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Introduction
1.1 Differentiating Technology and Engineering Innovation
This book is about technology and engineering analysed in the context of the impact of invention and innovation on the political, social and economic dynamics of the global telecommunications industry, tracing the transition and transformation that has occurred particularly since fixed and mobile broadband has become such a dominant deliverable. The occasional unapologetic excursion is made into the more distant past as and when relevant and valid.
The subject focus is technical but the ambition is to make the content relevant and accessible to as wide an audience as possible. It is common to find engineers who have an absorbing interest in the humanities. It is less common to find managers with a humanities background developing a similar passion for engineering. This is possibly because some engineering books can be dull to read. Our mission is to try and remedy this disconnect between two disciplines that in reality are closely interrelated.
Another myth that we attempt to dispel is the notion that somehow technology change is occurring faster today than in the past. This is a false flattery. Technology change viewed through the prism of the present appears to be tumultuous but is more accurately considered as part of a continuing process of transition. The past remains surprisingly relevant, can inform present judgement and should be used to help forecast the future. This is our excuse or rather, our ...
