Communication Technologies of Charted Space

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Communications Technologies are one of the fundamental cornerstones of advanced sophont societies. Being to communicate more effectively, more quickly, and over longer distances will revolutionize any society and civilization.

Please see the following AAB articles for more information:

Description (Specifications)

One of the Three Prime Technologies of a sophont civilization is: communications. Being able to coordinate and collaborate societies and peoples can be incredibly powerful. More efficient communicators hold distinct advantages over their lessers.

Data Transfer Protocols

Due to the vast differences in technological capability amongst the many worlds of Charted Space, the IISS long ago set up input/output (I/O) data transfer protocols by TL for Imperium wide usage. It is often a point of great pride for a world to upgrade its communication net to a higher technology level.

Media Formats

Nearly every World-System contains media specific to its locality with local news prevailing as the primary news content. But while there are literally thousands of various news sources, a very few, perhaps a hundred or so across Charted Space dominate the newsways and they are actively sought out by discerning sophonts everywhere.

Media Formats
Name Sense/s Author/s Remarks
Holovid Datanet Multiple Various Holovid is the preferred media technology of the more advanced worlds of the Third Imperium. Advanced high definition TL-15 Holovid programming and services are only available on the most advanced worlds.
Periodicals Multiple Various Even in an age of extremely advanced communications technologies, periodicals have managed to survive. Most exist in several media fornats, but they survive as semi-regular sources of information.
Hard Copy Publications Visual Various One might think that in a world capable of TL-15 technology, physical data formats might have been declared obsolete long ago, but the lasting value of these classic formats never has.
Audio-data Audio Various While many of Charted Space's youth expect cutting edge Holovid and Tri-D, some sophonts still prefer venerable audio recordings available on cheap readily available data crystals or on other media formats.

Epochal Communications Technology Periods

Imperial society often categorizes communication technologies by chronological epochs and periods.

Epochal Technological Periods Overview: Communications
Period Name Period's (TLs) Technology Scope Period Remarks
Proto-Sophontic

(Emergent)

TL-0 Proto-tech Very early societies with basic language. (Alpha Period) Physiological Age: sophonts communicate using the apparati with which they were born as evolved by their species: typically voice and body language.
Low Sophontic

(Foundational)

TL-1-9 Ur-tech Foundational technologies with planetary-systemic (intrastellar) scope such as radio, telegraphs, etc.. (Ur Period) Radio Age
Meso-Sophontic

(Stellar)

TL-10-18 Stell-tech Interstellar technologies with an polystellar (intragalactic) scope such as tachyon, meson, and pre-FTL communications devices. (Stellar Period) Meson Age
High Sophontic

(Galactic)

TL-19-27 Ultra-tech Galactic technologies with a polygalactic scope. Distances now require pseudoreality avatars and ways to effectively communicate across vast distances despite the lack of FTL commo devices. (Galactic Period) Pseudoreality Age
Ascendant

(Astrodeific)

TL-28-30 Dei-Tech Astrodeific technologies with a universal scope. The first Ansibles hypothetically come of age. (Transgalactic Period) FTL Ansible?
  • Charted Space thirsts for an instantaneous FTL communications device, popularly known to Anglic speakers as the Ansible. Such a device would revolutionize interstellar society. However, even after millennia of research, the tried and trustworthy Meson Communicator is still the most capable communications device to be had. And its capabilites still fall considerably short of instantaneous and FTL.
Transcendent

(Bhodhisattivan)

TL-31-33 Omni-tech Bhodhisattivan technologies with a polytemporal, trans-dimensional scope. (Omega Period) Unimaginable.

History & Background (Dossier)

Most sophontologists agree that one of the keys to a species achieving sophonce is language. And one of the biggest aspects of sophonce is the use of technology. All sophont species to date, use various technologies to enhance their natural language abilities from the most basic smoke signals to the most advanced meson communicators. And yet the holy grail of communications, the Ansible, a faster than light communications system, still eludes TL-15 science.

Media Technologies of the Second Millenium

Some of the more common media technologies available to the inhabitants of Charted Space include the following. Reckoning by Imperial calendar of the Third Imperium:

Future Communications Technologies

Research is currently being conducted to discover a FTL communications device that might become the Ansible. Many of these research laboratories are probing the depths of jumpspace hoping for a breakthrough. Other research directions have also been pursued, but many of these studies remain under the strictest security and are classified highly secret.

References & Contributors (Sources)

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