Communication

In today's time, India has come a long way to becoming the future Information Technology

superpower and one of the largest generators and exporters of software. Since 1837, postal service in India has improved immensely with the use of computers and other latest technology for postal operations. In fact the Indian post office is regarded as the largest postal systems in the world and very reliable one. India has more than 154,000 post offices in different regions of India. Indian Postal System offers airmail services daily to all parts of the world. Air parcels take approximately two weeks, while surface mail can take up to three months. Most airlines offer discount airfreight rates. Parcels are handed over to the concerned person at the post office only after thorough inspection by custom officials. The Money Order department of the Indian Post office has 77 VSAT centers which in turn are connected to 610 Extended Satellite Money Order Stations. More than 10 lakh money orders are transmitted through this network every month.

In terms of coverage, quality and range of services, the Indian telecommunication network has undergone major progress. India with its satellite earth stations provides international calling; 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean Region), four gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai, New Delhi, Calcutta, and Chennai and submarine cables to Malaysia, UAE, Singapore and Japan, and Fiber-Optic Link around the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay). There are several IT companies which have set up a network of wireless radio in the different regions of India to allow users to exchange voice, data and video over Virtual Private Networks.

In most of the towns in India there are private STD/ISD call booths with fax facilities and direct dialing for both interstate and overseas and they have a digital meter for showing the cost. Cost for international calls depends on the country you are calling. Hotels in India also provide facilities like STD/IAD calls, fax and internet service. But comparatively, local STD/ISD call booths charge reasonable money than hotels. You can even purchase phonecards in cities but in the Indian Himalaya you may get deprived of this facility. Mobile phones in India have made the communication very easy for travellers and Indians. But in hilly regions and mountains, mobile phones may not operate efficiently due to limited reception. In most parts of India there are cyber cafes for providing internet access using DSL, Wi-Fi, Cable, Satellite and Dial-up connection.

Communication

By: Ram Krishna Baniya

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