India's 162 year old telegram service (1851-2013) had come to an end on July 14, 2013. At this juncture, I wondered how many of us know how the telephone system worked, especially in the 1970's or 1980's, where telephones were not available in our residences.
If you need need to make a long distance call, to your relative residing in a farther location, all you need to do was to walk up to your nearest Postal and Telegraph office, and the following process ensues.
- At your nearest postal and telegraph office, you book a 'trunk call' by giving your relative's name and full residential address (and your details too) to the operator or clerk there. You may also have to typically pay an advance amount of Rs.10/- (Remember this was during 1980's).
- The operator then calls your relative's corresponding postal and telegraph office and informs about your and your relative's details to the operator and asks them to inform your relative.
- A person from your relative's postal and telegraph office then goes to the residence of your relative and informs him about your call, and requests the relative to come to the office to speak with you.
- After your relative goes to his local postal and telegraph office, the operator informs your operator and then the call is initiated, generally by you (as the caller) and you communicate. Billing is based on "caller pays", though I am not sure of the rates, and had felt it was generally low - even in 80's - and have felt that it in many occasions the operator will refund you the money you paid.
In three decades, the voice communications have evolved drastically from the above scenario to landline telephones becoming affordable, telephone booths at every corner, and the arrival of mobile phones that have wiped out both of the above and converted it from a family device to a personal device and future looks bright for mobiles with 4G and LTE knocking at our doors .. oops ... mobiles.
