Milestone-Proposal talk:The Trans-Canada Microwave System, 1958: Difference between revisions

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===Re: Assessment from Second Reviewer -- [[User:Dmichelson|Dmichelson]] ([[User talk:Dmichelson|talk]]) 21:09, 23 November 2021 (UTC)===
===Re: Assessment from Second Reviewer -- [[User:Dmichelson|Dmichelson]] ([[User talk:Dmichelson|talk]]) 21:09, 23 November 2021 (UTC)===


: I've modified the citation as recommended by Mike Paraskake.
: I've modified the citation as recommended by Mike Paraskake. Thanks, Mike!

Revision as of 22:01, 23 November 2021

The Advocate for this proposal -- John Vardalas (talk) 07:41, 23 November 2021 (UTC)

My name is Dr. John Vardalas. I retired as the Senior Historian at the IEEE History Center. I've also served for 4 years on IEEE's History Committee. I've been asked to serve as an Advocate for this Milestone proposal.


My responsibility is to help navigate this proposal through the Milestone approval process. The first step is to obtain two qualified reviewers to assess this proposal. Two have already agreed to do the assessment. Their reviews will appear on this Discussion page within the next week.


I look forward to working with the proposer to bring this IEEE Milestone nomination to a successful conclusion.

Assessment from First Reviewer -- John Vardalas (talk) 16:14, 23 November 2021 (UTC)

Below, verbatum, is the first review of the proposal


“I have worked at the national museum for over 30 years, first as an historian of technology and then as curator of transportation. In my capacity as historian I wrote two historical reports on radio technology. One, Radio Communication in Canada: An Historical and Technological Survey was published as part of our Transformation Series in 1990. The second report was on the history of broadcasting technology in Canada. It was not published but is available in our library.


1) Is the suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

The Plaque citation is accurate. The style is clear and concise and communicates both the basic facts and the national significance of the achievement without overstatement or exaggeration.

2) Is the evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Citation?

The evidence provided is thorough and accurate. There is sufficient technical detail to reflect the daunting nature and scope of the engineering work demanded of the builders. The authors also capture some of the political and regulatory hurdles facing any major national infrastructure project in a federal nation. The only small oversight is the failure to mention the fact that the CBC was a publicly-owned and operated national broadcasting network with a strong mandate to build and cultivate Canadian culture by providing original content to all Canadians. For CBC to realize the full potential of television as a national medium, they needed access to a high capacity network.

3) Does the proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

Without a doubt, this was an achievement of outstanding national significance from a technical, social, and cultural point of view. It not only expanded the reach of our communications networks; it also made day-to-day communications faster, easier, and more reliable. Through the CBC and its national television network, it shaped how we saw ourselves as people and as a nation.

Sharon A. Babaian

Curator, Transportation (Land and Marine) Ingenium, Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation”

Re: Assessment from First Reviewer -- Dmichelson (talk) 17:00, 23 November 2021 (UTC)

As recommended by Sharon Babaian, I've inserted a paragraph concerning the impact of the TCMS on the CBC. Thanks, Sharon!

Engineering Institute of Canada in support of the Milestone proposal -- Administrator1 (talk) 18:17, 23 November 2021 (UTC)

The letter from the Engineering Institute of Canada in support of the Milestone proposal has been provided by John Vardalas, the Milestone advocate.

Assessment from Second Reviewer -- John Vardalas (talk) 20:29, 23 November 2021 (UTC)

Mike Paraskake is the President of SkySwitch Networks, a Vancouver-based telecommunications consulting firm. He has intimate knowledge of the workings of the Trans Canada Microwave System during the latter half of its operational life.

Below is his review, verbatim, of this proposal.

===============================

"1) Is the suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

Yes, it is accurate.

Some small wording changes in italics

On 1 July 1958, the Trans-Canada Microwave System introduced both live network television and direct-dialled long distance telephone service to Canadians from coast to coast. Comprising 139 microwave relay towers spanning more than 6275 kilometres, it was, at time of completion, the longest such network in the world. Its impact on Canada, its society, and its economy was immense.

2) Is the evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Citation?

Yes, the evidence presented in the proposal is of sufficient substance and accuracy. If additional evidence is required there is additional literature that has been archived in photos, engineering documentation, and training documentation. Bellcore Standards documentation exists as well describing the network in greater detail in terms of the engineering."

3) Does the proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

Yes, the proposed milestone does represent a significant technical achievement. The network was a significant Engineering achievement at the time in terms of providing high reliability Broadband communication services over a vast distance connecting Canada coast to coast. It also provided live TV broadcast for the Canadian Broadcast Corporation providing television services across the whole country. Other networks were added to the system at a later date with a National Delay Centre in Calgary. Not only is the radio microwave system an achievement itself but the complex multiplex carrier systems, alarm supervisory control systems, wireline entrance link switching, supervisory radios and network of Regional Control Centres.

The system was continuously being upgraded to provide better service and extend the life of the network beyond its original design parameters. The system was kept running later on in tandem with the new Digital SONET Radio system for a number of years before being decommissioned. The new digital radio systems shared the same radio microwave site towers.

4) Do the references support the claims being made?

Yes, the references do support the claims being made. The reference material does explain the scope of the radio network and the engineering techniques used in achieving network reliability and protection switching. Several radio microwave overbuilds were built subsequent to the original 1958 sites to provide intra-provincial communication services for provinces across the country. Additional radio channels extended the national network to the United States and International gateway sites connecting Canada to the rest of the world as well via satellite and undersea cables."

Re: Assessment from Second Reviewer -- Dmichelson (talk) 21:09, 23 November 2021 (UTC)

I've modified the citation as recommended by Mike Paraskake. Thanks, Mike!