Communications officers, now increasingly rare in Starfleet, are officers dedicated to the task of communications, both internal and external.
With communications equipment becomming more sophisticated and easier to use, the task of communications is often given to the Chief Security Officer or Operations Officer, especially on smaller ships. Some larger ships and many stations still utilize a dedicated communications officer, the latter often employing entire teams for the purpose of traffic control.
Communications Officers are expected to be experts in both the operation and maintenance of communication systems, and be fluent in several languages (often to include Klingon and Romulan dialects, in addition to Federation Standard). These officers typically have better than average hearing, and may be required to pick out voices from distorted signals or otherwise hampered communications.
Examples of Communications Officers:[]
- Hoshi Sato
- Nyota Uhura
- M'ress
- Shay Daly