About this Course

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It is hard to imagine life without your Smartphone – you have come to rely on it so much – for your work; to stay in touch with family and friends; to capture and share those special moments; to find your way around in a new neighborhood. Did you ever wonder how and when all this happened? Or how and when GPS sensors came to be in your cell phone?
In this course, we will explore the convergence of multiple disciplines leading to todays’ Smartphones.  You will learn about the birth and evolution of Telephony Networks, Broadcast Networks (TV and Radio) and Consumer Electronics.  We will discuss the impact of Internet, (multimedia) content, smartphones and apps on everyday lives. We will then look at how this emerging platform called the Internet of Things – wherein billions and trillions of devices communicating with each other and “the cloud” – could enable unprecedented, innovative products and services.   Take this course if you want to understand what great new advances in mobile-enabled products will be coming our way!

Learning Goals: This course provides a core grounding in how science and technology have developed to enable the Internet of Things – in a way appropriate for any learner.  For those interested in developing further hands-on expertise in designing and developing for the Internet of Things, this course will provide a context to the discoveries and converging technologies that will springboard the next round of innovations.  After completing this course, you will be able to:

1.	Compare how the telephone system works (that is, peer-to-peer networks) with how media delivery works (that is, broadcast/multicast networks).
2.	Explain the tradeoffs between circuit switched networks (that is, dedicated resources) and packet switched networks (that is, shared resources).
3.	Tell interesting stories about key innovations that transformed the communications, entertainment and consumer electronics industries.
4.	Explain how email, YouTube, SMS, etc. work.
5.	Find resources for those wishing to do more of a “deep-dive” into the above topics.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Approx. 20 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Approx. 20 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.04/5 (119 Ratings)

Harinath Garudadri

Associate Research Scientist

Qualcomm Institute of Calit2, UC, San Diego

113,417 Learners

9 Courses

Ganz Chockalingam

Principal Engineer

Qualcomm Institute of Calit2, UC, San Diego

113,417 Learners

9 Courses

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating89%(5,866 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

3 hours to complete

Welcome

3 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 34 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

4 hours to complete

Circuit Switched Networks

4 hours to complete

20 videos (Total 68 min), 3 readings, 5 quizzes

20 videos

Module 1 Overview36sIntroduction to Lesson 125sWe love to talk2mBirth of the Telephone6mControl Plane7mData Plane6mIntroduction to Lesson 224sBroadcast Innovations9mBroadcast Industry2mContent is King2mIntroduction to Lesson 344sSampling: Analog <-- --> Digital4mAudio and Speech Coding7mShannon: Information Theory4mTransistor1mC and UNIX1mIntroduction to Lesson 433sRegulated Monopoly2mBreakup of AT&T4mImpact on Research1m

3 readings

History of Bell Systems10mAT&T System in 195310mMore optional reading10m

5 practice exercises

Lesson 130mLesson 230mLesson 330mLesson 430mModule 130m

3 hours to complete

Packet Switched Networks

3 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 37 min), 1 reading, 4 quizzes

Week2

Week 2

4 hours to complete

Computer Telephony

The convergence begins! Computers and telephones start working together which served a great opportunity for business in many ways. Imagine a world without caller ID or voicemail, scary isn’t it? Telephony begins to take the digital route, which brings a whole new experience in telecommunications. The digitization of telephones wasn’t all positive, for it created the possibility of hackers accessing personal information.

4 hours to complete

15 videos (Total 21 min), 1 reading, 6 quizzes

15 videos

Module 3 Overview1mIntroduction to Lesson 125sData Plane2mControl Plane3mIntroduction to Lesson 240sThe Big 51mPower Shift1mIntroduction to Lesson 334sMessage Machine2mInteractive Voice Response1mCall Centers3mIntroduction to Lesson 433sWhat happened to the dial tone?55sThe 911 Fiasco1mHackers get into your phone1m

1 reading

Pre-Module reading on the Carterphone10m

5 practice exercises

Lesson 130mLesson 230mLesson 330mLesson 430mModule 330m

3 hours to complete

Wireless Technologies

3 hours to complete

21 videos (Total 46 min), 1 reading, 6 quizzes

21 videos

Module 4 Overview34sIntroduction to Lesson 131sWhy would someone want to walk around with a phone?2mAT&T almost missed the boat!3mIntroduction to Lesson 21mLeveraging Telephony Infrastructure for Mobility4mBilling and Prepaid2mIntroduction to Lesson 358sGet more spectrum2mImproving Spectral Efficiency3mReduce data rate for each voice call8m3G and 4G evolution6mIntroduction to Lesson 41mWiFi1mBluetooth51sOther low power radios1mIntroduction to Lesson 552sTelephony 1-to-11mBroadcast 1-to-N44sSensor Networks N-to-151sA platform for IoT1m

1 reading

Further reading on 1G and 2G cellular10m

6 practice exercises

Lesson 110mLesson 210mLesson 330mLesson 410mLesson 530mModule 430m

2 hours to complete

Features and Apps

2 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 27 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes

3 hours to complete

Future Outlook

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 55 min), 1 reading, 3 quizzes

Reviews

3.9

338 reviews

5 stars
47.73%
4 stars
22.99%
3 stars
12.55%
2 stars
6.83%
1 star
9.87%

TOP REVIEWS FROM INTERNET OF THINGS: HOW DID WE GET HERE?

by ZKAug 28, 2020

I think there has been excessive introductory to the IoT. Like all modules before module 5 were somehow just information.

by SWNov 3, 2016

Very interesting historical references and the framing of the IoT story around the convergence of technologies was well received by me.

by RWSep 15, 2016

Initially gets very boring but at the end gives you more information about where to orient yourself, some useful information,

by SJMay 6, 2017

It was a wonderfull experience to learn IOT with all of YOU and it was totally a pleasure for me to attend the sessions!

Thanks for making me a part of that!

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
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What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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Internet of Things: How did we get here?

About this Course