Geography · Ch 6 — Tertiary and Quaternary Activities
Communication
Communication
Communication services are about the transmission of words, messages, facts, and ideas. The invention of writing was a turning point — it allowed messages to be preserved, but for a long time, sending them depended entirely on physical transport. Messages were carried by hand, on animals, by boat, road, rail, and later by air. This is why all forms of transport are also called lines of communication.
Where the transport network is efficient, communications spread easily. But modern developments — especially mobile telephony and satellites — have made communications independent of transport. You can now send a message instantly without moving anything physically.
Even so, older systems are not fully abandoned. Because they are cheap, very large volumes of mail continue to be handled by post offices all over the world. The old and new systems coexist.
Some communication services discussed in the textbook
- Postal services — still handle huge volumes of mail globally, thanks to their low cost.
- Telecommunication services — include mobile telephony and satellite-based communication, which have broken the link between communication and transport. …