Postal means of communication was the only mean communication until the year 1850. In 1850 experimental electric telegraph started for first time in India between Calcutta (Kolkata) and Diamond Harbor (southern suburbs of Kolkata, on the banks of the Hooghly River). In 1851, it was opened for the use of the British East India Company. Subsequently, construction of telegraph started throughout India. A separate department was opened to the public in 1854. In early1881, Oriental Telephone Company Limited of England opened telephone exchanges at Calcutta (Kolkata), Bombay (Mumbai), Madras (Chennai) and Ahmedabad. On the 28th January 1882, the first formal telephone service was established with a total of 93 subscribers. From the year 1902, India drastically changes from cable telegraph to wireless telegraph, radio telegraph, radio telephone, trunk dialing. The Trunk dialing used in India more than a decade, where the system allowed subscriber to dial calls with operator assistance which moved to digital microwave, optical fibre, satellite earth station.
Since year 1975, Department of Telecom (DoT) was responsible for telecom services in the entire country after separation of Indian Post and Telecommunication. A decade later Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) was chipped out of DoT to run the telecom services of Delhi and Mumbai. In the 1990s the telecom sector was opened up by the Government for private investment. The Government of India corporatized the operations wing of DoT in 2K and renamed Department of Telecom as Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). The BSNL came into operation on 01.10.2000 and so every year we celebrate 1st October as BSNL Foundation Day.
With the advent of BSNL, the telecom sector in India witnessed a sea change. With BSNL being in the helm of the affairs in competitive era, the services which were restricted to the exclusive few went to the common man cutting across the barriers of the caste, creed and class. It was BSNL which brought mobile telephony to the hands of common man. It was BSNL, whose entry in the Telecom Market brought revolution in telecom service prices becoming pocket friendly for general public. It was BSNL whose broadband Services made public aware that Internet can run so fast.
Today, yes, no doubt, the policy makers of the country over the years have brought a situation that complete Telecom Market is in distress and most of the companies have vanished from the market, either through closure or merger. But BSNL has stood the test of the times; BSNL has conquered all the difficulties. BSNL has kept its head high despite itself being in the toughest situation of the century, despite it being in one of most hostile environment.
General public perception is that BSNL like a parasite, is thriving on the taxpayers money but the fact is that ever since BSNL came into existence, it had paid government of India more than two lakh crores Rupees against various dues like license fee, spectrum fee, taxes, dividends etc. Till today, BSNL has not taken a single penny help from government and has been sustaining its operations as well as payment to employees through its own income.
Yes, Today BSNL is bleeding and the situation is really gloomy. But we are hopeful, We are Confident, We are Sure – We will Come out of it. Together We will make it. Together We will Win it. For the Country, For the people, For the Poor, For the Deprived, For the needy Ones. We will Win as we are the one who serve the nation at the time of distress, we are the one who serve the nation at the time of calamity, we are the one who stand with the nation at the time of the need, We are the one who keep on walking when the roads are non-visible, We are the one who keep services up and running when all others run and flee.
We, the BSNL Recruits and young executives of BSNL, hereby take a pledge that We Will Not Let BSNL Die, We will not let BSNL starve. We will fight it out. We will pull it out from misery and We will take it back to its Pristine Glory. We Shall Overcome Definitely!
With Best Wishes on this BSNL day
Team AIGETOA
Together We Can, Together We Have, Together We Will