November1850 The first Experimental Electric Telegraph Line was started between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour.
***************************************************************************
October
1851 The Line completed and opened for East India Company�s traffic.
***************************************************************************
April
1852 Dr. O�Shaughnessy�s report on successful working of the experimental Line landed before the Bengal Govt.
***************************************************************************
November
1953 Construction started of 4,000 miles of telegraph lines connecting Calcutta and Peshawar in the north via Agra and Bombay through Sindwa Ghats, Bombay and Madras in the South as well as Ootacamund and Bangalore.
**************************************************************************
October
1854 The first Telegraph Act enacted.
***************************************************************************
February
**************************************************************************1855 Electric telegraph opened to public traffic.
***************************************************************************
1857 The �Mutiny�.
Electric Telegraph saved India� � Dalhousie.
***************************************************************************
1858 First Indo-Ceylon cable laid
***************************************************************************
January
**************************************************************************1865
First Indo-European telegraph communication effected.
***************************************************************************
1867 A new cable laid between India and Ceylon.
***************************************************************************
1871 International Telegraph Conference at Berne and Rome.
***************************************************************************
October
**************************************************************************1872 Interference to Telegraph Working by Magnetic Storm.
***************************************************************************
1873 Duplex Telegraphy introduced in India between Bombay and Calcutta
***************************************************************************
1873 Indigenous manufacture of cables for river crossing by Telegraph Workshops, Alipore.
**************************************************************************
August
1875 The first Private Telephone line supplied by the Telegraph department.
***************************************************************************
August
1877 Indian Telegraph Department erected telegraph line between
Srinagar and Gilgit on behalf of the Maharaja of Kashmir.
**************************************************************************
1878 For the first time (except the first year) the receipt of the Indian
Telegraph Department exceeded the expenses, netting a surplus
Of Rs. 182,128.
***************************************************************************
July
1880 I.T.D. transferred responsibility of the Ceylon Telegraph System
and offices to the Ceylon Government.
***************************************************************************
November
1881 Licences granted to Private Companies to operate Telephone
Systems at Madras, Bombay, Rangoon, Calcutta.
**************************************************************************
January
1882 Opening of telephone exchange at Bombay.
***************************************************************************
October
1885 Upper Burma Campaign � I.T.D. helps in providing communi- cations for swift advance.
Introduction of Quadruplex telegraphy and copper wire for transmission.
***************************************************************************
1886 Copper wire for transmission between Bombay and Madras
instead of iron wire.
**************************************************************************
1887 Facilities afforded to Indian Meteorological Service for communicating �Storm Signals� to all places.
**************************************************************************
1888 Post Office and Telegraph Department combined as quasi- commercial departments.
**************************************************************************
JANUARY
1889 Death of Dr. O�Shaughnessy at Southern.
**************************************************************************
1892-95 Construction and control of Telegraph System of Kashmir State by I.T.D.
*************************************************************************
1895-96 Phonograms introduced for the first time at Bombay and Calcutta.
*************************************************************************
1902 First wireless telegraph station established between Saugor Islands and Sandheads.
**************************************************************************
1903Field Telegraphs for Sikkim, Tibet.
**************************************************************************
1903 Reorganisation of Superior Establishment in Telegraph.
Departmental Wireless Telegraph introduced.
**************************************************************************
1904 Wireless Telegraph introduced between Elephant Point and Amherst.
**************************************************************************
1905 Control of Telegraph Department transferred from P.W.D. to Commerce and Industry Department, except for matters connected with Buildings and Electricity.
**************************************************************************
1906 Baudot system introduced between Calcutta and Bombay, and
Calcutta and Rangoon.
**************************************************************************
August
1907 Central Battery working of telephones was first introduced in Kanpur.
**************************************************************************
DECEMBER
**************************************************************************1907 Women signalers employed for the first time.
**************************************************************************
1907-08 Wireless Telegraph working between Diamond Islands and Port Blair were successful during the nights of cold weather.
**************************************************************************
1908 Wheatstone working between London and Calcutta, Madras and Rangoon.
**************************************************************************
1909
Wireless Telegraph Traffic was maintained with ships at-sea from Calcutta stations at Diamond Island, Table Island, etc.
**************************************************************************
April
1910 Birth of Technical Branch as a separate organization for dealing with the technical matters under Electrical Engineer-in- Chief.
**************************************************************************
DECEMBER
1910 Telegraph Department awarded a gold medal in the United Provinces Exhibition held at Allahabad.
**************************************************************************
1910-11Introduction of Circle Scheme in the department and decentralization.
**************************************************************************
1912-14 Amalgamation of Postal and Telegraph Department under a single Director-General. Reversion of control of P&T again to P.W.D.
