When I first started working in the telecommunications industry, thirty-odd years ago, the telephone exchanges used a mixture of the electo-mechanical Strowger system – which had stood them in good stead for many years – and the newly emerging electronic systems such as System X, System Y and TXE4.
The exchange I first worked in was still running mainly on Strowger. Suites of racks took up all the floor space and it was a very noisy place to be, as banks of relays and uniselectors chattered and clunked away directing calls to their destination. Such was the size of this equipment that, if the exchange fed a large town, it would generally take up several floors, with hundreds of interconnecting cables running through multiple risers between each.
After a few years though, Strowger had mainly died out, replaced with British Telecom’s electronic system of choice, System X – though, as I mentioned earlier, they also used several others. I remember visiting the System X floor for the first time. What had once been three floors of noisy activity was now just one floor of blue racks, all humming away so quietly that it was almost silent.
It was a revolution. It was smaller, it was cheaper to run and to maintain and it did a lot more than the old electro-mechanical system ever could.
And then I moved into the cable industry. Being the new kids on the block, the Cable TV companies obviously chose the latest equipment for their telephony switches and I remember again being amazed when I saw their switch, which fed a comparable sized town to where I’d worked previously, but was only half the size.
Today, I found myself looking at the latest incarnation, which has just been installed down in Plymouth. I won’t go mentioning manufacturers or anything, as it wouldn’t be prudent for me to advertise such information on the internets, but, I can tell you this: it takes up less than 4² metres of floor space! I know this, because I measured it. That’s about the size of my bathroom and it feeds not only Plymouth but the surrounding towns also. Admittedly, it works in conjunction with a similarly sized piece of equipment based in London, but even so!
I’m reliably informed that the next version will fit under the table, in place of my foot locker.
Ah, I remember the Strowger frames. And the switch to System X. My military days have just come flooding back to me.
*shudder*
But the computing power you have in your nifty little phone is more than the first moonshot had onboard. That’s amazing.
“WHItehall-1212, please!”
You geek! But actually I do kinda get you. When I am talking face to face with my friend in America using my iPhone, I still get wowed by it all. I think you are like that, except with telephone cables.
Bren – Yes, of course, I forgot the military used the same kit. I remember having to do some work in our local RAF base some years back and nearly getting into a fight in the NAAFI.
Ahh, happy days.
Dots – Ooh, showing your age, there sir! Actually, that number is still valid you know.
Annie – I was driving down the M4 last week, talking to a mate who was driving along the A16 in France. We were both on handsfree and the quality of the call was such that had it not been for the half second delay, I could have imagined him being seated in the car next to me.
I work in technological industries and I understand – to a degree – how much of this stuff works, and yet I still find myself being impressed with it all.
I know you do not want to advertise the manufacturer of the wonder technology but is it called the iSwitch perchance?
Any road up, there’s a new version (iSwitch2) coming out soon. That version is thinner than the iSwitch and comes with a 900mp camera. It also has a built in sprat nav that helps route the calls.
No, it’s not the iSwitch.
That iSwitch2 sounds pretty cool though. I daresay telecom companies will be camping out on the streets to be the first to get one as soon as it’s released.
They won’t be so happy when they realise that none of their existing, internationally agreed, standard connections will fit.
You are so right. And we haven’t even got 4G yet. Imagine when that puppy is implemented ….. skies the limit!