The word telecommunication was adapted from the French word télécommunication. It is a compound of the Greek prefix tele- meaning 'far off', and the Latin communicare, meaning 'to share'. Telecommunication is the assisted transmission over a distance for the purpose of communication. Telecommunication is an important part of the world economy.  Technological evolution, the driving force behind the growth of the telecommunications industry, continues to change the way we communicate. Transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication, has taken the whole world by its grip. It has made the world come closer. India’sTelecom sector is third largest network in the world. Subscriber numbers already crossed 250 million. Average growth rate of over 40% in respect of subscribers. Monthly additions of above 7 million phones. Growth impetus from wireless segment with 84% wireless and 16% wired. National teledensity at 26%. Rural teledensity stands at 7%, while the urban at 57%. Further access is provided by 54 lakh PCOs and 5 lakh VPTs. 9 million Internet and 2.5 million broadband subscribers. In recent years, the Indian telecom industry has witnessed phenomenal growth. A conducive business environment, favourable demographic outlook and the political stability enjoyed by the country have contributed to the growth of the industry. The Indian telecom market generated revenues of approximately USD 32 billion in 2007–08. It registered a CAGR of approximately 32 percent from 2002–03 to 2007–08. The CAGR from 2008–08 to 2011–12 is expected to stabilise at 21 percent. Apart from mobile telephony services, other value-added services are also gaining importance.

Those who want make their career in telecommunication should have all round capabilities and knowledge about the various aspects of telecommunications. The should take the courses that  pay attention to both the hardware and software sides of telecommunication. Particular emphasis should be placed on wireless communication, mobile telephony, GSM architecture, internet protocol media system, CDMA, GPRS network, symbian operating system, voice over internet protocol, designing optical networks and understanding and designing data network etc. In addition to one should also hone in one’s skill in project management.

The minimum eligibility criterion for pursuing certificate, Degree and Diploma course is 10+2 with Physics, Math and chemistry. The degree programmes take 4 years for completion; the duration for certification courses varies from 6 months to 1 year.

The subject of telecommunication is necessarily technical and generally designed by telecommunication engineers. And now a days we are also witnessing the convergence of the Aviation industry with the Telecommunications worldwide. Hence, there is great need for Telecom Jobs in India and abroad. A career in telecom demands high level of project management skills. The industry is always in search of Project Management Professionals at every functional level with right mix of skills. However, there is scope for Support Staff also who are not much qualified. Telecommunication jobs are distributed in several employment sectors within the industry: wired and wireless telecom, resellers, satellite, cable and other telecom providers, for example. The increased use of wireless communication in the past decade has made wireless telecom carriers the largest employment sector in the industry, followed by wired telecom. Professionals are employed from all occupations. 17% are engaged in technical positions of computer software engineering, computer programming, network systems and data communications analysis. As significant growth in wireless, cable and satellite technology, high-speed voice, video, graphics and other data services mark the future of the industry, many new telecommunication job opportunities will avail themselves to aspiring engineers and computer professionals.

Institutes offering graduation degree courses in telecommunication are :

Assam Engineering College

Army Institute of Technology

Babasaheb Naik College of Engineering

Bangalore Institute of Technology

Bangalore Institute of Aeronautical Engineering and Information Technology

Bharati Vidyapeeth’s College Of Engineering

Bengal Engineering College

BMS Institute of Technology

BMS College of Engineering

Dayanand Sagar College of Engineering

Dr.Ambedkar Institute of Technology