Telecommunication literally means communication over distance.
Quick and accurate communication is very important in society and to the economy, as well as to the military. The invention of the telegraph and telephone made communication faster and easier. Without the telegraph and telephone, America would most certainly not be as technologically advanced as it is today. However, slow and faulty communication was an obstacle that America had to overcome in its infancy. The means of communication before the telegraph and telephone were primitive by today's standards.