POST AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES IN BULGARIA 1950-58

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• Collection: General CIA Records
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• Document Page Count: 57
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 5, 2013
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: July 1, 1959
• Content Type: REPORT

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SECRET
ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE REPORT
N9 53
POST AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES
IN BULGARIA
1950-58
CIA/RR 59-26
July 1959
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND REPORTS
?
SECRET
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WARNING
This material contains information affecting
the National Defense of the United States
within the meaning of the espionage laws,
Title 18, USC, Secs. 793 and 794, the trans-
mission or revelation of which in any manner
to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
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ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE REPORT
POST AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES IN BULGARIA
1950-58
CIA/RR 59-26
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Office of Research and Reports
S -E-C -R - E -T
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FOREWORD
This report is concerned with those post and telecommunications
facilities and services in Bulgaria operated and controlled by the
Directorate of Communications of the Ministry of Transportation and
Communications. These facilities and services are used by the armed
forces, other ministries, and other directorates of the Ministry of
Transportation and Communications as well as by th9 public. Excluded
from this report, however, are many functional telecommunications
systems operated independently by other segments of the government,
such as the armed forces, service industries, and manufacturing in-
dustriet.
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CONTENTS
Summary and Conclusions
I. Introduction
II. Ministry of Transportation and Communications
A. Organization
Page
1.
4
5
5
1. Internal
5
2. International
6
B.
Revenue
7
C.
Investment
9
D.
Manpower
10
1. Labor Force
10
2. Wages ,
12
3. Training
14
4. Labor Productivity
14
E.
Equipment
15
III.
Postal Service
IV.
Telephone and Telegraph Services
is
A.
Telephone
18
B.
Telegraph
22
C.
Common Telecommunications Facilities
24
1. Wirelines
24
2. Microwave Radio Relay
26
3. Point-to-Point Radio
27
V.
Broadcasting Services
27
A.
Radiobroadcasting
30
B.
Wire-Diffusion
32
C.
Television
33
VI.
-Future Trends
34
S -E -C -R -E -T.
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Appendixes
Appendix A. Glossary of Technical Terns
'Page
35
Tables
1. Estimated Total Revenue of Public Post and Tele-
communications Services in Bulgaria, 1953-58 8
2. Estimated Average Number of Employees in Public Post
and Telecommunications Services in Bulgaria,
1950-58
3.- Estimated Total Annual Wage Bill and Average Annual
? Wage of Employees in Public Post and Telecommunications
? Services in Bulgaria, 1950-58
13
U. Estimated Labor Productivity of Public Post and Tele-
communications Services in Bulgaria, 1953-58 15
5. Estimated Volume of Letters, Periodical, and Packages
Sent in Bulgaria, 1950-58 17
Estimated Number of Interurban Telephone Calls Handled
over Public Facilities in Bulgaria, 1950-58 19
Estimated Number of Public Telephones and Line Capacity
of Public Telephone Exchanges in Bulgaria, 1950-58 . . ? 21
8. Estimated Number of Telegrams Sent over Public
Facilities in Bulgaria, 1950-58 23
9. Estimated Length of Interurban Wire and Cable Lines
of Public Facilities in Bulgaria, 1950758 ? 25
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10. Broadcasting Transmission Base in Bulgaria,
1950-58
Page
28
11. Broadcast Reception Base in Bulgaria, 1950-58 29
12. Estimated Location, Power, Frequency, and Type of
Service of Radiobroddcasting Transmitters in
Bulgaria, April 1959
Illustrations
Figure 1. Bulgaria: Economic Activity, 1958
(Map)
Figure 2. Bulgaria: Organization of the Directorate of
Communications of the Ministry of Transpor-
tation and Communications, 1958 (Chart) . . . .
31 ,
2
Following Page
6
Page
Figure 3. Bulgaria: Employees in Public 'Post and Tele-
communications Services, by Age Groups, 1956
(Chart) 10
, Figure 4. Bulgaria: Main Telecommunications Wirelines,
April 1959 -- The Directorate of Communications
of the Ministry of Transportation and Communi- Inside
cations (Map) Back Cover
Following Page
Figure. 5. Bulgaria: Microwave Radio Relay Network,
?April 1959 -- The Directorate of Communications
of the Ministry of Transportation and Communi-
? cations (Map) 26
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Figure 6. Bulgaria: International Radiotelegraph and
Radiotelephone Circuits, April 1959 -- The
Directorate of Communications of the Minis-
try of Transportation and Communications
(Map)
Following Page
Figure 7. Bulgaria: Radiobroadcasting and Television
Facilities, April 1959 -- The Directorate of
.Communications of the Ministry of Transpor-
tation and Communications (Map) 30
Page
Figure 8. Bulgaria: Typical Wired Loudspeaker of the
Wire-Diffusion Service, 1958
(Photograph) 32
Figure 9. Bulgaria: Planned Television Center in Sofia,
1958 (Photograph) 33
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POST AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES IN BULGARIA*
1950-58
Summary and Conclusions
The public** post and telecommunications system in Bulgaria barely
provides sufficient service to meet the demands of the predominantly
agrarian economy. The system is overburdened because its growth has
not kept pace with the growth of the national economy. This situation
possibly will improve in the future, inasmuch as investment funds for
the post and telecommunications system during the Third Five Year Plan
(1958-62) are planned to be 57 percent greater than those during the
Second Five Year Plan (1953-57). Statistical measures of the develop-
ment of the system are as follows:
-
ano Volume
Employees
(Thousand units)
Interurban
1950
Telephone calls
(Million units)
...n19
(Million pieces)
1950
=13
1950
318
1958
/31
1958
1753
1958
122
e
Telephones
(Thousand units)
Wire
and Cable Lines
Telegrams
(Million units)
(T
sand kilometers)
1950
125
1950
1,8
1950
..113
1958
128
1958
161
1958
134
-a
I
Radiobroadcast
1950
Transmission
(Kilowatts)
124
Broadcast
(Mills
?
1950
Reception lap
n Rectiobroadcast Receivers
d Wired Loudspeasers)
23
Estimated Total Revenue
Million current leve?)
1953
1792
1958
335
1958
1575
1958
ij
* The estimates and conclusions in this report represent the best
judgment of this Office as of 1 May 1959. Technical terms are de-
fined in Appendix A, Glossary of Technical Terms.
** The term public in this report refers to the facilities and ser-
vices under the control of and operated by the Ministry of Post and ?
Telecommunications (Ministerstvo na Poshti, Telegrafi, i Telefoni) from
1950 to January 1957 and by the Directorate of Communications (Upravlenie
Suobshteniya) of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Mini-
sterstvo na Transporta i Suobshteniya) from January 1957 through 1958.
*** Except where otherwise indicated, lev values in this report are ex-
pressed in terms of current leva and may be converted to US dollars at the
official rate of exchange of 6.8 leva to US $1. This rate of exchange,
however, does not necessarily reflect the true dollar value.
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The rate of growth in total revenue from 1953 to 1958, which in-
creased at an annual rate of 4 percent,* approximates the over-all
rate of growth of service volumes from 1950 to 1958. Behind this
over-all growth, however, noteworthy differences exist among the
various service volumes. The radiobroadcast reception base in-
creased at an average annual rate of 21 percent, but the number of
telegrams sent decreased slightly. The rate of growth in postal
volume was about 11 percent per year, whereas the rate of growth
in interurban telephone calls was approximately 6.5 percent.
The accompanying map, Figure 1, shows the geographical relation-
ship of main telecommunications facilities to major economic activi-
ties of the country. The main telecommunications wirelines, which
1, I
bi-...CM
Rdi / RUMANIA
_e...?..--?41:177-%
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tO o0J Nu
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Md/ Om
MACE SEA
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? Padvdthili 9!
'N.?Road
rad
..-eirsd" N.
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a
? e Asenomad S% Yr mu
estL-Se.- .".- TURKEY
\\
. Salient' . &roe ? MAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS WIRELINES-
\ it Out/Mg open infrrlines and mullicenductor
cables. Road noting not A noun).
t! il ?
-cr? Tilarfkosti
? d Niirdzhali MICROWAVE RADIO RELAY NETWORK, APRIL 1959
In operation Planned
TCetnwinart I
To Thessalmika .-"Ntri....._.....,s.ert trr) ,
8 Relay 0
?
G REECE t C Cultivated land
lc
o so sum? man n I 0 Industrial center
M Mining center
? 43 Id ers --1111, - ce.,I in .._ / 4iiii Ion and steel center
I ...
27693 BULGARIA: ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, 1958
* All average annual rates of growth expressed in this report were
computed on a compound interest basis.
