stereoscopic viewing; polarization, passive and active glasses; side-by-side vs sequential frames; lenticular display

ultra-high definition television; 4x television: 3840 x 2160 resolution;

the tradeoffs in quality/location/specifications of computer monitors and television sets

compression: fitting a 19 Mbps signal into a 6 MHz channel; MPEG-2,4

quality of picture vs price of set

pixels/dot pitch; number of pixels in a television display and comparison of columns and rows in computer monitors vs television sets; a computer monitor with 1080 rows can have 1920

vertical columns—also the number of pixels per row

refresh rate; 60 Hz standard vs latest 240 Hz+ rate; note that Hz refers to Hertz or cycles per second

televisions have a refresh rate of 30 frames a second; with 60 Hz there can be duplication or interlacing of half frames; movies use 24 full frames a second

cutting edge technical developments, e.g., high dynamic range color contrast

Cable Television/Broadband (Sep 26, Oct 1)

We will examine the three phases of cable television development: 1) community antennatelevision that imported broadcast television signals; 2) cable television that added non-

broadcast, satellite-delivered programming and began to develop narrowband upstream signal processing; and 3) two-way interactive, broadband telecommunications Additionally, we will learn how telephone companies retrofit the local loop to provide limited broadband service