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The focus of this book is the exploration of the evolution of instantaneous telecommunication technology since the advent of Morse’s telegraph in 1844. It takes a social construction of technology perspective in analyzing how culture and other social forces affect the adoption of new communication technologies. A primary focus is on the creation and diffusion of the internet since its advent in 1969. Note that I refer to the internet without capitalizing the term, as I did in the first edition of this book in 2012. In that decade, the internet became so pervasive in contemporary daily life that it morphed from a singular network of linked computers into a universe of smart devices in which humans are immersed. The future of the digital universe holds great promise in terms of the enhancement of human knowledge and perception. It also has the potential for the destruction of all human life on Earth – if we make unwise choices about how we use technology in the twenty-first century. It is a fascinating story about human invention and how we use the technologies we have created – and will continue to create in the future.

This book is divided into five main sections with three chapters in each:

 Part I – Introduction and Framing – Chapters 1, 2, 3

 Part II – Internet and Web History – Chapters 4, 5, 6

 Part III – Global Telecommunication and Media Convergence – Chapters 7, 8, 9

 Part IV – Internet Control, Cyberculture, and Dystopian Views – Chapters 10, 11, 12

 Part V – New Communication Technologies and the Future – Chapters 13, 14, 15

This text is written for non-linear access so chapters can be read in random order if desired. However, it is probably best to read the Moore’s law and critical perspectives chapters (2 and 3) first since key concepts introduced there are elaborated upon in subsequent chapters. Also, the history chapters (4–6) will be more coherent if read in sequential order.

Chapter 2 defines Moore’s law and explains its centrality to technologies in the digital universe. Its implications for telecommunication, ubiquitous computing, and intelligent devices are examined in the context of their effects on daily life. The chapter concludes with thoughts on the sustainability of Moore’s law in this century. Chapter 3 provides the critical analysis of the digital universe which is crucial in becoming a literate digital citizen. The perspectives of critics of technology, such as Jacques Ellul, Neil Postman, and Safiya Noble are examined in regard to their application to information and communication technologies. The pro-social and pathological effects of living in the age of information are discussed – with an emphasis on the roles that speed and efficiency play in the adoption of new communication technologies.

Part II is focused on the creation of the internet and the World Wide Web. Chapter 4 reviews the origins of the internet in the Cold War and the influential role that computer scientist J.C.R. Licklider played in its development. The central role of the US Department of Defense in creating the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) and its ARPANET highlight the controversy over the motivation for developing the first nationwide data network. Chapter 5 analyzes the evolution of the ARPANET into the early internet between 1980 and 1990. The contributions of key innovators such as Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn (developing TCP/IP and other key network protocols), Ted Nelson (the concept of hypertext as a linking tool), and Doug Engelbart (creating interface technologies) are discussed in the context of the creation of the global internet. Chapter 6 introduces Paul Otlet and his creation of the Mundaneum in Belgium in the 1930s – a precursor of the World Wide Web 60 years before its creation. The role of Tim Berners-Lee is examined in his conceptualization of the merger of hypertext, TCP/IP, and a domain name system into a universal document accession system he called “Mesh” (and the world now knows as the Web). The chapter concludes with an analysis of what we call Web 3.0 and how it might evolve in the coming decade into a Web 4.0 and beyond.

Part III begins with Chapter 7 and a review of the development of telegraphic communication systems in Europe and North America and their linkage via undersea cables. These quickly spanned the globe and led to the concept of a “wired world.” As the wires were converted from copper to fiber-optic cables in the past 20 years, these often-overlooked connections made possible the global internet. The “flat world” described by Thomas Friedman is defined by these connections and how they facilitate the role of telecommunication in outsourcing digital work and in the creation of global teams by public and private organizations. Chapter 8 focuses on the advent of telephony with the awarding of a US patent to Alexander Graham Bell for the telephone and its wild success as a medium of telecommunication. The evolution of his company, AT&T, is examined as a case study in the challenges imposed on telecommunication organizations as they struggled to adapt to new technologies such as cable television and mobile telephony.

Part III ends with Chapter 9 on digital convergence in the shift from analog to digital media. The benefits of media convergence are examined along with its negative effects on existing media such as newspapers and radio-television broadcasting.

Part IV begins with Chapter 10’s focus on the battles over public and private control of the internet. The role of e-commerce is studied in the context of this struggle for control over the past 20 years. In Chapter 11 we examine global cyberculture and the role of digital telecommunication in fostering this new culture. The perspectives of media critic Marshall McLuhan are examined in light of what he called the electronically connected “global village.” Digital divide issues are studied in terms of disparities in access to these digital services in various parts of the world. The emergence of global social networks is an outgrowth of the bonds formed by early pioneers on the internet that transcended space and time. However, there are attempts by some governments to limit free access to the internet and these are examined in the context of national priorities that promote censorship and the construction of intentional barriers to the free flow of information. Chapter 12 deals with the “dark side” of the internet. It examines online privacy issues and the threats to personal privacy and data security posed by hackers, surveillance, and facial recognition.

The final section – Part V – is focused on the evolution of new telecommunication and digital technologies that will affect global societies in the coming decades. Chapter 13 explores the topics of artificial intelligence and machine learning and how they will affect telecommunication in the latter part of the twenty-first century. The proliferation of AI-enhanced smart devices and the Internet of Things will be examined from a telecommunication perspective. Chapter 14 examines the creation of virtual worlds that humans can inhabit through participation in online games. Digital games have come of age in the past two decades and have achieved a remarkable level of realism that makes active participation compelling. The chapter will also examine new applications of immersive augmented realities that superimpose computer-generated images over related scenes in the material world. The book concludes with Chapter 15 which provides several perspectives on the future of the digital universe. The immediate future is bright as Moore’s law drives down the cost of digital tools while greatly improving their power and our access to them. As the digital divide shrinks, more humans will have access to these tools to connect and work with others. Some future scenarios are utopian – that humans will co-evolve with technology and adopt the best aspects of artificial intelligence and memory. Others are dystopian – that machine intelligence will eventually surpass that of humans and our role in the future may be that of maintenance staff for the robotic world. The reality will likely be somewhere between these polar visions. Why spend time thinking about these futures? Each of you will spend your lifetime living there, so giving some critical thought to these scenarios may be instructive. I hope you enjoy this journey through the digital universe as a virtual road map for connected life in the decades ahead.