Classification of communication technologies A wide range of communication technologies are available. These fall into two broad groups. (i) Cable (land) based technologies: These are comparatively cheap and less complicated. Landline telephone or a personal computer without internet are examples of such technology.
(ii) Wireless technologies: These generally require less infrastructure, but can be more expensive to use than cable-based technologies. Some examples are radio, microwave and satellite wireless telephony, or use of ‘bluetooth’ technology in mobile phones and computers. Two significant communication technologies that acted as media and changed the whole communication scenario are the radio and the television. Radio : Radio commands a universal audience by geographical spread, income, education, age, sex and religion.
Through on-the-spot broadcast or simulated broadcast it can overcome the barriers of time and space. With the use of small size transistors it was made possible to receive communication in the remotest parts of the country. Television : TV was introduced in India in primarily to impact education and promote rural development. TV programmes are planned and produced using various techniques of visual magnification, sound amplification, super-imposition, split screen processes, fading, zooming, etc.
These techniques make it more effective and strengthen the impact on the viewer.