Advances in Science & Technology
Man has come a long way from inventing the wheel and fire in the Stone Age to modern day inventions. Science and technology has grown so rapidly that men depend on machines for their everyday activities. In earlier days, women used to make use of grinding stones for preparing chutney for breakfast.
Today, it is done instantly with a mixer grinder. The dough used for preparing dosa and idly used to be grounded under the grinding stones and it would be an arduous task for any home maker to sit for hours together rotating the stone and trying to make it.
Today it is so easy with wet grinders. If we have to boil something, we place it inside the oven for heating. Cooking is done so easily with induction stoves and microwave ovens. Science and technology are improving day by day and the inventions of today turn white elephants of tomorrow.
The largest invention of course, is in the field of telecommunications. Communication is nothing but relaying information from the source to the receiver through a communication medium such that the message is delivered efficiently and reliably to the receiver. The world today is a small place because of effective telecommunication systems.
Earlier Days
In the olden days, communication was not so advanced. If we had to send a message, say from Pune to Bangalore, it used to take a few days before the task could be completed.
If there was any urgent message to be sent to a relative staying at a place far off from the sender’s location, the sender had to telegram the message to the recipient.
The recipient would then receive brief information about the message and then he would plan accordingly. Here, the role of the middle men was very important as they were the only reliable mediums through which the information could be safely handed over to the recipient.
With the advent in technology, later came the telephones into use. Alexander Graham Bell was the first person to invent the telephone. The telephone model consists of a transmitter, used to send voice signals at the sender’s end and a receiver used to receive voice signals at the recipient’s end.
This happened over a communication medium, which are the telephone cables. Signals are sent over the telephone cables so that communication is possible. Long distance calling and international calling was a very big and unimaginable task in the olden days.
There used to be huge calling rates if a person had to speak to an outstation relative, outside his own state. There used to be connectivity problems and the huge bills that come when somebody tried to do an international call was something to worry over.
Mobile Communication
Next came huge advances in the telecom field. Not only was it a revolution, but it took the entire world by storm. The advent of mobile communication turned the whole scene upside down. Mobile communication also works on the same concept.
The goal here remains the same. The sender intending to convey a message calls up the receiver and does the needful. It also takes place through a medium, but here it is not fixed connections, but wireless mediums.
Wireless signals are transmitted from mobile and it is sent to the appropriate destinations by the working of mobile towers. What used to be an unimaginable task became all the easier.
These days, local call rates and STD calling rates are equivalent and the world is soon becoming a small place to wonder upon.
The Telephones of Earlier Days
The telephone of olden days came in plenty of models and sizes. If we visit a historical museum, we can find the variety in which telephones were made.
They came in all sizes and colors. The royal and highly influential circles had their own classic models of telephones which spoke of their high profiles. The telephone that the common man used was that of a simple and very basic model and came in raw and decent hues.
If one needed a telephone connection, they had to apply to the telecom office in writing by submitting an application. They had to wait for a few months until their connection was sanctioned and then the linemen from the nearest telecom office would visit the applicant’s home to establish the connection.
He would bring with him, a telephone model to make the connections. It would be a while before he got the actual connection. Once he got the connection approved, there used to be a unique number for that connection. It used to be a proud moment for that family which thus received the telephone number of their own.
The next few days would be spent in calling up near and dear ones and informing them about their new pride possession – their new telephone number. It used to be such a memorable moment for the family that they took so much pride in their new found legacy.
Often, the telephone was looked at as a part of the glory of the house. A house that had a telephone connection was looked at something high and they boasted off with their status of having a telephone connection and a telephone number. It was a privilege in those days to own a telephone and it came with a price tag as well.
Calling rates were high and there were less or absolutely no competitors in those days, except for the government provided fixed lines. Private players had not entered the telecom sector until a revolution began in that direction.
In Modern Times
In modern days, the situation has reversed to such an extent that people from all walks of life consider it very common to own a mobile phone. What used to be one phone per house turned out to be mobiles per member of the house.
Having a personal mobile along with another one for official purposes with many connections, is common sight today. People own multiple numbers in their names and the connections are so easily available that anyone, from any part of the country can easily get a mobile phone for their convenience.
With mobile phones came a world full of new trends and openings. Basic models gave way to smart phone. 3rd generation phone networks advanced to 4th generation networks. People no longer have to wait for days together to get a fixed connection.
With the mobile world taking on the fixed telephone lines, they definitely face a threat. To survive in this competition, they offer discounts and fixed connection lines are easily available for anyone to apply.
In comparison with mobiles, telephones have their own advantages too. Mobile phones face the problem of signal strength and connectivity issues. That is not the case with fixed telephones. With a fixed line, the problem of signal strength does not arrive at all.
Anybody can reach the fixed line at any point of time. Thus, the problem of connectivity does not arrive with fixed lines. Telephone devices are much more sturdy and strong to use in comparison with mobile handsets.
Mobile handsets are much more delicately made in comparison with telephone devices. The wear and tear factor with telephones is relatively less.
The Current Scenario
With new phones added to the market every new day, there are a host of new telephone devices and models arriving at the scene every other day. Cordless telephones provide connectivity within a range and can be carried within a certain range and we don’t require to use it the way we use a traditional fixed landline.
Communication is a very important part of every human and thus they need a medium through which they can connect and communicate with their near and dear ones.
A person staying far off from his family needs to connect with his family to inform the family about his whereabouts and well being., he thus has to use his mobile phones to stay connected from the place he resides. Telephones used to be a luxury of the past, today they are a necessity.
The world keeps changing and with that, new demands arise and science and technology improves to cater to new needs.
We have to be updated about the latest technology to know about the latest trends in technology. With the arrival of private players in the telecom segment, the country saw a great revolution in the field of telecommunication and it was a giant leap towards the right direction.
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