Welcome to DTELS.ORG
updated 15 November 2025


Thanks for the Memories

Last month represented something of a milestone for this website as it was 21 years ago that I launched the fledgling online presence to record some of the history of the Directorate of Telecommunications.

During that time with the input from many former colleagues and some within the telecomms industry and emergency services, they substantially helped to grow the site to what it is today by contributing documents, writing personal memories, anecdotes, technical articles and sending in a wealth of photographs.

As a public sector department within the Home Office for England and Wales, the Directorate was responsible for providing wireless communication support to Emergency Service users in the two countries.

Its origins go back to World War II (circa 1939) and grew over the years to become a major service provider to a wider range of Public Safety central and local government services. In 1991 it changed its name to DTELS and three years later became a private sector company following a trade sale to National Transcommunications Limited (ntl). For more information about this web site, please click here

As over thirty one years has now passed since the organisation ceased to exist information is now all but dried up. So I feel the time has come to draw a close to any further updates to the site and leave it as a lasting memory of DTELS whilst I am in a position to fund and maintain the online presence.

Finally, thanks to all the contributers who’s names appear here.  Without you the website would have been less informative and interesting.

With Best Wishes for the Future

Kind Regards



Steven Cole
Webmaster

stevencole.uk