Electronic communication is ubiquitous in homes, offices and urban environments. You probably regularly use mobile devices, Wi-Fi and broadband. What makes such forms of communication possible? How do they relate to each other? Why is their performance so variable? This module gives you an insight into these and other questions by looking at the fundamental principles of communications technologies. Through these principles, you’ll gain an insight into the possibilities and constraints of modern communications technology.
What you will study
Block 1
Block 1 concerns the physical aspects of signals and their environment. You will study the theory and practice of signals (such as how electrical and radio signals can represent data), the propagation of signals through space and materials, and the physical media used to convey signals, such as optical fibres, free space and conducting materials. Issues of noise and spectrum availability are ever-present because they limit what is possible. Accordingly, you will study and use Shannon’s theorem, which specifies the maximum rate at which information can be sent over a channel of a specified bandwidth in the presence of noise. You will also study some concepts from Fourier’s theorem, which shows how an information-bearing signal occupies a band of frequencies rather than a single frequency.
Block 2
The second block concerns the nature and types of codes used to represent digital data. Although digital data is thought of as a succession of zeros and ones, the way those zeros and ones represent data needs ingenuity because perfect transmission in the presence of electrical noise (or interference) is impossible, and noise is unavoidable. In practice, the probability of error must be made sufficiently low, and this is achieved by error-detecting and error-correcting codes, which add extra zeros and ones to the data. You will study some primary coding methods used to add resilience to signals. You will also look at some techniques used to reduce the amount of data imperceptibly so that files can be compressed.
Block 3
The final block looks at the principal types of access networks in use. These are the networks used to connect users to the primary data and telephony trunk routes. They include mobile data (3G, 4G and 5G), DSL broadband (the type delivered over a user’s fixed-line telephone connection), Wi-Fi, optical fibre and coaxial cable. The basic principles are covered to uncover their similarities (such as the increasing adoption of orthogonal frequency division techniques) and the factors that affect the performance of these types of networks. The block concludes by examining the implementation of security and virtual private networks in teleworking.
Entry requirements
You must have passed one of the following modules:
You should understand the distinction between analogue and digital, and be familiar with:
using of binary numbers to represent digital data
sines and cosines.
You should also understand and be able to perform basic manipulation of algebraic terms and to read graphs with linear and logarithmic scales.
We recommend Communication and information technologies (TM255) as suitable preparation.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
marking your assignments and offering detailed feedback to help you improve
providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content
guiding you to additional learning resources
facilitating online discussions between your fellow students in the dedicated forums.
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Assessment
Course work includes:
3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
Examination
We regularly review the assessments in our modules, so we may update the examination method used for this module to an in-person exam or an online invigilated exam. When we are making such a change, we will make it clear on this page. If we need to make a change after you have registered, we will notify you as soon as possible. If you have additional requirements, we will support you to complete your assessments.
What's included
You’ll have access to a module website, which includes:
a week-by-week study planner
course-specific module materials
audio and video content
assessment details and submission section
online tutorial access
access to student forums.
Additionally, the website includes:
online activities and quizzes.
We also provide physical:
module books.
You will need
a scientific calculator.
Computing requirements
Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer with at least 8 GB of RAM and a quad-core processor (2.4 GHz minimum speed). It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
Operating systems – Windows 11 or the latest supported macOS.
Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended; Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.
Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
Software – Any additional software will be provided or is generally available for free.
If you have a disability
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying TM355 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
Future availability
Communications technology (TM355) starts once a year – in October.
It will next start in October 2027.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2030.