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are old and poorly maintained, carry the bulk of telecommunications
traffic. In the future the microwave radio relay network will be
expanded to carry a greater portion of this traffic, but the expan-
sion will not be sufficient to offbet the negative effects of the
poor wireline network on the development of the telecommunications
system of Bulgaria.
. A comparison of the post and telecommunications sector of the.
economy of Bulgaria with that of other Bloc countries for 1957 ig
shown below:
Interrurban Telephone
Calls per Capita
Telephone Subscribers
per Capita
rzi czethosayakia
a! East Germany
CI Poland
223 Hungary
la USSR
I. BULGARIA
RUM811111
Radiobroadcast Receivers
per Capita
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Bulgaria compares favorably in service per capita with several other
Bloc countries but compares unfavorablY'in several other equally '
significant aspects, such as efficiency, reliability, and extent of
automation.
The future trend of the public post and telecommunications services
of Bulgaria has been outlined by the Organization for Cooperation Among
the Socialist Countries in the Fields of Post and Communications (OSS).
This organization, composed of all Sino-Soviet Bloc countries, was
created through the initiative of the USSR in 1958 to integrate and to
improve post and telecommunications facilities and services within and
among member countries. As contemplated under OSS planning, Bulgaria
probably will establish an extensive microwave radio relay network by
1965 and will automatize telephone service by 1975. Although these
? programs are ambitious and will be costly for Bulgaria, it is likely
-that they will be implemented, under Soviet pressure if necessary.
I. Introduction.
The purpose of this report is to describe, measure, and evaluate
'the public post and telecommunications facilities and services of Bul-
garia that are managed by the Directorate of Communications of the
Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
The area of Bulgaria is about 43,000 square miles, slightly smaller
than the State of Pennsylvania. It measures about 280 miles from east
to west and 150-miles from north to south. The weather generally is
mild, tending toward "continental" in the north and toward I'mediterranean"
in the south. The moubtain ranges, which coincide with the borders of
Yugoslavia and Greece and bisect the country from east to west, are
crossed by many routes. The dimensions of the country, the character of
the weather, and the topography of the mountain ranges present no serious
obstacles to the construction and maintenance of postal routes and tele-
communications lines.
. The population of Bulgaria in 1958 was 7.8 million. More than 70 per-
cent of these people live and work in rural areas. The population den-
sity is the lowest of the European Satellites, excluding Albania. The
literacy rate is one of the highest in the Balkans, and the ethnic com-
position.of the population is about 92 percent Bulgarian. These factors
afford the basis for good mass communication by common language.
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The economy of Bulgaria is based-preponderantly upon agriculture,
in spite of attempts to establish a heavy industrial base during the.
revised First Five Year Plan (1949-52) and Second Five Year Plan (1953-
57). Since 1956, however, the development of agriculture and of in-
dustry more appropriate to the resources of Bulgaria has been emphasized.
The effect of this development was a rapid growth in national income,
particularly in 1957. This rapid growth has multiplied the problems of
the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in keeping abreast of
the requirements for telecommunications service by the expanding eco-
nomy. 1/*
II. Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
A. Organization.
1. Internal.
The public post and telecommunications facilities of Bul-
garia are owned by the state and are operated by the Directorate of
Communications of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. -
The Directorate provides domestic and international telephone, tele-
graph, broadcasting, and postal services'. The chart, Figure 2,** shows
that the Directorate functions through four line Departments of Post,
Telephone, Telegraph, and Radio. These departments are supported by
several staffs. In addition to the line and staff components, the
Directorate operates a school, the Post, Telephone, and Telegraph (PTT)
Institute; a research and development component, the PTT Laboratories;
and a repair component, the Fr' Repair Shop.
The present departments have existed since the 1930's.
Changes in organization have not affected significantly the internal
structure of these departments. The most recent change in organization
occurred in -January 1957, when all post and telecommunications activities
were placed under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, an
arrangement similar to that which existed in 1935., This and earlier
th
changes probably have improved the performance of e departments by
effecting economies through the consolidation of separate departmental
staffs into. merged ministerial staffs.
The formal organization of the Directorate of Communications
probably will not be changed by plans annOunced by the central committee
of the Communist Party in Januar Y 1959 for radical reorganization of the
** Following p. 6.
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political and economic structure of the country. The pattern of post
and telecommunications services, however, probably will be altered if
the plans for radical reorganization are implemented. Already, con-
solidation of cooperative farms has necessitated a rearrangement of
telephone and telegraph wireline facilities in rural areas. Also, if
the responsibility for cultural and political life is placed under the
jurisdiction of local organs, there may be brought about a sudden in-
crease in the broadcast reception-base for rural areas and a shift in
the responsibility for postal delivery to cooperative farms.
The provision of broadcasting service is shared between
the Directorate of Communications and the Ministry of Culture. The
Directorate is responsible for providing and maintaining broadcasting
facilities, whereas the Ministry of Culture is responsible for pre-
paring and monitoring broadcast programs. 2/
2. International.
The structure of the post and telecommunications system in
Bulgaria is influenced by international as well, as by internal con- ?
siderations. Foremost among the international considerations is a
recent movement, initiated by the USSR) to bring about a unified post
and telecommunications system in and among Sino-Soviet Bloc countries.
The mechanism created to coordinate and supervise this movement is the
Organization for Cooperation Among the Socialist Countries in the
Fields of Post and Communications (OSS). Apparently OSS is not part
of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA), but it bears a
relationship to CEMA) even though the extent of this relationship is
not known. Unlike CEMA, OSS membership includes Communist China,
Mongolia, North Korea, and North Vietnam as full member countries.
The plans of OSS for the Sino-Soviet Bloc countries are
to establish a Bloc television network by 1965, to expand telegraph
traffic between Bloc countries, and to automatize Bloc telecommuni-
cations facilities by 1975. Provision for these OSS objectives is
included in the Bulgarian Third Five Year Plan (1958-62). Implemen-
tation of the plans will improve and increase communications lines
within Bulgaria and between Bulgaria and the other countries of the
Bloc and also will increase the military communications of Bulgaria
because public facilities are used by the armed forces and can be
wholly commandeered in emergencies.
In the over-all Bloc program for integration and standardi-
zation of post and telecommunications facilities, CEMA plays an im-
portant part in the assigmnent of programs for the development and the
production of telecommunications equipment among the various countries
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BULGARIA
? ORGANIZATION OF THE DIRECTORATE OF COMMUNICATIONS
OF THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS, 1958
Staffs serving the Directorates:
Planning
Investment
Accounting
Construction
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION
AND COMMUNICATIONS
Directorate of Communications
Figure 2 50X1
MINISTRY
OF CULTURE
Telegraph
Department
Telephone
Department
Post
Department
Post, Telephone,
and Telegraph
(PTT) Institute
Post Telephone,
and Telegraph
(PTT) Repair Shops
Post, Telephone,
and Telegraph
(PT) Research
and Development
Laboratories
Broadcasting
Department*
Radio
Department**
12 District Administrations
Radio
Administration
Wire-Diffusion
Administration
*The Broadcasting Department provides the facilities for the transmission and relay of radio, wire-diffusion, and television programs.
**The Radio Department of the Ministry of Culture prepares and monitors radio, wire-diffusion, and television programs.
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of the Sino-Soviet Bloc. The Commission for Electronics in Section IX
of CEMA is the working group that examines types of equipment for their
applicability to the telecommunications needs of the Bloc. Although
these activities pf CEMA are largely in the preliminary stages, they
foreshadow the future course of Bloc cooperation and interdependence.
To a lesser extent, other international organizations affect
the post and telecommunications system of Bulgaria. The International
Broadcasting Organization (Om), an organization dominated by the Sinor
Soviet Bloc, considers problems of common concern and sponsors cooper-
ative action. For example, the planned television network, OIR-Vision,
which includes the 'countries of the Sino-Soviet Bloc, Yugoslavia) Fin-
land, and the United Arab Republic, is a cooperative endeavor sponsored
by OIR. Bulgaria also is a member of the International Telecommuni-
cations Union (ITU) and the Universal Postal Union (UFU), both specialized
agencies under the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN. These
organizations establish technical standards for international communi-
cations facilities, determine prices for international services, and provide
a forum for the consideration of problems of international concern. OSS
has assumed for the Sino-Soviet Bloc many of the functions performed by
ITU and UPU for the whole world. 3/
B. Revenue.
Total revenue from public post and telecommunications services
in Bulgaria increased at an average annual rate of 4 percent from 1953
to 1958 (shown in Table 1*). This modest rate of growth resulted pri-
marily from an average annual rate of growth of telephone revenue of
only about 3 percent from 1953 to 1958. Growth in broadcasting revenue
.averaged about 13 percent per year from 1953 to '1958, and growth in
postal revenue averaged about 4 percent per year during the same period.
