Page 66 - Remembering ISTEL
P. 66

Remembering ISTEL



        CDC - Communicating Across All Sites


        In 1968, Austin Morris realised that telephone calls between their sites, of
        which there were approximately twenty, were costing the company a great
        deal in Post Office charges and could be avoided with the a private microwave

        radio network.

        Initially,  the  second  option  of

        Micro-wave  radio  appeared
        financially  prohibitive,  until

        Austin Morris were approached
        by  Pye  Telecommunications
        who       had       some        suitable
        microwave radio equipment at

        a realistic price, available on the
        shelf after the cancellation of an

        overseas order. Pye also offered
        the use of a radio repeater site
        at  Christmas  Common,  just
        north  of  Reading,  which  gave

        the  opportunity  to  Austin
        Morris  to  connect  the  London

        Headquarters to.

        Austin Morris decided to adopt

        this option and established the
        first       private         microwave
        network  in  Great  Britain,
        providing             communication

        between         London,          Cowley,
        Longbridge  and  some  Midland

        sites.

        The network was switched into service in 1970 and operated unchanged until

        1976 when, after the merger of the various car companies under the British
        Leyland  banner,  the  microwave  network  became  the  responsibility  of
        Corporate Headquarters London.


        BL management recognised that they had a valuable asset in this microwave
        network, but also realised that with the changes in the BL companies, site





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