ABSTRACT
In the 1990s, communications markets have undergone fundamental changes. Analogue technologies are being progressively replaced by digital communications services. Digitisation involves turning data into binary digits (bits) for storing, processing and transmission purposes. A fundamental feature of digital information is its independence from a specific transportation medium; consequently, it can be conveyed over all available networks, including satellite, coax and fibre-optic cable, high frequency wireless, digital terrestrial television (DTTV), analogue and digital telecommunications networks including digital subscriber lines (DSL), and even power lines. This not only leads to a more efficient use of the existing infrastructure but, because digitisation enables compression and packaging of data, it also reduces the amount of transport capacity needed per data unit. In the future, the digital conversion of all signals, transmitters, networks and equipment is envisaged.
