Customer Rating:  
Summary: Does what it says on the cover
Comment: I needed to quickly get up to speed with the communications technology sector and in early 2007 this was the most recently revised book on the subject I could find on Amazon, and it seemed to cover all the bases. Its advantages are depth, breadth, and a world rather than US centric view of the subject. Its disadvantage is, to use a telecom network term, high redundancy. The same facts are repeated often and I suspect the same information could have been included in a book half the size. This makes it frustrating to read cover to cover as a primer. An easy to read version would get *****.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Superb up-to-date, comprehensive introduction to telecoms
Comment: In this comprehensive introduction to the complex world of telecoms, Ms Goleniewski has succeeded not only in explaining the basics, but also in capturing the state-of-the-art developments. In nearly 20 years of working in the telecoms and related sectors, this is the only book I have come across that does both. Moreover, Ms Goleniewski's writing style is very accessible, and she has included plenty of fascinating examples and clear illustrations. Her ability to get complex material across simply no doubt stems from her extensive experience of delivering telecoms training.Another very important feature of the book is that it is written for an international readership. So many books and reports on telecoms are written from a purely American perspective, and it is useful and refreshing to have a book that makes it clear that there is much more to the telecoms sector than the US model. The book interprets the term 'telecommunications' in a wide sense, covering telephony, data communications, the Internet, 'fixed' and 'mobile', equipment and services, convergence, etc. Also, Ms Goleniewski has helpfully included views on where telecommunications is heading, and what services and applications we can expect in years to come. I would strongly recommend this 'landmark' book to anyone who is new to telecoms and is looking to get a balanced view of the subject. It is equally suitable for readers with a technical background and for non-technical people. For example, it ought to appeal to newcomers to the industry, to telecoms policy makers and regulators, to telecoms lawyers, and to telecoms users. For those who need to go into greater detail than is covered in the book, readers are referred to Ms Goleniewski's excellent web site that contains lots of useful material and a well-organised set of links to other telecoms sources. There is also an extensive glossary of terms. I wish such a book had been available when I first got involved in telecoms!
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