The rate of growth of telegraph revenue, however, decreased about 1 per-
cent per year from 1953 to 1958.
In relation to over-all economic activity, the growth of public
post and telecommunications revenue fell behind the growth of national ?
income, as follows:
1953 =
100
1954
1955.
1956
1957
1958
Index of national income 11/
98
107
109
126
135
Index of post and tele-
communications revenue**
105
107
107
115
122
Table 1 follows on p. 8.
Computed from data in Table 1, p. 8, below.
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Table 1
Estimated Total Revenue of Public Post
and Telecommunications Services in Bulgaria a
1953-58
Million Current Leva
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
Postal revenue b/
87.4
91.6
93.3
93.8
100.6
106.4
Telecommunications revenue Ej
2014.1214.0
217.9
219.0
234.9
248.2
Telephone (1/
161.5
169.2
170.2
166.8
177.4
185.3
Interurban
128.4
131.9
134.1
126.7
135.1
141.3
Local 2/
33.1
37-3
36.1
40.1
42.3
44.0
Telegraph ri
17.9
17.6
17.1
16.9
16.8
17.0
Broadcast
24.7
27.2
30.6
35.3
40.7
45.9
Radiobroadcasti:,
Wire diffusion
12.7
12.0
13.4
13.8
15.1
15.5
18.2
17.1
22.3
18.4
27.5
18.4
Total post and telecommunications revenue
291.2,
305.6
311.2
312.8
335.5
354.6
a. The term public in this table refers to the facilities and services under the control of and operated by the Ministry of Post and
Telecommunications from1953 to January 1957 and by the Directorate of Communications of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications
from January 1957 through 1958. Al]. data are rounded to the nearest hundred thousand leva.
b. Estimated on the assumption that postal revenue comprised 30 percent of total revenue. This estimate was based on fragmentary infor-
mation and on analogy with postal revenue in Poland and Rumania. 2/
c. The revenue for each of the services was derived by applying known and estimated telecommunications price data to known and estimated
telecommunications .service volumes. Price data are from Tables 6, 7, 8, and 11,
PP. 19, 21, 23, and 29, respectively, below.
d. Total telephone revenue does not include charges in excess of the base rate for telephone services or miscellaneous charges for
specialized telephone service.
e. Including revenue from telephone subscriptions and installation of telephones.
f. Including only revenue from regular telegrams sent.
g. Including revenue from loudspeaker subscriptions and installation of loudspeaker's.
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Because of the limits imposed on the growth in services by an inadequate
wireline network, Post and Telecommunications revenue has not kept pace
with the growth of the economy. By 1962 the annual rate of growth of
revenue again may approach that of the economy, inasmuch as planned in-
vestment funds to be expended under the Third Five Year Plan (1958-62)
are much greater than under previous plans.
Total revenue from public post and telecommunications services
was greater than total expenditures for these services during 1954-58.
Of all the services, only telephone service consistently earned more
than it spent, and consequently it accounted for the over-all profitable
position of the Directorate of Communications. Although the telegraph,
broadcasting, and postal services are ?not now profitable, the expected
increase in the use of these services probably will mean an increase in
revenues in relation to expenditures from them. No change in the rate
structure for the purpose of increasing revenues is likely to occur in
the near future.
C. Investment.
Investment expenditures* for public post and telecommunications
facilities in Bulgaria under the Third Five Year Plan (1958-62) are
57 percent greater than under the Second Five Year Plan (1953-57). The
amount was 250 million leva during 1953-57 and 392 million leva during
1958-62.4(4- ?/ During the Second Five Year Plan, major investment pro-
grams provided rural communities and cooperative farms with telephone
service, with a large number of post offices, and with an expanded wire-
diffusion network.
During the Third Five Year Plan the largest project, amounting
to 92 million leva, will entail an increase in the number of automatic
telephone exchanges. Other major projects include the expansion of the
microwave radio relay network, the construction of a television trans-
mitting center in Sofia, and the introduction of subscriber tele-
graph (TELEX***) service. 9/
The amount of investment funds probably is adequate in relation
to the capability of the Directorate of Communications to expend these
funds on well-planned projects. Nevertheless, in relation to the total
need for modern communications services, investment funds are not and
probably will not be adequate for many years.
* Investment expenditures include only those funds budgeted under
the state investment plan.
** Yearly data are not available.
*** TELEX is a term applied to a system of subscriber telegraph used
in European countries. As Bulgaria established a subscriber telegraph
network in 1958 interconnected with this European network, the term
TELEX is used in this report to describe the Bulgarian network.
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D. Manpower.
1. Labor Force.
The number of employees in public post and telecommunica-
tions services in Bulgaria increased at an average annual rate of more
than 10 percent from 1950 to 1955, but after 1955 the number of employees
scarcely increased (see Table 2*). The reduction in hiring in 1956 was
a result of the liberal employment program of 1950-55, when a large num-
ber of young and unskilled people were employed by the Directorate. As a
consequence of this program, the proportion of employees in the younger
age groups increased appreciably; the status in 1956 is illustrated in
the accompanying chart, Figure 3. Also, women became a major group of
employees by 1956, representing about 40 percent of the total number of
employees and more than 65 percent of employees under 26 years of age.
Figure 3
BULGARIA
Employees in Public Post and Telecommunications Services
by Age Groups, 1956*
15
42%
v7
28%
25
1
22%
0%
UP TO
26-35
36.49
50 AND
25
YEARS
YEARS
YEARS
OVER
27688 6.59
* Table 2 follows on p. 11.
** TELEX is a term applied to a system of subscriber telegraph used in
European countries. As Bulgaria established a subscriber telegraph net-
work in 1958 interconnected with this European network, the term TELEX
is used in this report to describe the Bulgarian network.
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Table 2
Estimated Average Number of Employees
in Public Post and Telecommunications Services in Bulgaria a/
1950-58
Thousand Persons
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955_
1956
1957
1958
Employees
13.3
15.4
18.6
20.2
21.4
21.7
21.6
21.7
12/
21.8
12/
Index (1950.= 100)
100
116
140
152
161
163
162
163
164
a. The term public in this table refers
and operated by the Ministry of Post and
the Directorate of Communications of the
January 1957 through 1958. All data are
source l0/ unless otherwise indicated.
b. Assuming an annual increase of 100 employees.
to the facilities and services under the control of
Telecommunications from 1950 to January 1957 and by
Ministry of Transportation and Communications from
rounded to three significant digits. Data are from
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The number of employees, in January 1958, by service, is
shown below:
Service Number of Employees Percent of Total
Postal
9/770
45.0
Telephone and telegraph
8,680
4o.o
Broadcasting
11840
Wire-diffusion
1,520
7.0
Radio
330
1.5
Other
1,410
6.5
Total
21 700
../
100.0
Data for previous years are not available for comparison, but the more
dynamic services, such as telephone and broadcasting, probably represented
a greater share of the total labor force in 1958 than in preceding years.
The number of employees is large enough to meet the labor re-
quirements of the Directorate of Communications. Only small numbers of
employees will be added in the future, as the efficiency and productivity
of the labor force probably will rise.
2. Wages,.
The average wage of employees in public post and telecommuni-
cations services in Bulgaria increased less than 3 percent annually from
1950 to 1958 (see Table 3*). As a result of this particularly low rate
of growth, the wages of post and telecommunications employees decreased ?
in relation to all nonagricultural employees in Bulgaria. The average
annual wage of post and telecommunications employees was about 4 percent
greater than that of total nonagricultural employees in 1950 but about
24 percent less than .that of nonagricultural employees in 1958. This
drastic change was caused by the rapid increase in wages paid to workers
in industry.
The effect of this change was not felt as sharply as the
figures indicate. Many employees of the postal services, who are the
* Table 3 follows on p. 13.
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Table 3
Estimated Total Annual Wage Bill and Average Annual Wage of Employees
in Public Post and.Telecommunications Services ,in Bulgaria 2../
1950-58
Total annual wage bill
(million current leva)
Average annual wage
(current leva)
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
69
5,190
86
5,630
100
5,410
116
5,760
127
5,920
131
6,000
135
6,270
139 b/
6,400 2/
143 bi
6,560 s/
a. The term public inthis table refers to the facilities and services under the control of
and operated by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications from 1950 to January 1957 and by
,the Directorate of Communications of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications from
January 1957 through 1958. All data are rounded to three significant digits. Data are from
source lliunless otherwise indicated.
b. Extrapolated by applying the absolute increase shown during 1954-56 (4 million current
leva).
c. Computed from the total annual wage bill and the number of employees (see Table 2, p. 11,
above).
