DIRECTORATE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS
HISTORY; HISTORY OVERVIEW
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Based on a document by Ian Aitken, then Head of Field Service Operations, prepared in 1990 as part of the name change to DTELS, with added text by Steven R. Cole covering the period 1990-1994


The history of the Directorate can be traced back to 1939, when as the Communications Branch, it started out life as a small Headquarters based group providing advise on radio communications applications to the Home Department.

It quickly became clear that technology, very much in its infancy then, had a lot to offer, but equipment and people who knew anything about it were thin on the ground.
Communications Branch therefore began discussing applications with potential manufacturers in an attempt to stimulate development and improve equipment supply, forging links with industry; many of which remained in place until its closure in 1994.

Regional Wireless Stations were built around 1940. Their locations were chosen carefully as they were initially transmitting stations which broadcast on HF, messages at regular intervals to police cars across a number of countries. At this stage, police forces did not have their own radio channels or communications control rooms as we know them today. To get a message to a car, forces telephoned it in to their nearest depot, who then broadcast it using morse code at the appropriate time. This was only ONE WAY TRAFFIC but wireless stations operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on three shifts to provide the service.

VHF two way voice systems were being developed in the early 1940s but it was not until 1946 that the first county wide multistation scheme was introduced. Schemes that were then shared with the fire service. In 1947 broadcasting on HF ceased. Regional Wireless Stations were renamed Regional Wireless Depots and Communications Branch with increased technical staff was reformed to concentrate on the installation and maintenance of the new system.

Over the next 20 years, VHF two way voice systems were installed in all boroughs and counties throughout England and Wales. Police forces and fire brigades were quick to recognise the benefit of portable equipment. But early examples could hardly be described as portable by today's standards. In fact, it was not until the mid 60s, and the introduction of the PFI Pocketphone that the personal radio arrived.

The increased volume of mobile radio equipment in use with the police forces and fire brigades by the early 60s prompted DTELS to consider ways of improving service delivery. In 1966, following discussion with customers and a pilot trial 60 detachments, small groups of technical staff detached to customers' premises, were introduced. This immediately improved service levels as customers no longer needed to send their vehicles long distances to get their radios installed and maintained.

With the wide spread of personal radios and the introduction of firemen's alerters, pagers for retained firemen in 1967, DTELS opened its first maintenance unit at Bishops Cleeve the same year where production line techniques were introduced to deal with high volume, high quality personal radio and alerter repairs.

Local Government Reorganisation in 1974 was a busy time for DTELS as most police and fire brigade VHF radio schemes needed to be rearranged. But this was only to be a warm-up for what was to follow WARC 1979.

At the World Administrative Radio Conference in 1979 it was agreed the United Kingdom emergency services would vacate the 100Mhz frequency band and be relocated elsewhere by not later than 31 Dec 1989.

And so started the biggest project DTELS had ever undertaken. Over 20,000 mobile equipments 1000 fixed transmitters, receivers and aerial systems at more than 250 remote hill top sites would need to be replaced. Without any loss of service to customers during the changeout.

Source: Ian Aitken, additional material by Steven R. Cole

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