The Telecoms Coast (Paperback)

Geoff Varrall

ISBN 10: 1849956111 / ISBN 13: 9781849956116

Published by Porto Press Ltd, 2026

About this Item

Paperback. The Telecoms Coast by Geoff Varrall is a compelling exploration of Cornwalls pioneering role in the history of global telecommunications. Spanning nearly two centuries, this richly detailed book traces the development of communication technology from the earliest terrestrial telegraph systems of the 1830s to modern fibre optics, satellite communications, and space-age connectivity.Journeying along Cornwalls dramatic coastline, the book visits internationally significant telecom landmarks including Porthcurno, Poldhu, and Goonhilly. Readers discover how Cornwalls unique geography made it a gateway for subsea telegraph cables linking Britain to India and beyond, the birthplace of groundbreaking long-distance radio transmissions by Marconi, and later a hub for satellite communications and deep-space technology.Blending engineering history, scientific innovation, and coastal heritage, The Telecoms Coast reveals the people, inventions, and infrastructure that transformed global communication networks. From Victorian cable pioneers and early radio engineers to todays satellite specialists supporting NASA and ESA missions, the book highlights Cornwalls enduring influence on worldwide connectivity.Perfect for readers interested in telecommunications history, maritime heritage, engineering, radio technology, and Cornwall travel, this fascinating account offers an engaging insight into the evolution of international communications and the remarkable coastline that helped connect the world. A journey along The Tin and Telecoms Coast in Cornwall. How Cornwall became the crucible of telecommunications innovation through the 19th and 20th Centuries and why this matters today. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781849956116

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Telecoms Coast (Paperback)
• Publisher: Porto Press Ltd
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1849956111
• ISBN 13: 9781849956116
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

A fascinating story of telecommunications in Cornwall from 1830 through to the present day, spanning the earliest days of the terrestrial telegraph network, the laying of subsea cables from 1850 onwards, high power long distance radio from 1900 and satellite communication from the early 1960s.

We start at the Geevor tin mine in Pendeen then head down the coast to Land’s End, the most westerly point of the English mainland (the shortest route to New York).  From Land’s End we come first to Porthcurno where the first subsea cable to India came ashore on 8th June 1870, then via Newlyn, Penzance, Marazion and Porthleven to Poldhu Cove near Mullion from where (30 years later on 12 December 1901) Ambrose Fleming summoned sufficient radio energy to send the Morse code letter S (three dots, no dashes) to Marconi in Newfoundland. From Poldhu we head a few miles inland to Goonhilly where on the 11th July 1962 (another sixty years on), TV signals from the newly built satellite communications antenna, Arthur, were transmitted and received via a beach ball sized satellite called Telstar. Fast forward another sixty years (2022 onwards) and those legacy dishes support NASA and ESA space missions. There is also a state of the art data centre and a Low Earth Orbit ground station.

The Telecoms Coast is not written as a guide book but if you were minded to head down the coast from Pendeen with a compass and a smart phone you could be relaxing a mere 100,000 steps later with a well-earned gin and tonic in the bar of the Housel Bay Hotel. There you can reflect that with the benefits of a time machine you could have crossed paths with John Pender in 1870 in Porthcurno as he planned the next long distance subsea cable to arrive on the sandy beach. Fast forward thirty years to 1900 and you could have been chatting to Mr Marconi and Major Flood Page as they planned the new generation of high power long distance radio stations along the Cornish Coast. A quick teleport to the present day and you could find a bevy of satellite engineers from Goonhilly enjoying a beer or three in the hotel bar while discussing radio networks on the Moon or how to talk to Mars.