GPO/POST OFFICE/BT TOWERS
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These pages are provided to give a mainly pictorial overview of some of the GPO/Post Office/BT towers.  Please look elsewhere for technical descriptions and more in depth information.  Click here and here for more information.

BIRMINGHAM
CHARWELTON
DUNSTABLE
HARRABY
HEATON PARK
LONDON - Museum / Post Office Tower
PURDOWN
PYE GREEN
MAP OF GPO BACKBONE NETWORK
MAP OF THE MICROWAVE NETWORK - 1970
MICROWAVE - Pictures of GEC Installations
SUTTON COMMON

Why build these towers
During the nineteen fifties the UK TV providers were demanding more connectivity and voice traffic was rising rapidly.  At this point in time long distance connection was by Co-axial cable and these were connected via repeater stations.

To build a network of the required size, that covered the UK and had some form of resiliency, was really unobtainable by Co-axial cable means and a Microwave network was designed and built as it was the cheapest option.

Microwave signals are point to point and are located at strategic points and distances.  The curvature of the earth defines the distance between the dishes, as they have to be in direct line of sight of each other.  Distances between towers would be between 25 and 40 miles.

The towers were taller than the surrounding buildings to allow the dishes to be fitted at a height with direct line of sight to the next towers.

The original transmitters and receivers were large metal horns but these were later changed to round dishes.  The later round dishes actually look like drums as they have a cover over the front of the dish.

Another microwave network was also built around the same time and this was a Government network called "Backbone".  This used some of the GPO microwave network and used also used towers built in out of the way places.  There is confusion on exact details as this was a top secret network and details are hard to come by.

The BT microwave network has now been replaced by fibre optic cables.

 

 

 
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Last revised: September 10, 2024

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