Evolution of network technologies

A look at the prospects for communications network in the next century is presented. Growth in this field is largely accounted for by new telecommunications services and applications made possible by continuous technological advances. Besides market liberalization, the two driving forces behind these advances are: the growing demands of users, operators and service suppliers and new advanced technologies. In the industrialized world, the demands will most likely include non-voice communication, flexible communications, intelligent supplementary services, mobile communication, and reliable and economical communications for both operator and user.