telecomn.
/ˈtɛlᵻkɒm/, U.S. /ˈtɛləˌkɑm/ 1. In plural. Telecommunications; the transmission of information by telephone, radio, (in later use) the internet, etc.; the systems, technology, or industry connected to this. Frequently attributive. Cf. telecommunication n. 2.With plural or (in later use also) singular agreement.
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1952 N.Y. Times 24 Nov. 4/2 We [sc. the United Nations] will have to face a decision on whether or not to establish our own telecoms.
1963 Telecoms Topics Aug. 1 This new publication, Telecoms Topics,..will contain the latest information about..G.E.C. Telecommunications.
1981 Economist 24 Jan. 100/1 Every big telecoms company is evaluating bubbles (or already buying them) for use in private branch exchanges.
1988 Computer Weekly 19 May 23/1 Only British Telecom and Mercury have telecomms licences.
2016 Financial Times 12 May 8 While Brussels has competition oversight, mobile telecoms is largely a national preserve in terms of regulation and spectrum provision.
2. Telecommunication; the transmission of information by telephone, radio, (in later use) the internet, etc. Also: a company operating in the telecommunications industry. Frequently (and in earliest use) attributive. Cf. telecommunication n. 1.Also in the names of telecommunications companies, esp. British Telecom, the trading name until 1991 for the U.K. company which now officially trades as BT, although the earlier name is still often used.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > telecommunication > [noun]
telecommunication1904
communication1932
telecom1953
1953 Washington Post 22 Aug. 5/6 (heading) W. A. Porter gets ‘Telecom’ post in ODM [= Office of Defense Mobilization].
1970 T. Lilley Projects Section v. 45 That patrol..was now accompanied by telecom and explosive experts.
1995 Guardian 1 May i. 4/4 Michelle Smith..traced the call through British Telecom's 1471 service.
2001 Red Herring Nov. 49/1 Companies like HP and IBM, in tandem with large telecoms like Qwest, will offer computing on-tap.
2013 New Yorker 25 Nov. 46/1 The ‘information sector’ of the economy—which includes publishing, software, data services, and telecom—has barely grown since the late eighties.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1952