Level IV

Comment on the attempts of scientists all over the world to invent telegraph.

Telephone

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. Today hundreds of millions of telephones serve people all over the world.

Telephone is an instrument that sends and receives voice messages, usually by means of electric current. It is one of our most valuable means of communication. In just a few seconds, you can telephone a person across the street, in another part of the country, or on another continent. The word telephone comes from two Greek words meaning far and sound.

In its most basic form, a telephone enables people to talk with one another at distances beyond the range of the human voice. More sophisticated telephones can send and receive not only voice messages, but also written words, drawings, photographs, and even video images. In addition, telephones can send information from one computer to another.

Mobile telephones provide two-way radio communication for travellers on land or in the air. In some countries, many cars, trucks, trains and ships are equipped with mobile phone units Telephones in people's homes are just one part of a vast, complex telephone network. The network also includes large computers, tremendous lengths of copper wire and hair thin strands of glass, cables buried in the ground and laid along the bottom of the oceans, radio transmitters and receivers, and artificial satellites orbit­ing far above the earth. Most telephones connect with the telephone network by means of wires that run through the walls of homes and other buildings. A small clip connects each telephone to the wiring. Other phones are installed in cars or carried in a bag or pocket. Such phones connect with the network by radio.

Belarus is the first among the CIS countries in a number of telephones. About 3 million telephones were set up, including nearly 2 million for personal users, and the telephone density has reached 24.2 telephones per 100 people. Thus in 2005 Ministry of Telecommunications is going to put into operation over 200 thousands telephone numbers. The system of fiber-optic lines and the problem of accessibility of the Internet will be developed. It is also planned to replace the old-fashioned dial central office for the electronic one. In 2005 considerable assets will be attracted for the development of the mobile network of Belarus.

Belarusian enterprises started the production of electronic commutation equipment of 2,000 numbers of capacity for the construction of rural and city stations. It is planned to create a joint venture for the production of electronic stations of a big capacity jointly with the Alcatel company.

Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe Fiber-Optic Line (TAE) and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); three fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia and Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure.

After the organization of the second join point of fiber-optic communication link (FOCL) Minsk - St. Petersburg in addition to the FOCL Minsk - Moscow installed last year, it will be at last provided the necessary communication reliability for the international transit traffic from Russia to European countries

EXERCISES

LEVEL II

Translate the following word combinations into English and make up sentences with them.

- совместное предприятие

- электрический ток

- двухсторонняя радиосвязь

- с помощью проводов

- волоконно-оптические линии

- надежность

LEVEL III

Make up all types of question to the sentences.

Belarus is the first among the CIS countries in a number of telephones.

Telephones can send information from one computer to another.

It is also planned to replace the old-fashioned dial central office for the electronic one.

LEVEL IV

Prove that Belarus is the first among the CIS countries in telephone density.

BelCel

BelCel Joint Venture( JV) is the first wireless operator in the Republic of Belarus. It offers services of the most advanced third-generation cellular telecommunication system. BelCel JV was founded by the Belarusian telecom enterprises and British company Cable &Wireless plc. The company’s name is a Russian version of the English abbreviation BELCEL that means “Belarusian Cellular”.

Commercial operation of the network was launched on May 7, 1993. In the course of the work, BelCel was staffed with highly qualified personnel. Belarusian, banks, embassies and key commercial companies were the first subscribers of BelCel JV. Within several months cellular communications became available in all regional centres.

Starting from July 15, 2003 BelCel telecom services are rendered under the brand “DIALLOG”.

Nowadays BelCel network covers more than 60% of the national territory and continues to extend. 72% of the population of Belarus lives on this territory. Number of BelCel network users has surpassed one million subscribers. DIALLOG is a telecommunications for subscribers who want to accentuate their personality, who keep step with time and use their cellphone not only as a means of communication but also as the efficient tool for their business.

BelCel JV occupies a special place in Belarusian market. Free calls within its network are not only the attractive marketing offer. This unique opportunity is in demand of users – that’s why DIALLOG is ideal for unlimited communication of friends and family memberscentres are open in Minsk, Brest, Gomel, Bitebsk and Grodno.

Commercial operation of DIALLOG-SMS started from May 1, 2004. During six months of pilot operation the company specialists checked the technical capabilities of the equipment and a peak load on SMS-centre. More than 3 million text messages have been sent by the subscribers during the pilot operation. In the near future company specialists shall test sending of the text messages to other operators. Preliminary, opening of SMS traffic to other telecom operators is scheduled for the current year summer.

The capacity of modernized BelCel network is enough to provide all the subscribers with the qualitative telecom services. BelCel provides the highest level of customer care, safe cellular communication technology.

BelCel JV has become a father of cellular communications in Belarus and brought the meaning of “ a mobile phone” to our people. Telecommunications has become popular, therefore the second million of users shall not keep waiting.