A contractor Mr.Javed was marked to assist in u/g cable networks in Bidar. It was 1996, when a modern 5000 line MAX digital switching Unit was installed in Bidar city. The external plant had yet to take up expansion of u/g cable network from 2500 lines to 5000 lines capacity. Some new pillars were installed and network loading work was in progress, as new telephone connections [NTCs]. A new connections providing target was fixed for the year 1995-1996. But actual NTCs provided by year-end were almost nil. The honorarium money sanctioned by circle office Bangalore was returned back. DET Bidar Mr. Jaba was unhappy over the net progress made in NTCs.
I [Tukaram Kumbar] arrived on mutual transfer from Raichur in the month of June 1996 and took charge as JTO cables Bidar. There was a waiting list, there was a cable network, but the rate of providing New telephone connections [NTCs] was very very slow. I could not make out the reason for it. It was a delay and fetch money tactics that was in practice. I raised an objection over such activity and allotted cable pairs in writing for 100 NTCs. If any person visited me for NTC, I diverted him to the correct location, the outdoor section. The rate of NTCs automatically improved and we could give enough NTCs in a span of one month.
The earlier u/g cable plan for 2500 lines to 5000 lines was rejected by G M Hubli, and it was re-prepared within a couple of months and the approval was taken from General Manager Hubli. For new colonies, new cabling was needed.
Contractors were given the notice to report with laborers to carry out the targeted cable laying activity. In the Gumpa area, several bit works were taken up. Cables were issued and laying work was monitored. A small bit of fewer than 50 meters was pending and trenching was in progress. After a week, the contractor gave me the report that the laying work is over.
Since money is to be paid to the labours, the relevant bill was prepared and sent to the account section for payment. The bill was paid within ten days. After that, the contractor came to me and said that the bit work of 50 meters is yet not done. I was stunned on hearing the news. I requested him to do it early to save my mistake of believing him. later on, he laid that bit of cable within a couple of weeks and I was saved from the unwanted problem. Seeing is believing is the best policy.
We were laying u/g cable towards the Mangalpet area from Fathe-Darwaza and the laborers were pulling the cable. It was a full drum and at a location in between the route, the cable got twisted and was damaged because of high pulling tension. I called the contractor and showed the mistake done by his workers and warned him not to do such mistakes in future.
Had I applied rules on him, he could have run-away and cable laying might have been delayed for some more time, and providing NTCs may get delayed. Somehow I tamed that fellow to do the work systematically. Gradually the things improved over the time and we went on expanding the network.
Area shifting between exchanges:
Though the Shivanagar area was nearer to the Bidar switching center, the cabling work for the Shivanagar area was done from Naubad exchange; as the switching unit at Bidar was full and no additional DELs could be loaded to it.
After installation of a large electronic digital switching unit of 5000 lines, at the main exchange near Ambedkar circle Bidar, the [external] shivanagar area had to be diverted from the Naubad exchange area into the Bidar exchange area. For this purpose, primary cable laying was proposed up to New Bus stand Bidar from the Main exchange at Ambedkar circle. For this, Work orders were issued to Devanand Patil contractor. There were about 150 DELs that needed to be transferred to the Bidar switch as new indicators. We laid a 400 pair cable up to Akka Mahadevi college and erected a pillar to facilitate interconnections. The work was smoothly executed and an appreciation letter was received from Circle office Bangalore to that effect. Shri Venugopal DET received the letter.
Concept of exchange area:
Normally the exchange area is limited to around 4 to 5 kilometers radius. beyond this limit, the power loss is more and technically not permitted. Expansion work from 2.5k DELs to 5.0k DELs was taken up and NTCs went gradually increasing. By the next two years, more than a thousand new connections were added. By the end of six years, the total working lines were nearing 10,000 DELs in Bidar City limits.
concept of Remote Switching units:
Within this period, the concept of a Remote switching unit was evolved and the exchange area was again divided into four different locations in Bidar city.1) Maniyar Taleem 2) Gumpa area 3) Kendriya Vidyalaya area and 4) Naubad area. These four localities were connected to the main switching center at Ambedkar chowk through OFC networks. Therefore, the cable laying area was limited to a radius of about 2.5 kilometers. Things have become more simple, as for as cable network is concerned. But maintaining RSUs with a continuous power supply and all, became an additional work. Engine alternators were installed and manpower was deployed to look after the RSUs.
Later on, this RSUs system concept was applied to exchanges in taluk headquarters. All the remote four Taluka switches were connected to the main central switch at Bidar city. By this arrangement, the entire district had become a single local exchange area. The commercial and revenue assessing activities were centralised at one place in the district.
The subscriber's loops were almost underground. Wall DPs were mounted in important areas. A lot of money was spent on it. But things went on changing. Most of the wall Dps were erased in road widening master plans on the main roads.
Telecom policy 1999 and death of Landlines:
A day came in telecom after the year 2000, when almost all u/g cable system was gradually eliminated by the advent of mobile telephony. GSM Mobile switches were installed in all RSU stations. Only OFC cables and towers remained in modern telecom networks. Landline started decreasing gradually to 20% of what they had just a couple of years ago. The 1999 Telcom policy separated DOT from BSNL. BSNL became a corporate managed by the government. Private operators were brought into this business and competition was created among the service providers, and on-demand connections were available to any person at any instant of time. Almost 80% of the Indian public uses mobile phones nowadays.
Shun out the old, shun in the new!
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