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lowest paid group of employees in the Directorate, work in rural areas
where their incomes in 1958 still were relatively high compared with
farm incomes. Also, the higher paid employees in telecommunications
services probably have incomes comparable with most incomes in industry.
Although these are mitigating factors, the trend of wages will need to
be reversed if the Directorate of Communications is to obtain the skills
required for more efficient post and telecoMmunications services.
3. Training!
The Directorate of 'Communications of the Ministry of Trans-
portation and Communications of Bulgaria conducts a program of full-time,
part-time, on-the-job, and after-duty-hours training. All programs other
than on-therjob training are carried on through.the Post, Telephone, and
Telegraph Institute. The full-time program consists of a 2-year technical
course on aspects of methods and equipment for radio and wire communications.
Normal enrollment is about 40 or 50 students. The Institute requires pros-
pective students for this course to guarantee to work for the Directorate
for at least 5 years after graduation. Thepart-time and after-duty-hours
programs run from a few weeks to several months and range from technical
briefings on new equipment to supervision courses for managers of rural
post offices. The training program appears to be adequate for present and
future needs of the Directorate of Communications.
4. Labor Productivity.
Labor productivity of employees engaged in public post and
telecommunications in Bulgaria, measured in terms of revenue per man-hour,
is shown in Table 4* for the period 1953-58. Between 1953 and 1955, total
revenue from post and telecommunications services increased about 6.7 per-
cent.** This increase was accomplished, however, by an increase in the
labor force of about 7.4 percent,*** reflecting a decline in labor pro-
ductivity of about 4 percent during the period. Since 1955 the number of '
workers in the labor force has remained relatively stable, and, in addition,
the average number of hours worked per week has decreased from 48 to 46.
In spite of this reduction in the total number of man-hours available, a
14-percent increase in revenue has been achieved, reflecting an increase
in labor productivity since 1955 of about 18 percent. Labor productivity
Is expected to continue to increase, so that future increases in revenue
should be attained without significant increases in the labor force.
Labor productivity in the postal services in Bulgaria in 1957
was 0.248 man-hour per unit of revenue; in the telephone and telegraph
* Table 4 follows on p. 15.
** See Table 1, p. 8, above.
*** See Table 2, p. 11, above.
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"Table 4
Estimated Labor Productivity
of Public Post and Telecommunications Services in Bulgaria a/
1953-58
Current Leva
1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958
Revenue per man-hour bi 5.78 5.72 5.74 5.99 6.46 6.8o
a. The term public in this table refers to' the facilities and services
under the control of and operated by the Ministry of Post and Telecom-
munications from 1953 to January 1957 and by the Directorate of Communi-
cations of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications from Jan-
uary 1957 through 1958. All data are rounded to three significant
digits.
b. Computed by dividing revenue (see Table 1, p. 8, above) by man-hours.
Data on man-hours were derived by multiplying the number of employees
(see Table 2, p. 11, above) by the average number of hours .of work per
week (48 hours per week from 1953 to April 1956 and 46 hours per week
from April 1956 through 1958).
services, 0.114 man-hour; and in the broadcasting services, 0.115 man-
hour.* This difference in productivity between services probably will
indrease in the future because plans for mechanization in postal services
are heavily outweighed by extensive plans for automation in telecommuni-
cations services. Labor productivity for all services of the Directorate
of Communications, however, probably will increase.
E. Equipment.
The Directorate of Communications of the Ministry of Transpor-
tation and Communications of Bulgaria obtains equipment for public
post and telecommunications services from domestic production and from
imports. Domestic production includes telephone sets, small automatic
telephone exchanges, telecommunications wire and cable, radiobroadcast
receivers, and loudspeakers. Only telephone sets and loudspeakers are
manufactured in sufficient quantities to fill the needs of the Directorate.
* Computed from data on the number of employees
revenue from Table 1, p. 8, above.
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Other equipment is imported, chiefly from East Germany) Czechoslovakia,
and Hungary in the Soviet Bloc and from Austria and West Germany in the
Free World. In the future, expansion in domestic production of auto-
matic telephone exchanges and of wire and cable will make the Directorate
of Communications less dependent upon imports for this equipment.
The Directorate of Communications does not export telecommuni-
cations equipment, although the telecommunications equipment industry
does export small quantities of telephone sets and radiobroadcast re-
ceivers.
The research and development programs of the Directorate of
Communications and of the telecommunications equipment industry are
confined to the adaptation of foreign equipment to Bulgarian manu-
facture and use.
III. Postal Service.
The public postal service provides most communities of Bulgaria
with adequate mail delivery and savings bank services.. The growth of
total postal facilities is indicated by the increase in the number of
post offices between 1950 and 1958 lEV:
Year
Number of Post Offices
1950
1,343
1955
1,755
1956
1,829
1957
1,905
1958
1,921
The greatest growth in postal facilities occurred during the Second
Five Year Plan (1953-57), when the base for serving rural areas was
established.
The average annual rate of growth of postal volume from 1950 to
1958 varied between 22 perceir; from 1950 to 1953 and. 5 percent from
1953 to 1958. The difference in the rates of growth between the two
periods was caused by a decrease in the number of letters sent, be-.
ginning in 1954. The decrease continued until 1956 and is estimated
to have remained at 156 million letters sent per year in 1957 and
1958 (see Table 5*). The decline probably resulted from planning
adjustments that led to reductions in output in some sectors of the
* Table 5 follows on p. 17.
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Table 5
Estimated Volume of Letters, Periodicals, and Packages Sent in Bulgaria aJ
1950-58
Million Units
? 1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
?
1958
Letters
167
183
203
224
217
185
156
156 11/
156 b/
Newspapers and periodicals
147 s/
214
281
352
413
459
503
548 Ey
593 sy
Packages
4
5
5
5
4
4
4
4 12/
4 12/
Total volume
318
402
la
581
634
648
663
708 .
753
a.
All data are rounded to the nearest million.
b.
c.
Assumed to be the same as in
Extrapolated by applying the
periodicals).
d. Extrapolated by applying the average absolute growth during 1954-56 (45 million newspapers
and periodicals).
1956.
absolute growth during 1951-52 (67 million newspapers and
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economy in 1954. The number of letters sent undoubtedly will increase
in the future as the needs of an expanding economy and population are
felt.
The efficiency of the postal system has been improved by the increased
use of trucks for rural deliveries and by the expahding cooperative move-
ment in agriculture. Postal routes have been consolidated and extended
by the use of trucks, providing greater' area coverage without correapond-
ing increases in the number of employees. The cooperative movement in
agriculture also has contributed to the efficiency of the postal system
by a reduction in the number of collection and delivery stops.
In the Third Five Year Plan (1958-62), provisions for the development
of the postal service stress improvement in mail delivery, in the quality
of the labor force, and in the organization of postal activity. Nail
delivery is to be augmented chiefly by the greater use of trucks. The
quality of the labor force will be raised through better training and
higher job requirements, and the organization of postal activity will be
improved by giving more responsibility to ldwer operating levels of the
Post Department. 1.6./
IV. Telephone and Telegraph Services. '
The telephone and telegraph services of Bulgaria consist of local;
interurban, and international telephone service and interurban and inter-
national telegraph service. These services are carried by a low-capacity
wireline network supplemented by a microwave radio relay network and a
point-to-point radio network. The telephone service is reasonably ade-
quate in the rural areas of Bulgaria but is inadequate in the urban areas.
The demand for telegraph service is not wholly met because of obsolete
equipment and inefficient operating methods. Future plans call for the
automation of the telephone network to increase its capacity for telephone
traffic and for the establishment of a subscriber telegraph (TELEX) net-
work to modernize telegraph service.
A. Telephone.
The telephone system of Bulgaria affords reasonably adequate
service for rural areas but inadequate service for urban areas. Urban
telephone service is severely hampered by a low-capacity wireline net-
work. The number of interurban telephone calls, shown in Table 61* did
not vary appreciably from 1953 to 1958. The absence of any significant
increase in interurban calla during this period in the face of a 31#-per-
cent increase in the number of telephones in service (see Table 7**)
* Table 6 follows on p. 19.
** P. 21, below.
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Table 6
Estimated Number of Interurban Telephone Calls
Handled over Public Facilities in Bulgaria Li/
1950-58 .
Million Units
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
Interurban .calls
18.7
23.0
26.2
29.0
29.7
29.9
27.9
29.6
12/
31.0
12/
Index (1950 = 100)
100
123
140
155 .
159
160
149
158
166
a. The term public in this table refers ta the facilities and services under the control of
and operated by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications from 1950 to January 1957 and by
the Directorate of Communications of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications from
January 1957 through 1958. All data are rounded to three significant digits.
b.- Computed using the ratio of interurban telephone calls to the number of telephones (see
Table 7, p. 21, below) that existed in 1956 (232 interurban calls per telephone). \
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suggests that the capacity of interurban lines was approaching its limit
in 1953 and that this capacity has not increased noticeably since 1953.
Telephone service is more difficult to obtain in urban areas than
in rural areas. Unfulfilled requests for the installation of telephone
service in Sofia totaled more than 15,000 in 1958. Telephone service
was equally difficult to obtain in the large cities of Plovdiv and Varna,
whose 10,0.00-line exchanges were reported to be operating at full capacity.
In rural areas, however, where telephone service was successfully extended
during the Second Five Year Plan (1953-57), this service was less difficult
to obtain. With the extensive decentralization of the political and eco-
nomic structure of the country announced by the Communist Party in January
1959, greater demands will be made on rural telephone service. As a'con-
sequence, the fortunate position of rural areas with regard to telephone
service probably will not last for many years. 1?./
The line capacity of telephone exchanges and the number of tele-
phones are listed in Table 7.* The average annual rate of growth of these
facilities from 1950 to 1958 was moderate -- a 4.5-percent increase in
telephone line capacity and a 6.9-percent increase in the number of tele-
phones. In 1950 the line capacity of automatic telephone exchanges re-
presented 45 percent of total line capacity, whereas in 1958 it represented
48 percent. The increasing proportion of automatic exchanges to manual
exchanges is the result of greater domestic production of small semiauto-
matic exchanges for use in rural areas.
Most of the urban telephone exchanges in Bulgaria were installed
before World War II. Four of the six 10,000-line exchanges in Sofia and
the exchanges in Plovdiv, Varna, Ruse, and Stara Zagora were set up be-
fore World War II. Only the remaining two 10,000-line exchanges in Sofia
and the exchange in Burgas were installed.after World War II. Thus most
of the major telephone exchanges in Bulgaria (the cities named above have
approximat9ly three-fourths of the total number of telephone lines in the
country) are beginning to require more maintenance and repair to maintain
satisfactory service.
During the Third Five Year Plan (1958-62) the capacity of tele-
phone exchanges will be increased by 38,000 lines, which is more than
twice the number of lines installed during the Second Five Year Plan.
Most of this expansion will take place in urban areas, in contrast to
the greater expansion in rural areas during the Second Five Year Plan.
In 1958, construction began in Sofia on new telephone exchanges and on
the enlargement of some old exchanges, which, altogether, totaled almost
10,000 lines. Thus a good start already has been made toward the goal
of 38,000 new lines under the Third Five Year Plan. 19/
* Table 7 follows on p. 21.
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Table 7
Estimated Number of Public Telephones and Line Capacity
of Public Telephone Exchanges in Bulgaria 21
1950-58
Thousand Units
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
Telephones
78.0
87.4
94.2
99.9
110.1
112.3
120.3
127.7 12/
133.5 2/
Line capacity of telephone
exchanges:
Dial exchanges
41..9
48.6
52.2
54.9
54.9
55.8
58.5
60.7 1/
62.6 2/
Manual-exchanges
50.7
55.0
59.2
57.3
59.4
62.0
64.5
66.5 f/
68.7 11
Total line capacity
92.6
103.6_
111.4
112.2
114.3
117.8
123.0
127.2 hi
131.3 b./
a. The.term public'in.this table refers to the facilities and services under the control of
and operated by the Ministry of Post and TelecommuniCations from 1950 to January 1957 and by
the Directorate of Communications ofthe Ministry of Transportation and Communications from
January 1957 through 1958. All data are rounded to the nearest hundred./
b. 21/7-
c. 22/
d. ?_
e. Computed using the percentage relationship of dial exchanges to total exchanges (47.7 per-
cent) that existed in 1957.
f. Computed by subtracting dial exchanges from total exchanges.
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In addition to the increase in telephone line capacity, semiauto-
matic interurban dialing is to be introduced by 1962. This mode of opera-
tion may provide up to 15 percent greater use of present telephone channels
and will require a smaller number of interurban telephone operators. Also,
interurban telephone circuits that were reserved for the Ministries of
National Defense, the Interior, Forests, and Electrification and for the
Directorate of Railroads will be turned over to the Directorate of Communi-
cations for joint use. The opening of these lines for public needs prob-
ably was done to increase the use of these telephone circuits. 2V
The major objectives of the Third Five Year Plan represent prelim-
inary steps that Bulgaria must take in order to automatize its telephone
system by 1975. They probably are sufficient at this stage of development.
Much of the drive for the program has come and will continue to come from
OSS.
B. Telegraph.
The telegraph system in Bulgaria provides insufficient service to
meet the normal requirements of the economy. The number of telegrams sent,
as shown in Table 8,* decreased from 6.8 million in 1950 to 6.1 million in
1958. Thi S trend persisted in spite of increases in the number of tele-
grams handled (sent, relayed, and received) during 1956-58, as follows: for
1956, 16.1 million; for 1957, 16.6 million; and for 1958, 18.0 million. 25/
The declining trend in the number of telegrams sent probably resulted from
slow service caused by obsolete equipment, inefficient methods, and an old
telegraph wireline network.
In the Third Five Year Plan (1958-62), programs are outlined to
improve the telegraph system. Obsolete equipment is to be supplemented
by modern machines that can automatically relay telegrams. Duplex oper-
ation of telegraph circuits is to replace simplex operation. Furthermore,
plans for improvements in the wireline network will improve the quality
of transmissions and increase the number of circuits. Although the plan
outlines programs to improve the telegraph system, they probably will not
be achieved within the 1958-62 Plan period.
In 19581 subscriber telegraph (TELEX) service was introduced in
Bulgaria. There were, however, only 15 subscribers, all located in Sofia.
Also in 1958, international TELEX service was opened for these subscribers,
connecting Sofia with Free World cities via Bonn, West Germany, and with
other European Satellite capitals except Tirane, Albania. 2g
* Table 8 follows on p. 23.
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Table 8 .
Estimated Number of Telegrams Sent over Public Facilities in Bulgaria El/
1950-58
Million Units
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
Telegrams sent
6.82
6.94
6.90
6.81
6.47
6.14
6.o8
6.05W
6.13 y
Index (1950 = 100)
100
102
101
100
95. .
90
89
89
90
a. The term public in this table refers to the facilities and services under the control
.of and operated by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications from 1950 to January 1957 .
and by the Directorate of Communications of the Ministry of Transportation and Communica-
tions from January 1957 througb 1958. The numbers of. telegrams sent are rounded to three
significant digits.
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C. Common Telecommunications Facilities.
The common telecommunications facilities of Bulgaria consist of
wireline, microwave radio relay) and point-to-point radio facilities.
The wireline facilities, shown on the map, Figure 4,* carry telephone
and telegraph traffic and broadcasting programs throughout the country.
Microwave radio relay facilities also carry telephone and telegraph
traffic and broadcasting programs, but the facilities are much less ex-
tensive, connecting only the major cities of the country. The point-to-
point radio facilities primarily provide international telegraph service
to areas not reached by international wirelines.
1. Wirelines.
The wireline network of Bulgaria fails to provide enough
circuit and channel capacity for the demands of the telephone and tele-
graph services. Since 1953 the average annual rate of increase for
new wireline and cable lines was less than 1 percent (see Table 9**).
Even for the modest demands of telephone and telegraph services in Bul-
garia) this amount of new cable and wirelines is exceptionally small.
Also, many wireline. circuits are old, becoming inoperable in weather
disturbances such as heavy rains. As a consequence of the dilapidated
state of the wireline network, interurban telephone calls have not in-
creased appreciably since 1953, and telegrams sent between 1950 and 1958
declined by 10 percent.
Multiconductor cable lines connecting Sofia with Ruse,
Dimitrovo, Pleven, and Vratsa and with Nis, Yugoslavia, are the only
cable lines in Bulgaria. The Directorate o'f Communications operates
the cable lines connecting Sofia with Dimitrovo and Pleven and with
Nis, Yugoslavia, but the armed forces operate the cable lines connect-
ing Sofia with Ruse and Vratsa. The Directorate leases some circuits
for public use on the armed forces' cable lines. The Sofia-Ruse cable
connects with a Rumanian cable that is part of a special mobilization
network connecting Rumania with the USSR. This route may be a connec-
tion between the Rumanian network and a similar mobilization network in
Bulgaria.
Main interurban wirelines used for telephone traffic are
equipped with carrier multiplexing equipment providing 10 telephone
channels. The equipment was manufactured about 1936 by Siemens-Halske
of West Germany. Although the carrier equipment originally was of good
quality, it now requires much maintenance for even minimal reliability.
Inside back cover.
Table 9 follows on p. 25.
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Table 9.
Estimated Length of Interurban Wire and Cable Lines
of Public Facilities in Bulgaria 21
1950-58
Kilometers
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
Cable lines
895
895
-901
932
- 953
966
1,000
1,040 ?I
1,080 12/
Wirelines 21
24,000
26,000
25,500
25,900
25,900
26,100
26,400
26,700
26,900
Total
?Lai
26,900
26)400
26,800
26,900
27,100
27)400
27,700 a/
28,000 a]
28 (1/
a. The term public in this table refers to the facilities and services under the control
of and operated by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications from 1950 to January 1957
and by the Directorate of Communications of the Ministry of Transportation and Communica-
tions from January 1957 through 1958. All data are rounded to three significant digits.
b.
C.
d.
Extrapolated by applying the annual rate of growth in 1955-56 (4 percent).
Cable lines subtracted from total wire and cable lines.
Extrapolated by applying the annual rate of growth in 1955-56 (1 percent).
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The wireline network will be improved during the Third Five
Year Plan (1958-62) by the reconstruction of main interurban circuits.
Along with the introduetion of semiautomatic dialing, reconstruction may
increase telephone channel utilization by 10 to 15 percent. It also will
include an increase in the number of repeaters on interurban circuits and
an increase in reserve generating facilities to improve the reliability
of electric power. The cost of reconstruction will be about 3,000 leva
per telephone channel.
Although the implementation of these reconstruction plans will
improve the wireline network, reconstruction alone will not improve the
network enough to satisfy the demands for telephone and telegraph services.
Moreover, the relocation of many lines as a result of the consolidation of
collective farms will further burden already overburdened construction
enterprises. Therefore, the poor wireline network probably will hinder the
development of telecommunications services in Bulgaria for many years.
2. Microwave Radio Relay.
The microwave radio relay network supplies mainline communi-
cations among major cities of Bulgaria (see the map, Figure 5*). In 1958
this network carried interurban telephone and telegraph traffic and radio-
broadcasting programs. By 1962 it will also relay television programs.
The microwave network was conceived in 1954 as a means of
insuring reliable relays of radio programs from Sofia studios to out-
lying transmitters. Gradually, the advantages for carrying telephone
and telegraph traffic as well were recognized. Consequently, by 1955
the use of the microwave network had been broadened to serve ulti-
mately as the basic medium for the mainline telegraph, the mainline
telephone, and the television networks.
The position of the mountain range, Stara Planina (the Bal-
kan Mountains), which bisects Bulgaria from east to west, strongly in-
fluenced the selection of the east-west route for a microwave radio
relay line. The mountains offer excellent high elevations for long-hop
transmission between relay points. This reduction in the number of re-
lay points reduces equipment, maintenance, and construction costs.
The first line of the microwave radio relay network went
into operation in 1956 between Sofia and Plovdiv via the Stara Planina
mountain range. It was followed in the same year by the Sofia-Pleven
line. In 1957 the network was extended to Ruse, and in 1958 it was
advanced to Burgas via Stara Zagora and Yambol. This network provided
17,356 channel-kilometers over 850 circuit-kilometers in 1958.
* Following p. 26.
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\
\To Belgrade .
\
?
I
SOFIA
?
14,77:7s, -or
Itralsa
Pleven
Dotty
To Bucharest
Danube
Ruse
tKolarovgrad
At"Turnovo
\ 0. Gore Iliyrsa ?
0
_--S)
Yambol -,Burgas
t
t
t
i ---f
Plovdiv
t
t
liBlagoevgrad
O 510 Statute Miles
O 50 Kilometers
Stara Zagora
?
? Khaskovo
? KUrclzhali
mem fr-'
EGEAN SEA
..."/arna
BLACK SEA
BULGARIA
MICROWAVE RADIO RELAY NETWORK
APRIL 1959
The Directorate of Communications
of the
Ministry of Transportation and Communications
IN OPERATION PLANNED
Circuit
? Terminal ?
o Relay 0
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By the end of the Third Five Year Plan (1958-62), the micro-
wave network will be substantially enlarged. Most cities in the country
will be linked with one another. The network probably will have a total
capacity of more than 66,700 channel-kilometers -- an increase of almost
3 times the number of channel-kilometers in 1958.
The plans for the microwave radio relay network probably will
be fulfilled. The obsolescence of the wireline network should stimulate
the Directorate of Communications to fulfill these plans. Furthermore,
the Bloc plans of OSS state that Bulgaria will establish an adequate net-
Work for relaying television programs by. 1965, 20/
3. Point-to-Point Radio.
Bulgaria maintains point-to-point radio communications with
24 countries and with the rest of the world through relays from some of
these countries. The international circuits are shown on the map,
Figure 6.* All these circuits use automatic morse telegraph, with the
exception of a radiotelephone circuit to Cairo. The transmitting site
for international point-to-point radio communications is located near
Chelopechene, 8 miles northeast of Sofia, and the receiving site is
located near Kostenbrod, 9 miles north of Sofia. These facilities ap-
pear to meet the needs of Bulgaria for international point-to-point
radio communications. No significant changes in this service are likely.
Bulgaria maintained a domestic point-to-point radio network
after World War II connecting all district capitals with Sofia. ,No
recent information confirms the existence of this network, though it
may still be in existence for emergency use in the event of an inter-
ruption of wireline facilities. 31/
V. Broadcasting Services.
The broadcasting services of Bulgaria consist of radiobroadcasting,
wire-diffusion, and television services. Growth in the transmission
base of the broadcasting services from 1950 to 1958 is given in Table 10,**
which shows the especially rapid development of the wire-diffusion ser-
vice during 1950-53. Table 11*** shows the number of broadcast reception
points in Bulgaria during 1950-58 and indicates the rapid growth in the
wire-diffusion service and in the number of radiobroadcast receivers from
1954 to 1958. Regular television service has not yet begun, but an ex-
perimental station has been in operation since 1953.Kxx*
* Following p. 28.
? 41-* Table 10 follows on p. 28.
*** Table 11 follows on p. 29.
xxxx Text continued on p. 30.
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Table 10
Broadcasting Transmission Base in Bulgaria 4/
1950-58
Units
Total amplitude-modulation (A14)
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955_
1956
1957
1958
radiobroadcasting transmitters
5
5
6
6
6
6
7
7
8
Domestic
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
- 5
5
International
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
Wire-diffusion relay centers
320
624
921
996
1,050
1,087
1,176
1,212
12/
1,248 s/
a.
has been
1960. .
c. Assuming the
in recurrent operation since 1953, and
An experimental television transmitter 50X1
a permanent transmitter will go into operation in
same absolute increase for 1957-58 as for 1956-57.
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Figure 6 50X1
BULGARIA
INTERNATIONAL RADIOTELEGRAPH AND
RADIOTELEPHONE CIRCUITS, APRIL 1959
The Directorate of Communications
of ths
Ministry of Transportation and Communications
Rocrotelegrap6 automatic Morse circuit
Radiotelephone circuit
50X1
Azimuthal Equidistant Pm:tertian centered n Prague
0 30
27694 6.59
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Table 11
-Broadcast Reception Base in Bulgaria a/
I
.1950-58
Thousand Units
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1952
1956
1957
1958
Radiobroadcast receivers
20170
234.0
249.
261
275
327
399
-.492 Y.
607 a/
Wired loudspeakers
, 26.3
68.1
125
184
242
300
355
406 y
446 1./
Total
227.0
302.0
374
11.145
21
?.2./
754
898
.1,050 2/
a. All data are rounded to three significant digits.
b. 12/
c. Assuming the same rate of growth for 1957-58 as for 1956=57.4.23.-3-percent).
e. Including 500 television receivers in 1958. 2/
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A. Radiobroadcasting.
The.radiobroadcasting service of Bulgaria is the most highly
developed post and telecommunications service in the country. Its
transmission base provides strong, clear broadcasts that cover in-
tended reception areas well, but its radiobroadcast reception base is
small in terms'of the number of radiobroadcast receivers per-capita.
The number of radiobroadcasting transmitters in 1950-58 is shown in
Table 10,* and the locations of these transmitters are illustrated on
the map, Figure 7**. The transmitting power as well as the number of
transmitters increased more than 4 times, from 124 kilowatts (kw) in
1950 to 675 kw in 1958. The estimated location, power, frequency, and
type of service of radiobroadcasting transmitters in February 1959 are
shown in Table 12.***
The radiobroadcast reception base, although small in size in
relation to that of the other Satellites, has been expanding more
rapidly than in most of the Soviet Bloc countries since 1955. The
number of radiobroadcast receivers, shown in Table 11,**** grew from
1950 to 1958 at an average annual rate of 15 percent and from 1954 to
1958 at an average annual rate of 23 percent. This growth since 1955
was supplied by a large increase in domestic production of radio re-
ceivers.
All technical facilities for radiobroadcasting service are
operated by the Radio Department of the Directorate of Communications,
but all programs are prepared, taped, and monitored by the Radio Depart-
ment of the Ministry of Culture: Thus the Directorate of Communications
is not concerned with the content of a program until it is ready to be
broadcast.
The Ministry of Culture prepares five program services. Two
programs are prepared for the whole country; a regional program for
the districts of Varna and Stara Zagora; a minority program for Turkish-
speaking peoples in Bulgaria; and international programs for Europe, the
Near East, and the Americas. The programs for the whole country are
clearly received except in the rugged mountainous areas along the western
and southern border regions. The international pro/trams are clearly re-
ceived in their target areas.
P. 28, above.
Following p. 30.
Table 12 follows on p. 31.
P. 29, above.
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Prom
MOS.Crall
%
Dania). ..k.o"..-1
''.......-,.....or"-%-.......... '1/4"...
,_,- -....?.................. _I ..
Pleven
I (flW kcl
2 16070 eel
,j(910,1723.1 kc 1
- if 1.513.51118301/4.1
'Also In card to broadcast English
oroornms from Radio kits.
end Albanktro orogronis from?
Radio Mahn,
I 921
4?1 )1593 I
S0.yarna
1124)
r-fr"---)
ilaccep." ,N
unknown) sOr
? '
148 it 11.71)
al
? i
i? SOFIA?, A, .i.S ego
-",etitolnIklil.
--,
C. 1.59240)657501? r - 111211
Vakarel TandeAa
\__I'? - BLACK SEA
k
\ Stara Zagora
022 1
FrO
'limn
.1 ',..
Nok
NTh r"%cr-S\
\ ., 1,......... ,.
lkwafien
? .1%.*")
1629)? 10
\
/ 1 Ilk
.."-?-?-ee ..or'el
i %.?... ..-mm..??????"......
\..,.-rj
...,
0 50 Statute Miles
1 ---Th
Domestic Amplitude Modulation
STUDIO
a Home Service-Program
Home Service-Program
-5a Minority service in Turkish
Regional service
International Amplitude
STUDIO
al
Television
'STATION
-I]
(692) Flouret In norm/hat; McNutt
Stations-AM
TRANSMITTER
I ?
II
Modulation Station,-AM.
TRANSMITTER
?
Stations
TRANSMITTER
0
tho freounicu In kilocychu
I I
0 50 Kilometers Jr"E71:31-?3T-----,______
on whkh eltnnonnififer oceratek
The /Mrs anode), audios with transmitter. I
27695
BULGARIA: RADIOBROADCASTING AND TELEVISION FACILITIES, APRIL 1959
The Directorate of Communications
of the
. - . . - .
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Table 12
Estimated Location, Power, Frequency, and Type of Service
of Radiobroadcasting Transmitters in Bulgaria a/
April 1959
Location
Power
(Kilowatts)
Frequency
(Kilocycles)
' Type of Service
Pleven
240
593
Domestic
Sofia
20
1,484
Domestic
Stara Zagora
Stolnik
10
120
1,124
7,255, 9,700,
Domestic, regional,
and international ,
and 11,855
International
Stolnik
120
6,070
International
Stolnik
35
7,670
International
Vakarel
100
827
Domestic and inter-
national
Varna
30
1,223
Domestic, regional,
and international '
Unknown
Unknown
1,376
Minority
Unknown
Unknown
, 692
Minority
Unknown
Unknown
629
Minority
a.
tude-modulation (AM) transmitters.
All transmitters are ampli-
In addition to the programs prepared by the Bulgarian Ministry
of Culture, Soviet and Albanian programs are broadcast to North America
by Bulgarian transmitters.
50X1
Major goals of the radiobroadcasting service in the Third Five
Year Plan (1958-62) include the addition of medium-frequency and high-
frequency transmitters, the introduction of frequency-modulation (FM)
radiobroadcasting service, an improvement in reception along the western
and southern border regions, and a continued expansion of the radiobroad-
cast reception base. Some of these goals already have been achieved. A
high-frequency transmitter went into operation in August 1958, and medium-
frequency transmittera went into operation in late 1958 or early 1959.
After the completion of these important goals, the remaining objectives
with respect to the transmission base probably will be .fulfilled. Further-
more, the high rate of production of radiobroadcast receivers should in-
sure 'a continuing supply. Thus the reception base as well as the trans-
mission base should continue to grow in the future. 32/
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B. Wire-Diffusion.
The wire-diffusion service of Bulgaria, which is small in size
in relation to that in other Soviet Bloc countries, is an important medium
of mass communication. Growth of the transmission base, composed of wire-
diffusion relay centers, is indicated in Table 10.* Moreover, the number
of wired loudspeakers served per center increased considerably, from 80 in
1950 to more than 350 in 1958.
The reception base of the wire-diffusion service, composed of
wired loudspeakerS,** represented 42 percent of the broadcast reception
base in 1958. After the rapid increases in the number of wired loud-
speakers installed during the early years of the -wire-diffusion service,
the number of wired loudspeakers has continued to increase since 1955 at
an average annual rate of 14 percent. More than 70 percent of these wired
loudspeakers were located in rural areas in 1958. A typical wired loud-
speaker is illustrated in the accompanying photograph, Figure 8.
Figure 8. Bulgaria: Typical Wired Loudspeaker of the Wire-
Diffusion Service, 1958
* *
P. 28, above.
See Table 11, p. 29) above.
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The inability of wire-diffusion subscribers to control the
selection of the programs that they hear provides the government with
a unique propaganda advantage. This. advantage is especially important
when a new policy is introduced, such as the political and economic.
reorganization of the country announced in January 1959. Consequently,
growth of the wire-diffusion service undoubtedly will continue at a high
rate. Future growth, however, probably will require a greater amount of
investment per wired loudspeaker because service will be extended to
higher cost and inaccessible areas. 122/
C., Television.
The television service of Bulgaria is in the early stages of
develcpment. The first experimental broadcasts began in 1953) but
regularly scheduled broadcasts will not begin before 1960. In 1958,
there were only 500 television receivers in use in the country. The
location of the television transmitter is shown on the map (see
Figure 7*).
, Construction began in 1957 on a large television center in Sofia.
It will be the main program center for the country. The main building of
the center will be 16 stories in height, topped by a 35-meter antenna,
giving an over-all antenna height of 110 meters. A model of this center,
which is to be completed in 1960, is shown in the accompanying photograph,
Figure 9.
Figure 9. Bulgaria: Planned Television Center in Sofia, 1958
* Following p. 30, above.
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Programs prepared in the television center in Sofia will be
relayed by microwave radio relay lines to transmitters located on
Mount Botev, in Varna, and in several other district capitals. The
Mount Botev transmitter will have a large radius of reception, cover-
ing parts of the districts of Pleven, Turnovo, Stara Zagora, Plovdiv,
and Ruse. By 1965 these transmitters may be broadcasting television
programs received over the Soviet Bloc television network, OIR-Vision,
which eventually is to link all countries of the Sino-Soviet Bloc,
Finland, Yugoslavia, and the United Arab Republic.
The television reception base will be increased primarily
through domestic production. The Third Five Year Plan (1958-62)
provides for a total production of 58,500 television receivers by 1962.
The first receivers were produced in 1958. IS
VI. Future Trends.
The future trends in post and telecommunications activities of
Bulgaria have been broadly outlined in the Sino-Soviet Bloc program
of OSS. As contemplated under OSS planning, Bulgaria will establish
a microwave radio relay network by 1965 and will automatize its tele-
phone facilities by 1975. Although these programs are ambitious and
will be costly for Bulgaria, they probably will be carried out. Pro-
vision for their implementation is reflected in the Third Five Year
Plan (1958-62) of Bulgaria. The program for the microwave radio relay
network probably will be completed before 1965, but the program for the
automation of the telephone network undoubtedly will .extend. at least
until 1975.
In addition to the OSS program, Bulgaria will introduce subscriber
telegraph (TELEX) service and frequency-modulation radiobroadcasting
service, will complete the construction of the television transmitting
center in Sofia, and will continue to expand radio and wire-diffusion
facilities and services.
Aside from increases in the availability of radiobroadcast receivers
and wired loudspeakers, the private consumer probably will not realize
any significant expansion in postal, telephone, or telegraph service in
the near future.
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APPENDIX A
GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS
Amplitude modulation (AM1: The process by which a selected carrier
frequency is varied in magnitude (amplitude) by other frequencies
that contain the information to be transmitted in telecommunications.
