Memories of an age gone by - STPI - circa 1993

It was August 15^th, 2015, our Independence Day.  After flag hoisting in our enclave and a big breakfast at home it was time to laze around.  I thought, Chalo, let us hear our Prime Minister speak, so far I had heard about his oratory skills, but I had never heard him live.  I switched on the TV and on CNN/IBN his speech from the Red Fort was coming live.  He was talking about Team India, Corruption…many different things.  Scrolling on the right side of the screen was also a list of 60 achievements of India since independence.

One achievement made me feel sick, made me feel dejected.  The achievement was – First Dial-up and Online Internet rolled out on some date, November 1995.

For a moment I felt something is wrong, it should be April 1^st 1993 isn’t it?  We all know it.  We all were part of it.  How can it be November 1995?

Thinking of all this, my mind leaped back many years, memories flooded showing many events and many people.

Circa, 1993, P.V.Narasimha Rao, was PM of India, Manmohan Singh, was Finance Minister of India.  Mr. Varadan, was Director, Software Technology Parks of India, Bangalore, Mr. B.V.Naidu, was Joint Director and Head of Datacommunications.  Sanjay wet behind the ears, had just joined STPI on 18^th March 1993.

As Charles Dickens wrote in the opening lines of “The Tale of Two Cities”, it was the best of the times and the worst of the times.

Mr. Naidu was attempting something never done before, he was attempting to connect TISL, Bangalore (Tata-IBM Joint Venture) with IBM, New York.  For the first time a connectivity was being attempted bypassing VSNL and BSNL, the then, monopoly telecom operators.  To bypass these monopolies a new satellite gateway was established to connect Bangalore with Europe and USA.  Further it was being integrated with Microwave based Multiple Access Radio Network to carry the last mile connectivity from the Satellite Gateway in Electronics City to Tata IBM facility in old airport road, Bangalore. 

It was the best of the times because a Government organisation like STPI was functioning in free thinking, unshackled manner with its team 100% empowered and same time Global IT Industry were looking at India and in particular Bangalore to provide vital outsourcing for the their critical IT functions.

It was the worst of the times because the same IT Industry was threatening to go away from India due to delays in process, delays in connectivity and poor quality in communications.  STPI who had the mandate to break the VSNL and BSNL monopoly was finding no partners in United States to carry the service on that side and Mr. Naidu’s integration between Satellite Gateway and Microwave Radio Network was not coming together.

Sleepless nights, endless hours were going at every front and finally two things happened (1) IDB Worldcom, an upcoming telecom carrier in United States agreed to partner with STPI to carry the service from Satellite gateway in Europe to customers in USA.  Sprint another upcoming Internet Service Provider gave their thumbs up to connect STPI into their Internet Backbone in Washington, DC (2) Mr. Naidu’s design finally worked, he succeeded in integrating an NEC based Satellite Gateway designated as BGL – 4 F3 with an AT & T Multiple Access Radio Network (MAR 30).

Result was, on 26^th March 1993, the first international private line circuit (IPLC) of 64 kbps was established between Tata IBM, Bangalore and IBM, New York.  It was celebration time.  The circuit was designated as BGL – NYK NP1.

With IBM happily connecting their AS 400 systems and IT Industry looking at new horizons, it was time to hit the next milestone, the Internet connectivity.

BGL – Washington DC NP1, a 64 Kbps link was established from Bangalore to Sprint Internet Node in Washington, DC.  For the first time, a Cisco CGS chassis router was imported and used in this integration.  Partnering ISP on the US side, Sprint provided STPI with a Class B address since there was no InterNIC or APNIC to provide IP addresses.  164.164.xxx.xxx.  An IP address of the one and only Class B network in India even today, I repeat even today.

1^st April 1993, the Internet Link was extended to Wipro Systems, 88, MG Road, Bangalore to service their project contract with Sequent Systems.  The next development was to add dial up telephone lines +91 80 8520959, 960, 961, 962 and 963, a grand total of 5 lines!!  To service the whole of Silicon Valley of India with 9.6 Kbps connections.  Frugal needs driving frugal innovation.

Difficult to believe, but it is true.  23 years on today, I can still hear the buzz in our communications bunker (the blue box), “connect the router port”, “check the cable, it may not be working”, “put on the BER Tester, see for bit errors, see for clock slips”, “check the diesel level of the generator, power is gone for 14 hours’, Mr. Naidu, asking, “mahesh khana kaya kya, sanjay ghar jawo yaar, late hogaya”. 

More were to come, Motorola, Bangalore connected to their US office in Schaumberg, PSI Data to Bull in UK and into Paris, Wipro connected to GE in Schnectady.  Every fortune listed company would come and connect.  Sort of paying respect to the blue box, to the team and to the times which made it all possible. 

All the memories of a time gone by, a time when we achieved great things, a time when we could move the heaven and earth and meet the Industry and country’s requirements.  A time to cherish.

What if CNN/IBN missed the true dates and what if they did not recognise the real heroes?  We the team can never forget and non can take our legacy, our memories and our accomplishments.

Sanjay V.P. a proud member of the STPI, Bangalore Team.

 

STPI NOC and the Dish farm - connectivity to anywhere

 

Team - Sanjay, Mahesh, Lakshman, Babu, Ramesh, Venkatappa and others, Mr. Naidu at work so does not appear here.

 

Make Shift Bunker the blue box to host the satellite earth station, Multiple access radio and Internet Operations.  Dish Antenna being installed.

 

Our Partners from IDB WorldCom, (r to l) Kevin Cameneras, Mr. Naidu, myself, Terrence Thomas

 

Panorama..notice the open spaces in electronics city, (l to r) Blue Box, Intelsat Dish, New NOC, Insat Dish for ERNET

 

Blue Box..left side room - Radio and Internet, right side room - Satellite Gateway.  God knows how many nights were spent in this small room.  At some point it was carrying 60% of Bangalore IT Export.

 

NOC inside, photos taken just before my exit from STPI in 2002

 

Dignitaries from different countries..a must see facility to understand IT growth in India.  We had a tradition of planting a sapling by the dignitary in the NOC vicinity.