engineering

Long line (telecommunications)

Long line (telecommunications) is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Long line (telecommunications) rather than just read about it. In short: In telecommunications, a long line is a transmission line in a long-distance communications network such as carrier systems, microwave radio relay links, geosynchronous satellite links, underground cables, aerial cables and open wire, and submarine communications cables. Microwave networks In the United States, the term gain visibility through the establishment of AT&T Long Lines division of the Bell System in 1947…

Key takeaways

Long line (telecommunications) belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Long line (telecommunications) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Long line (telecommunications) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In telecommunications, a long line is a transmission line in a long-distance communications network such as carrier systems, microwave radio relay links, geosynchronous satellite links, underground cables, aerial cables and open wire, and submarine communications cables.

Microwave networks In the United States, the term gain visibility through the establishment of AT&T Long Lines division of the Bell System in 1947 when a radio relay between New York and Boston that was made up of seven radio relay stations was inaugurated. The division was subsequently spun out as AT&T Long Distance with the breakup of AT&T in 1984. Though supplanted by fiber-optic networks for long-distance communications, private microwave networks between key stock markets within United States and within Europe gained popularity among high-frequency traders after 2010 as it has significantly lower levels of latency compared with fiber networks.

References

See also Long-haul communications Long-distance calling

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Long line (telecommunications)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Long line (telecommunications) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Long line (telecommunications) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Long line (telecommunications) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Long line (telecommunications)

In research: Long line (telecommunications) appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Long line (telecommunications) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Long line (telecommunications) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Communication circuits, Telephony, Telephony stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Long line (telecommunications) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Long line (telecommunications)” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Long line (telecommunications) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Long line (telecommunications) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Long line (telecommunications) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Long line (telecommunications) in simple terms?

Why does Long line (telecommunications) matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Long line (telecommunications)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Long line (telecommunications).