Introduction—Scanning the Symposium

Abstract

In his revolutionary experiments of 1895, Marconi achieved transmission of coded radio signals over distances up to 2 km. Six years later, he succeeded in the first transmission of telegraphic signals across the Atlantic from Cornwall to Newfoundland. The century that followed has seen the introduction of many new electronic communications services. Broadcast radio and television have dramatically changed our perception and understanding of the world we live in. As we enter the second century, another exciting communication service known as multimedia is emerging, which involves integrated transmission of text, graphics, voice, image, video, and computer data, between individuals, as well as in the broadcast mode.