Communication System: Drums to Satellites

Human beings have evolved different methods of Communication systems over time. In earlier times, the messages were delivered by beating the drum or hollow tree trunks. Initially, the means of communication were also the means of transportation. Invention of post office, telegraph, printing press, telephone, satellite, etc. has made communication much faster and easier.

On the basis of scale and quality, the mode of communication can be divided into following categories: Personal and Mass Systems

Personal Communication System: Telegraph to Internet 

• Telegraph and Telephone Impact: The telegraph was instrumental in the colonisation of the American West and the telephone became a critical factor in the urbanisation of America. 
• Even today, the telephone is the most commonly used mode. 
• In developing countries, the use of cell phones, made possible by satellites, is important for rural connectivity. 
• The Internet: Among all the personal communication systems, the internet is the most effective and advanced one. 
• It is widely used in urban areas. 
• It is increasingly used for e-commerce and carrying out money transactions. 
• The internet is like a huge central warehouse of data. 
• The internet and e-mail provide efficient access to information at a comparatively low cost.

Mass Communication System: Radio, TV, and Mail Networks

• Definition: A process in which a person, group of people, or an organization sends a message through a channel of communication to a large group of anonymous and heterogeneous people and organizations.
• Objective: This Communication system method is used to disseminate information at a large scale, to spread awareness and to educate and entertain. 
• Radio: Radio broadcasting started in India in 1923 by the Radio Club of Bombay and changed the sociocultural life of people. 
  • Government brought this popular mode of communication under its control in 1930 under the Indian Broadcasting System.
  • It was changed to All India Radio in 1936 and to Akashwani in 1957.
• Television: Television broadcasting has emerged as the most effective audio-visual medium for disseminating information and educating masses. 
  • In 1976, TV was delinked from All India Radio (AIR) and got a separate identity as Doordarshan (DD). 
• The Indian Postal Network: It is the largest in the world. 
  • Cards and envelopes are considered first-class mail and are airlifted between stations covering both land and air. 
  • The second-class mail includes book packets, registered newspapers and periodicals which are carried by surface mail, covering land and water transport. 
• Six Mail Channels: These have been introduced in India, to facilitate quick delivery of mail in large towns and cities. 
  • They are called Rajdhani Channel, Metro Channel, Green Channel, Business Channel, Bulk Mail Channel and Periodical Channel.

Satellite Communication: Transforming Global Connectivity

• Meaning: Satellite communication is the transfer of information using artificial satellites that have been launched into Earth’s orbit, transmitting and relaying information from one place to another on a global scale.
• Dual Role of Satellite: Satellites are modes of Communication system in themselves as well as they regulate the use of other means of communication. 
• Revolutionizing Communication: Communication system through satellites emerged as a new area in communication technology in the 1970s after the U.S.A. and former U.S.S.R. pioneered space research. 
  • Artificial satellites, now, have rendered the unit cost and time of communication invariant in terms of distance.
• Economic and Strategic Significance: Satellites are important for economic and strategic reasons. 
  • Satellite images can be used for the weather forecast, monitoring of natural calamities, surveillance of border areas, etc.
• Indian Achievements in Satellite Development: India has also made great strides in satellite development. 
  • Aryabhatt was launched on 19 April 1979, Bhaskar-I in 1979 and Rohini in 1980. 
  • On 18 June 1981, APPLE (Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment) was launched through an Ariane rocket. 
  • Bhaskar, Challenger and INSAT I-B have made long distance communication, television and radio very effective. 
  • Today weather forecasting through television is a boon.
• Satellite systems in India:  It can be grouped into two: Indian National Satellite System (INSAT) and Indian Remote Sensing Satellite System (IRS). 
  • The INSAT, which was established in 1983, is a multi-purpose satellite system for telecommunication, meteorological observation and for various other data and programmes. 
  • The IRS satellite system became operational with the launching of IRS-IA in March 1988 from Vaikanour in Russia. 
• The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) at Hyderabad provides facilities for acquisition of data and its processing.

Communication Networks in India: Telecom, Media, and Films

• Telecom Expansion in India: India has one of the largest telecom networks in Asia. 
• Excluding urban places more than two-thirds of the villages in India have already been covered with Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) telephone facility.
• There is a uniform rate of STD facilities all over India. It has been made possible by integrating the development in space technology with Communication system
• Doordarshan: The national television channel, broadcasts a variety of programmes from entertainment, educational to sports, etc. 
• Media Diversity in India: India publishes a large number of newspapers and periodicals annually. They are of different types depending upon their periodicity. 
• Newspapers are published in about 100 languages and dialects.
• World’s Largest Producer of Feature Films: India is the largest producer of feature films in the world.
• It produces short films; video feature films and video short films. 
• The Central Board of Film Certification is the authority to certify both Indian and foreign films.

Internet Revolution: Transforming Global Communication

• Transforming Global Connectivity: The Internet is a revolutionary modern Communication system that has transformed the way people and devices connect, share information, and communicate globally.
• Cyberspace Impact: The cyberspace has enhanced global connectivity, and has offered various services at unprecedented speeds like, e-commerce, e-learning, video conferencing, email etc.
• Internet Adoption in India: India had a rapidly growing internet user base, and it was estimated that around 34-40% of the country’s population had internet access. 
  • In the United States, the percentage of internet users was much higher, with an estimated 87-89% of the population having internet access.

Also Read: Evolution of Trade: Meaning and reasons for International Trade