**************************************************************************
1913-14 First automatic exchange at Simla with a capacity of 700 lines with 400 actual connections.
**************************************************************************
1914-18 Production of war materials by Workshops.
**************************************************************************
APRIL
1919
Lady operators employed in Simla Exchange.
**************************************************************************
1920 Madras-Port Blair route for Wireless Telegraph opened.
**************************************************************************
May
1921 Recurrence of Magnetic Storm after a period of 50 years. Telegraph Traffic in south India interrupted.
**************************************************************************
AUGUST**************************************************************************
1921 National Cash Registers introduced in Calcutta C.T.O. for the first time.
**************************************************************************
1921Continuous wave transmitters for wireless telegraphy replaces
the spark transmitters.
**************************************************************************
1921Introduction of R.A.X. at Poona.
**************************************************************************
1922 Department erected a line for Tibetan Government from Gyantse to Lhassa.
**************************************************************************
1923
Long distance dialing (90 miles) introduced between Lahore and Lyallpur.
**************************************************************************
1923 First Trunk Telephone Circuit in Burma established between Rangoon and Pegu.
**************************************************************************
1923-24 152 questions relating to Department were asked and answered in the Legislative Assembly.
**************************************************************************
1924 Floods and cyclone interrupted Telegraph Traffic throughout India.
**************************************************************************
Ist April**************************************************************************
1925 Accounts of the Department re-constituted on the basis of a full-fledged commercial unit.
**************************************************************************
1925-26Conversion of Delhi Manual system to Auto System.Deluxe telegrams for greeting messages with foreign countries introduced.
**************************************************************************
23rd July
1927 Radio-Telegraph started working between U.K. and India. The beam station at Kirkee and Dhond opened by Lord Irwin and greetings exchanged with the King of England.
**************************************************************************
May
1933 Radio-Telephone communications between England and India opened by India Radio and Cable Communication Co. Special Trunk Exchange was installed at Kirkee.
**************************************************************************
December**************************************************************************
1936 Indo-Burma Radio-Telephone service started functioning between Madras and Rangoon.
**************************************************************************
1936-37 Use of Trunk Lines for broadcasting programmes introduced.
**************************************************************************
1937 Burma and Aden Telegraph Systems, which were a part of Indian Telegraph System, separated.
**************************************************************************
1937 Deluxe Telegram with foreign countries introduced.
**************************************************************************
1938-39 Construction of short wave and medium wave wireless telegraph receivers in a number of stations and direction finding stations at Gaya and Allahabad.
**************************************************************************
1940 Introduction of �Urgent Private Inland Trunk Calls�. Overseas Telephone Service temporarily suspended due to war conditions.
**************************************************************************
1942 Bombay Australian wireless Telegraphic service inaugurated.
**************************************************************************
February **************************************************************************
1942 Bombay-China Wireless Service inaugurated. Training center at Calcutta transferred to Jabalpur.
**************************************************************************
1942 The Bombay Telephone Workshop was taken over by the I.T.D.
**************************************************************************
1943 The Jabalpur Telegraph Workshop started.
**************************************************************************
1943The Bombay, Calcutta and Madras Telephone Systems were taken over by I.T.D.
**************************************************************************
1942-47 Telecommunication Development Scheme came into operation.
A Telecommunication Development Board was set up.
**************************************************************************
August
1944 Bombay-New York Wirless Telegraph Service was commissioned into service.
**************************************************************************
September**************************************************************************
1944 Second civilian outlet to U.K., Delhi and London Wireless Telegraph Service inaugurated.
**************************************************************************
1947 India was represented at the important Atlantic City International
Radio Conference.
**************************************************************************
1947Direct Telephone link to Kashmir and Assam.
**************************************************************************
1947 The late Sardar Patel launched Jalaprabha on Telephone Carrier Channel and Wireless.
**************************************************************************
1st June
1949 Introduction of Hindi telegram in Devanagari script.
***************************************************************************
DECEMBER
************************************************************************** 1949 �Own Your Telephone� Scheme inaugurated.
**************************************************************************
1949 Wireless Station commenced functioning at Srinagar.
**************************************************************************
1949-50 State Merger Scheme; the P&T gradually took over the respective
State P&T Systems.
**************************************************************************
January
1950 India-Afghanistan Wireless Telegraph Service inaugurated. Radio-Telephone Service between India and Nepal inaugurated.
**************************************************************************
May-June
1950 Coastal Wireless Stations at Karwar, Ratnagiri and Mangalore started.
**************************************************************************
October
1950 The Wireless Telephone Service between Indonesia and India opened.
***************************************************************************
NOVEMBER
**************************************************************************1950 Private Priority Telegram introduced.
**************************************************************************
1950 �Own Your Telephone Exchange� Scheme began to operate.
**************************************************************************
December
1950
�Telegraph Wires (Unlawful possession) of 1950, Act was passed by Parliament.
**************************************************************************
March
1951 The First Asian Games held at Delhi was conveyed by a direct Radio telephoto service between India and Japan.
Innovation of Radio-Telephoto Service.
**************************************************************************
December
1951 Launching of S.S. Jalapushpa of Scindia Steam Navigation Company at Vizagapatam by Shri N.V. Gadgil from Bombay through telegraph circuits.
Wireless Telegraph link to Thailand.
**************************************************************************
June
1951 Wireless Telegraph link to Moscow.
**************************************************************************
July
1951 Wireless Telegraph and Telephone link to Egypt.
First Toll Cable : Delhi-Ghaziabad.
**************************************************************************
September
1951 Wireless Telegraph and Telephone link to Iceland.
**************************************************************************
Mar/Aug
**************************************************************************1952 Wireless Telephone link to Iran/Japan.
**************************************************************************
1953 12 channel carrier systems introduced.
**************************************************************************
1953 First Automatic Exchange in Calcutta. Telex Service in Bombay.
First 12-Channel Carrier Systems. Introduction of Frequency Modulation. Mechanisation of Telephone Revenue Accounting.
**************************************************************************
July
1959 First Coaxial route between Delhi-Agra commissioned.
**************************************************************************
November
1960 First subscriber trunk dialing route commissioned between Kanpur and Lucknow
**************************************************************************
December**************************************************************************
1965 First microwave route between Calcutta-Asansol opened
**************************************************************************
February
1967 First crossbar-local exchange commissioned at Mambalam � Madras.
**************************************************************************
December
1967 First crossbar trunk automatic exchange out into service at Madras
***************************************************************************
March
***************************************************************************1975 First PCM system between city and Andheri telephone exchanges commissioned in Mumbai.
�Advanced Level Telecom Training Centre� commenced training activities from Delhi to be eventually shifted to its own campus in Ghaziabad.
**************************************************************************
1976
Installation of SPC gateway telex exchange and introduction of International Subscriber dialed telex service.
First Digital Microwave System introduced in Calcutta Junction network
**************************************************************************
1978 Introduction of Press Bulletin Service (PBS).
�Telecommunications Consultants India Limited� set up in the public sector to provide consultancy services in telecommunications
**************************************************************************
1979 First optic fibre system for local junction commissioned at Pune.
**************************************************************************
1980 First satellite earth station for domestic communications established at Secunderabad (U.P.)
**************************************************************************
1981
Troposcatter system link between India and U.S.S.R. inaugurated.
**************************************************************************
1982
First SPC electronic digital telex exchange commissioned at Bombay.
**************************************************************************
1983 First SPC analogue electronic trunk automatic exchange commissioned at Bombay.
**************************************************************************
1984 �Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) was established as a society for development of digital switching system.
**************************************************************************
1985 First Mobile Telephone Service introduced at Delhi.
First Radio Paging introduced in Delhi.
**************************************************************************
1986 �Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited� and�Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited� were established.
**************************************************************************
1987 First digital coaxial 140 Mb/s between Ahmedabad and Rajkot commissioned.
**************************************************************************
1988 International gateway packet switch system commissioned at Bombay.
**************************************************************************
1991 I-Net exchange commissioned.
Inmarsat coastal earth station at ARVI to provide maritime communication.
Voice Mail Service (VMS) introduced in Delhi.
***************************************************************************
1994 Announcement of National Telecom Policy.
Cellular telephone service started in Calcutta and Delhi.
Internet service provided by VSNL.
ISDN service started commercially.
***************************************************************************
1995 The �Telecom Regulatory Authority of India� wasset up.
Wireless in Local Loop (WLL) telephone system introduced in MTNL Delhi.
Indo � Nepal Optical Fibre link Commissioned.
Basic Telecom Services opened for private competition.
***************************************************************************
1998 New ISP Policy was announced.
**************************************************************************
1999 New Telecom Policy .
DOT is separated into two organs- DTS and DTO.
**************************************************************************
2000 Telecom disputes, settlement and Appellate Tribunal was established.
National Long Distance Service opened for private competition.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is born.
**************************************************************************
2001 Convergence Bill to promote, facilitate and develop the carriage and content of communications tabled in the Parliament.
Policy for GMPCS service has been announced.
Policy for PMRTS has been announced.
Policy for UMS was announced.
**************************************************************************
2002 VSNL came under private management.
International Long Distance Service opened for private competition.
Internet telephony was started.
**************************************************************************
3G in india is going to be launched within 2 to 3 months.