Editing Telecommunications in India (section)

===The beginning===
[[File:BSNL Microwave Tower Mangalore 0210.JPG|thumb|right|A microwave tower for short distance (~50 km) communication]]
Prof. [[S. P. Chakravarti]] is known as the father of electronics and [[telecommunications engineering]] in India.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/03772063.1982.11452762|title=Prof. S.P. Chakravarti (1904–1981)|first=S. N.|last=Mitra|date=1 August 1982|journal=IETE Journal of Research|volume=28|issue=8|pages=385–390|via=Taylor and Francis+NEJM|doi=10.1080/03772063.1982.11452762}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Mallick |first=M.C. |date=1989 |title=A Survey of Research and Development in Electronics and Telecommunications in India Over a Century (1850-1950) |url=https://insa.nic.in/writereaddata/UpLoadedFiles/IJHS/Vol24_4_5_MCMallik.pdf |journal=[[Indian Journal of History of Science]] |volume=24 |issue=4 |pages=284–317 |access-date=15 March 2024 |archive-date=26 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426140513/https://insa.nic.in/writereaddata/UpLoadedFiles/IJHS/Vol24_4_5_MCMallik.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://in.booksc.eu/book/53133498/850b31|title=Prof. S.P. Chakravarti (1904–1981) &#124; Mitra, S.N. &#124; download|website=in.booksc.eu}}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He started electronics and telecommunications education, training and research in India.
Telecommunications in India began with the introduction of the [[Telegraphy]]. The Indian postal and telecom sectors are one of the world's oldest. In 1850, the first experimental electric telegraph line was started between [[Kolkata]] and [[Diamond Harbour]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Joshi|first=Sandeep|date=2013-06-12|title=Dot, dash, full stop: Telegram service ends July 15|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/dot-dash-full-stop-telegram-service-ends-july-15/article4806921.ece|access-date=2021-06-06|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=6 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210606064233/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/dot-dash-full-stop-telegram-service-ends-july-15/article4806921.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1851, it was opened for the use of the [[East India Company]]. The Posts and Telegraphs department occupied a small corner of the Public Works Department at that time.<ref>{{cite web|title=Public Works Department|url=http://www.pwd.delhigovt.nic.in|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325232631/http://pwd.delhigovt.nic.in/|archive-date=25 March 2010|access-date=1 September 2010|publisher=Pwd.delhigovt.nic.in|df=dmy-all}}</ref>{{Irrelevant citation|reason=The cited source does not substantiate the claim|date=June 2021}}

The construction of {{Convert|4000|mi}} of telegraph lines was started in November 1853. These connected Kolkata (then Calcutta) and [[Peshawar]] in the north; [[Agra]], [[Mumbai]] (then Bombay) through Sindwa Ghats, and [[Chennai]] (then Madras) in the south; [[Ooty]] and [[Bangalore]]. [[William Brooke O'Shaughnessy|William O'Shaughnessy]], who pioneered the [[Telegraphy]] and telephone in India, belonged to the Public Works Department, and worked towards the development of telecom throughout this period. A separate department was opened in 1854 when telegraph facilities were opened to the public.

In 1880, two telephone companies, namely the [[Oriental Telephone Company]] Ltd. and the Anglo-Indian Telephone Company Ltd. approached the [[Government of India]] to establish a [[telephone exchange]] in India. Permission was refused on the grounds that the establishment of telephone networking was a government monopoly and that the government itself should undertake the work. In 1881, the government later reversed its earlier decision and a licence was granted to the [[Oriental Telephone Company]] Limited of England for opening telephone exchanges at [[Kolkata]], [[Mumbai]], [[Chennai]] and [[Ahmedabad]] and the first formal telephone service was established in the country.<ref name="ind_telecom_iim">{{cite web|url=http://www.iimcal.ac.in/community/consclub/reports/telecom.pdf|publisher=IIM Calcutta|title=The Indian Telecom Industry|author=Vatsal Goyal, Premraj Suman|access-date=26 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100331034812/http://www.iimcal.ac.in/community/consclub/reports/telecom.pdf|archive-date=31 March 2010|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> On 28 January 1882, Major E. Baring, Member of the [[Governor General|Governor General of India]]'s Council declared open the Telephone Exchanges in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. The exchange in Calcutta named the "Central Exchange" had a total of 93 subscribers in its early stage. Later that year, Bombay also witnessed the opening of a telephone exchange.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.calcuttatelephones.com/history_ctd.shtml | title=History of Calcutta telephones | publisher=Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited | access-date=21 June 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615124411/http://www.calcuttatelephones.com/history_ctd.shtml | archive-date=15 June 2012 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref>