A Brief History of Telecommunications – Events that have changed the World

This lecture will present an overview of the development of telecommunications over the last 150 years in the UK with a deep dive into some of the key developments that have changed the course of history based on personal experience from the speaker’s lifetime career in the industry.

The development in telecommunications over the last 150 years have quite literally changed the world. This lecture will tell the story from the early days when all calls were connected manually through the development of automatic step by step switching, the overcoming of distance with frequency division multiplex technology, the first electronic exchanges, digitalisation of the network, advanced electronic switching systems such as System X, the introduction of optical fibres, satellite technology, mobile phones, packet switching and much more.

Roger Ward’s career in the telecoms industry spans over 40 years. On graduating from Cambridge University with an honours degree in Engineering, he joined BT (then Post-Office Telecommunications) and was heavily involved in the pioneering work that resulted in the introduction of digital switching into the UK network. For the last 10 years of his career, he represented BT on the Board of the Californian based Multi-service Forum (MSF), an organisation comprising some 30 of major network operators and equipment vendors striving to define Next Generation Networks. Elected MSF President for 4 successive 2-year terms, his instigation of the MSF’s successful bi-annual Global MSF Interoperability (GMI) networked “plugfest” events did much to ensure that the forum maintained a meaningful focus in the crowded world of international standards organisations. Since retiring from BT, he has pursued his career as a freelance consultant and is currently technical editor of the Institute of Telecommunication Professionals Journal.

To book your FREE place, please click Register Now from the event page on our website. Alternatively, just turn up!