We are in a networking age, where computer networking developments affect all aspects of life, technology, and industry. They have impacted education and research as well.The time between research and productization has narrowed. Over the last few years, hyping the impact of networking technology has lead to the so called "hype cycle of technology."

After a general discussion of networking and its impact, we discuss the recent developments in optical and wireless networking. In optical networking, the industry has moved away from core networking issues to metro and access issues. These developments are described.

In wireless networking, the aspects of broadband access, mobility and handoff are becoming important. These and other hot telecom issues are discussed.

Presentation slides in Adobe Acrobat format 1 slide/page (662,228 bytes, 33 pages)