Telecommunications equipment encompasses many different types of telecommunications, including telephones, computers, and radios. All of these types of telecommunications networks transmit signals by connecting to the Internet. Telecommunications equipment relies on software to function and therefore depends on technicians who understand the hardware and software components of the technology.
Switching hubs and routers are used to transmit, process, amplify, and direct packets of information to their destinations. Installers and repairers set up those switches and routers, along with cables and other equipment, at central offices. This type of equipment uses fiber optics to relay information, resulting in a greater capacity and clearer signals than were previously possible in copper lines. Newer packet switching telecommunications equipment technology has also increased the transmission capacity of each line.
As the technology advances, the reliability of switches and routers increases. Telecommunications equipment has become so easy to maintain that some systems use self-monitoring switches to alert central offices when there is a malfunction. Some switches even help repairers diagnose and correct malfunctions from a remote location.
Other technological advances have taken place in the cable television industry. Cable technology is rapidly becoming more like telecommunications networks. Cable television companies use centralized locations, much like the central offices in the telecommunications sector to relay and route signals. Cable television is becoming an interactive medium, allowing customers to request information and receive real-time responses, much like the Internet or automated telephone systems.
Private branch exchange (PBX) switchboards are a type of telecommunications equipment used by businesses to relay incoming, outgoing, and interoffice telephone calls at one location or organization. Modern PBX switchboards rely on software like other types of telecommunications equipment and run on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). In private homes, the most common types of telecommunications equipment are telephones, VoIP and Internet.
Electronic and optical switches route telephone calls and packets of data to their destinations, relaying signals from radios in taxis, airplanes, boats, and emergency vehicles. This can include cellular communications including transmission towers or other two-way systems. Radio equipment is often self-monitoring, alerting mechanics about potential malfunctions.