Communication

Introduction

Historical Progression

Era	Technology	Significance
1800s	Telegraph	Colonisation of America; long-distance control
1900s	Telephone	Urbanisation and centralised corporate control
1990s+	Mobile + Internet	Rural connectivity, global data integration

Optic Fibre Cables (OFCs)

• Replaced old copper wires
• Can transmit vast data volumes with minimal error
• Laid under the sea and on land

🎯 Backbone of modern broadband, streaming, and mobile internet

Satellite Communication – Overcoming Distance

🚀 Began in 1970s, pioneered by USA and USSR

• Used for:
  • TV, Radio, Telecommunication
  • GPS, Weather Forecasting
• Invariance of distance: Costs and time remain the same whether you transmit data over 500 km or 5,000 km.

🇮🇳 India’s Satellite Milestones

Satellite	Launched	Purpose
Aryabhata	1975	First Indian satellite (ISRO)
Bhaskara-I	1979	Earth observation
Rohini	1980	Launch vehicle testing
INSAT Series	1980s onward	Telecommunication, TV, meteorology

These laid the foundation for India’s digital revolution in remote areas.

Cyber Space – The Internet Revolution

Cyberspace = The digital world of data + information + communication

Year	Global Internet Users
1995	~50 million
2000	~400 million
2010	~2 billion
2025 (est.)	~5 billion+

🔄 In 1995, the U.S. had 66% of global users
By 2005, that fell to 25% — Asia (China, India) has taken the lead now.

🟢 Now, cyberspace includes:

• World Wide Web
• Email, E-commerce
• Online Education
• Telemedicine
• Cloud services

Communication Networks

Communication is not just about messages — it’s about connecting lives, governing efficiently, and integrating territories. Especially in a vast and diverse country like India, communication networks are not luxuries, they are necessities.

Let’s explore the three major modes of communication through time and technology.

📻 Radio: The Voice that Reached the Masses

Radio is a classic example of mass communication. But its journey in India is as fascinating as its impact:

• 1923: It all started in Bombay, by a private entity — The Radio Club of Bombay.
• 1930: The British Indian Government realized radio’s potential, took it over, and renamed it the Indian Broadcasting System.
• 1936: The system got a national flavour and identity — All India Radio (AIR).
• 1957: It was further Indianized with a cultural name — Akashvani, which means “celestial announcement”.

👉 Why radio mattered:
Before the age of internet and TV, this was the only way to instantly inform and emotionally unite a diverse population. It was especially important for rural areas, where literacy was low and newspapers ineffective.

📺 Television: From Capital to Countryside

Initially, TV in India was more of an urban phenomenon.

• 1959: Experimental TV services began in Delhi — mostly educational in nature.
• 1976: TV was delinked from AIR and was given a separate identity — Doordarshan (DD).
• 1982 onwards: With the launch of INSAT-1A, India began satellite broadcasting. This allowed Common National Programmes (CNP) to reach even the remotest villages.

🎯 Key Takeaway:
TV in India transitioned from being an elitist source of entertainment to becoming a tool for rural upliftment, education, disaster warnings, agricultural updates, and more.

🛰️ Satellite Communication: The Sky Bridge

Satellite technology is like India’s digital nervous system. It has two major branches:

🚀 (A) Indian National Satellite System (INSAT)

• INSAT, launched in 1983, is a multi-purpose satellite system.
• Uses include:
  • Telecommunication
  • TV broadcasting
  • Direct-To-Home (DTH) services
  • Meteorological data
  • Disaster warning systems
• INSAT and GSAT satellites are placed in Geostationary Orbit, so they hover over a fixed point on Earth, enabling continuous communication.

📌 Significance:
INSAT is among the largest domestic communication satellite systems in the Asia-Pacific region.

📡 (B) Indian Remote Sensing Satellite System (IRS)

This is where India’s Earth Observation capability comes into play.

• Launched first in 1988 (IRS-1A from Russia).
• Managed by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) in Hyderabad.
• IRS satellites carry advanced sensors that record spatial, spectral, and temporal data.

👁️ What can IRS do?

• Monitor agriculture, forests, land use
• Assist in urban planning
• Track natural disasters and even predict them
• Help in weather forecasting

The Indian Earth Observation system is supervised by the National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS).

🧠 Putting It All Together

Technology	First Milestone	Purpose	Present Status
Radio	1923 (private); 1930 (Govt)	Mass communication, rural reach	Akashvani (AIR) — widespread
Television	1959	Visual mass media	Doordarshan + DTH via satellite
INSAT	1983	Communication + Weather + Broadcasting	Geostationary satellites operational
IRS	1988	Earth Observation	Advanced data for multiple sectors