Title: Future prospects in communications

Authors: Robert W. Lucky

Addresses: Executive Director, Research, Communications Sciences Division, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, New Jersey 07733, USA

Abstract: Given the rate of innovation in the communications field, and the richness of the surrounding technology, certain trends appear to be developing of their own inertia. For advances in communications to be viewed as progress, however, will require more than breakthroughs in technology. Social factors must also be considered. The author explores the latest communications trends in three related areas: communications technology, communications in the workplace, and communications in the home. The author then concludes that for a technology to be considered progressive by society, it must be viewed, from the outset, in its social context.

Keywords: communications technology; society; computers; transmission; optical fibre technology; social context; microelectronics; satellites; local area networks; LANs; software; switching; fibre optics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.1987.026146

International Journal of Technology Management, 1987 Vol.2 No.5/6, pp.597 - 604

Published online: 27 May 2009 *

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