8.4 Ship-Ground Communications

The next higher organizational level for the overall communications system involved contact and information exchange between the starship and planetside personnel and remote equipment.

Communications external to the starship are routed from the main computers to the radio frequency and subspace radio system nodes. While the term 'radio' is somewhat of an anachronism, since visual data is included nowadays in transmissions, it nevertheless continues to describe best the basic function of the system. Normal radio frequencies are set aside as backups to the primary subspace bands, though RF is in continued use by numerous cultures maintaining relations with the Federation, and sometimes the ship's got to use this. Besides, intrasystem communications can be used inside solar systems if the normal subspace bands are unavailable.