Speedwave4

he field of communication technologies is so broad that it is nearly impossible for one or two people to keep up with every development. This book, therefore, is the product of a community of

scholars, each of whom has demonstrated expertise in his or her field. Individually, the chapters
detail the background, developments, and status of dozens of communication technologies, and together
they present a broad overview of an interconnected field.
We are grateful to the community of scholars who have participated in creating this book. Every
chapter author has done remarkablework to gather the latest information on the technologies in ques-
tion and then organize it in a manner that presents a coherent picture of the technologies. The deadlines
were severe—authors were asked to refrain from beginning work on their chapters until January 2006,
most chapters were submitted in April, and final details were added in May 2006. The efforts of these
authors have produced a remarkable compilation, and wethank them for all of their hard work in pre-
paring this volume.
Others have contributed to this book as well. Faculty who adopt the book and students who read the
book have sent us comments on past editions that wehave responded to in creating the present edition.
Many members of the scholarly community have contributed ideas, references, and interpretations that
have strengthened the individual chapters and the manner in which the chapters were assembled. We
are especially grateful to Larry Vanston and the staff of Technology Futures, Inc. who serve as a con-
stant source of information for this book and its online companion.