Editing ECHELON (section)

== History and context ==
[[File:Echelon-yakima-02.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|Equipment at the Yakima Research Station (YRS) in the early days of the ECHELON program]]
The ability to intercept communications depends on the medium used, be it [[radio]], [[satellite]], [[microwave]], [[cellular network|cellular]] or [[Optical fiber|fiber-optic]].<ref name="EP" /> During [[World War II]] and through the 1950s, [[high frequency|high-frequency]] ("short-wave") radio was widely used for military and diplomatic communication<ref>''[[The Codebreakers]]'', Ch. 10, 11</ref> and could be intercepted at great distances.<ref name="EP" /> The rise of [[geostationary]] [[communications satellites]] in the 1960s presented new possibilities for intercepting international communications.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Keefe|first=Patrick Radden|title=Chatter: Uncovering the echelon surveillance network and the secret world of global eavesdropping|publisher=Random House Incorporated}}</ref> In 1964, plans for the establishment of the ECHELON [[Telecommunications network|network]] took off after dozens of countries agreed to establish the [[International Telecommunications Satellite Organization]] (Intelsat), which would own and operate a global constellation of [[communications satellite]]s.<ref name="zdnetduncan">{{cite news|first=Duncan|last=Campbell|title=Echelon: World under watch, an introduction|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/echelon-world-under-watch-an-introduction/|work=[[ZDNet]]|access-date=19 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219051441/http://www.zdnet.com/echelon-world-under-watch-an-introduction-3002079845/|archive-date=19 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>[[File:Echelon-yakima-01.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|Teletype operators at the Yakima Research Station (YRS) in the early days of the ECHELON program]]
In 1966, the first [[Intelsat]] [[satellite]] was launched into orbit. From 1970 to 1971, the [[Government Communications Headquarters]] (GCHQ) of [[United Kingdom|Britain]] began to operate a secret signal station at [[Morwenstow]], near [[Bude]] in [[Cornwall]], England. The station intercepted [[satellite communications]] over the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] and [[Indian Ocean]]s. Soon afterwards, the US [[National Security Agency]] (NSA) built a second signal station at [[Yakima, Washington|Yakima]], near [[Seattle]], for the interception of satellite communications over the [[Pacific Ocean]].<ref name="zdnetduncan"/> In 1981, [[GCHQ]] and the NSA started the construction of the first global [[wide area network]] (WAN). Soon after Australia, Canada, and New Zealand joined the ECHELON system.<ref name="zdnetduncan" /> The report to the European Parliament of 2001 states: "If [[UKUSA]] states operate listening stations in the relevant regions of the earth, in principle they can intercept all telephone, fax, and data traffic transmitted via such satellites."<ref name="EP" />

Most reports on ECHELON focus on satellite interception. Testimony before the [[European Parliament]] indicated that separate but similar UKUSA systems are in place to monitor communication through undersea cables, microwave transmissions, and other lines.<ref name="Hager">For example: {{cite web |url=http://cryptome.org/echelon-nh.htm |title=Nicky Hager Appearance before the Euro ean Parliament ECHELON Committee |date=April 2001 |access-date=2 July 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011021055210/http://cryptome.org/echelon-nh.htm |archive-date=21 October 2001 |url-status=live }}</ref> The report to the [[European Parliament]] points out that interception of private communications by foreign intelligence services is not necessarily limited to the US or British foreign intelligence services.<ref name="EP" /> The role of satellites in point-to-point voice and data communications has largely been supplanted by [[fiber optics]]. In 2006, 99% of the world's long-distance voice and data traffic was carried over [[fiber optics|optical-fiber]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://news.cnet.com/NSA+eavesdropping+How+it+might+work/2100-1028_3-6035910.html | title=NSA eavesdropping: How it might work | work=CNET News.com | access-date=27 August 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714124934/http://news.cnet.com/NSA+eavesdropping+How+it+might+work/2100-1028_3-6035910.html | archive-date=14 July 2014 | url-status=live }}</ref> The proportion of international communications accounted for by satellite links is said to have decreased substantially to an amount between 0.4% and 5% in Central Europe.<ref name="EP" /> Even in less-developed parts of the world, [[communications satellites]] are used largely for point-to-multipoint applications, such as video.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.marketresearch.com/map/prod/1117944.html | title=Commercial Geostationary Satellite Transponder Markets for Latin America : Market Research Report | access-date=27 August 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314021111/http://www.marketresearch.com/map/prod/1117944.html | archive-date=14 March 2012 | url-status=live }}</ref> Thus, the majority of communications can no longer be intercepted by earth stations; they can only be collected by tapping cables and intercepting line-of-sight microwave signals, which is possible only to a limited extent.<ref name="EP" />