2005 - 150 Years of Telecommunications | Commemorative Coin
Telecommunication, in its broadest sense, encompasses the transmission of information over distances and boasts a captivating history marked by inventors vying for credit. The invention of the electric telephone is a subject of ongoing dispute, with figures like Charles Bourseul, Antonio Meucci, Johann Philipp Reis, Alexander Graham Bell, and Elisha Gray all laying claim to its creation. The early history of the telephone is a complex tapestry of conflicting assertions, exacerbated by numerous lawsuits attempting to settle patent disputes among individuals and commercial competitors. Notably, the Bell and Edison patents emerged as commercially decisive, establishing dominance in telephone technology through court decisions.
The evolution of telecommunication in India witnessed a gradual and challenging initiation. In 1850, the inaugural experimental electric telegraph line connected Kolkata and Diamond Harbor, becoming operational for the British East India Company in 1851. At its inception, the Posts and Telegraphs department occupied a modest space within the Public Works Department.
The transformative journey gained momentum with the commencement of constructing 6,400 telegraph lines linking Kolkata, Peshawar, Agra, Mumbai, Chennai, Ootacamund, and Bangalore in November 1853. Dr. William O'Shaughnessy, a trailblazer in Indian telegraph and telephone development affiliated with the Public Works Department, played a pivotal role during this period.
The year 1854 witnessed the establishment of a dedicated department as telegraph facilities became accessible to the public. Since that epoch, the trajectory of telecommunication in India has traversed a considerable distance, marking a remarkable journey from its modest origins to the sophisticated and interconnected landscape we experience today.
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