(See Frequency modulation.)
Apparatus: Instruments, machines, appliances, and other assemblies
. used in providing a telecommunications facility.
Automatic (as an adjective): Of or pertaining to any process in-
volved in producing telecommunications service which does not re-
quire direct, immediate human assistance.
Band (of frequencies): The entire range of frequencies between two
numerically specified frequency limits. The. magnitude of this range
is a limiting factor on the amount of information that can be trans-
mitted in telecommunications. . With respect to frequencies of the
radio spectrum as a whole, the International Telecommunication Union
has for convenience divided the whole radio spectrum into eight major
bands, as follows:
Frequency Bands
Range
30 kc** and below
30 to 300 kc
300 to 3,000 kc
3,000 to 30,000 kc
' 30,000 kc to
300 mc***
300 to 3,000 mc
3,000 to 30,000 mc
30,000 to 300,000 mc
Type
Very low. frequencies (VLF)
Low frequencies (LF)
Medium frequencies (MF)
High frequencies (HF)
Very high frequencies (VHF)
Ultra high frequencies (UHF)
Super high frequencies (SHF)
Extremely high frequencies
(Elf)
Corresponding Wave*
Myriametric waves
Kilometric waves
Hectometric waves
Decametric waves
Metric waves
Decimetric waves****
Centimetric waves****
Millimetric Wavesxxxx
* Waves are undulating disturbances: a sound wave is a disturbance
in the air, which is an elastic medium, and an electric wave is a dis-
turbance in any medium whatever. The number of waves per second is the
frequency of a given wave. Because the speed of wave propagation is
considered to be constant, the length of a given wave is in inverse re-
lation to its frequency: the longer the wave length, the lower the fre-
quency, and the shorter the wave length, gootnotes continued on p. 3?..7
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Cable: A bundle of sheathed, insulated wires and/or coaxial tubes,
used as a telecommunications medium. It is sometimes referred to
as "multiconductor cable."
Carrier (as an adjective): Of or pertaining to a technique for
dividing a circuit, lane, supergroup, group, or channel into por-
tions which can be used independently of and simultaneously with
all other portions. Different frequencies or different pulses are
selected for each portion to "carry" the information to be trans-
mitted, after alternation by the information frequencies. The car-
rier itself need hot be transmitted.
Channel: A portion, electrical or physical, of a telecoMmunications
circuit, lane, supergroup, or group which can be used to transmit
information independently of and simultaneously with all other
portions. A channel may be used to provide two or more subchannels.
Circuit: A telecommunications connection between two or more distant
points by a wire, cable, or radio medium facility used to carry in-
formation. The circuit is the fundamental telecommunications con-
nection between distant points. By the application of appropriate
techniques, a circuit may be arranged in many different combinations
to meet the need for various kinds and quantities of telecommunica-
tions service. In its simplest form a circuit may carry only single
telecommunications units in sequence. In its most complex form it
may by apportionment carry sinultaneously thousands of telephone
channels and telegraph subchannels; a number of television programs;
and other specialized kinds of service, such as high-fidelity broad-
cast programs, radar signals, and data-processing signals.
For the most complex application, a circuit is often ar-
ranged into lanes, each of which can carry, in 1 direction, 1 tele-
vision program or 600 telephone channels. In turn, these 600 tele-
phone channels are subdivided into 10 supergroups of 60 telephone
channels each. Each supergroup is subdivided into 5 groups of 12
telephone channels each. One or more telephone channels may be fur-
ther subdivided into three to twenty 60-word-per-minute teletype sub-
channels. Other specialized kinds of service may be accommodated by
combining two or more telephone channels.
the higher the frequency. Wave length is usually measured in linear
units of the metric system.
** Kilocycles per second, or 1,000 cycles per second.
*** Megacycles per second, or 1 million cycles per second.
xxxx It is becoming common usage to refer to waves (frequencies) in
these three bands as "microwaves."
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Coaxial (as an adjective): Of or pertaining to a modern telecom-
munications cable medium technique using one or more tubes (some-
times called "pipes"). Each metal tube surrounds a conducting wire
supported concentrically by insulators.. The space in the tube
usually contains nitrogen gas under pressure. Generally) coaxial
cable is used for the transmission of information in complex form,
such as radar, computer data, or television signals, and/or for the
transmission of telephone channels and telegraph subchannels. A
single tube usually carries information in only one direction at a
time. The capacity of a tube depends in part upon the distance be-
tween repeater stations. In the standard facility, which may have
from 2 to 8 tubes in the cable, a single tube carries a lane of
600 telephone channels or 1 television lane) for which the repeater
station spacing is about 7 statute miles. In a new developmental
coaxial cable facility, a single tube may carry 3 lanes of a total
of 1,800 telephone channels or 3 television lanes, for which the
repeater station spacing is expected to be about 3 statute miles.
Electronics: A general term used to identify that branch of elec-
trical science and technology that treats of the behavior of elec-
trons in vacuums, gases, or solids. Today, telecommunications makes
extensive use of electronic technology.
Facility: An association of apparatus, material, and electrical
energy required to furnish telecommunications service.
Facsimile (as an adjective): Of or pertaining to a telecommunica-
tions (telegraph) service in which photographs, drawings, hand-
writing, and printed matter are transmitted for graphically recorded
reception. In one method (Type A), images are built up of lines or
dots of constant intensity. In another method (Type B), images are
built up of lines or dots of varying intensity, sometimes referred
to as "telephoto" and "photoradio."
Feeder (as an adjective): Of or pertaining to telecommunicitions
' facilities of relatively low capacity which join facilities of rela-.
tively high capacity. (See Main.)
Frequency: The rate in cycles per second at which an electric cur-
rent, voltage, wave,-or field alternates in amplitude and/or
direction. (See Band.)
Frequency modulation (FM): The process by which a selected carrier
frequency is varied in frequency by other frequencies that contain
the information to be transmitted in telecommunications. (See
Amplitude modulation.)
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Functional (as an adjective): Of, pertaining to, or connected with
special, unique, or particular telecommunications facilities
managed and operated by a single agency, organization) company,
department) committee, ministry, or other entity,, in contrast to
the facilities of a basic system.
Group: A number of channels (usually 12) or subchannels combined
(multiplexed) electrically in building up the total capacity of a
telecommunications circuit, lane, or supergroup.
Ionosphere: Those layers of the earth's atmosphere occupying the
space about 210 statute miles in thickness extending from about
30 statute miles above the earth's surface to the outer reaches
(exosphere) of the atmosphere. Reflection from these layers makes
possible long-distance transmission of radio signals. The layers,
however, are responsible for fading of signals, skip distance) and
differences between daytime and nighttime radio reception. They
are also used as a scattering reflector for ionosphere scatter-
transmission techniques to transmit to distances of about 1,000 to
1,500 statute miles.
Joint facility: A telecommunications facility owned, controlled, or
operated by two or more agencies, organizations, companiesi depart-
ments, committees, ministries) or other entities.
Lane: A 1-way portion, electrical or physical, of a 2-way tele-
communications circuit which can be used independently of and simul-
taneously with all other portions. The largest lane today can handle
600 telephone channels or 1 television program. In some applications
the direction of a lane may be reversed.
Leased (as an adjective): Of or pertaining to the direct operation
by a user of a telecommunications facility owned by another agency.
Line: A general term used to delineate a telecommunications cirduit
facility (wire, cable, or. radio).
Main (as an adjective): Of or pertaining to telecommunications facili-
ties at and between principal cities and centers which have relatively
high capacity compared with feeder facilities. (See Feeder.)
Medium: Any substance or space that can be used practically to trans-
mit a form of electrical energy for the purpose of providing tele-
communications service.
Microwave radio relay (as an adjective): Of or pertaining to ,a radio ,
medium technique in modern telecommunications employing radio
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frequencies higher than 300 mc. These frequencies do not normally
afford practical direct transmission to great distances, princi-
pally because they do not bend well around the earth's surface and
because they do not reflect well from the ionosphere. They are,
however, capable of reliable transmission from horizon to horizon
(line-of-sight) by the use of special antennas which concentrate
the radio energy and give it desired direction. Great distances
can, in consequence, be reached by this technique by the inter-
position of relay stations along the route of the line with a
spacing interval of from 25 to 40 statute miles, depending upon
terrain conditions. This technique can be employed practically
to carry from a small number of telephone channels and telegraph
subchannels to thousands of such channels and subchannels through
2 or more lanes and to carry 1 or more television and other special-
ized lanes and channels. (See Band.)
Mobile (as an adjective): Of or pertaining to a telecommunications
facility which is intended to be operational while in motion or
during halts at unspecified points. (See Portable.)
Modulation: The process of altering a carrier frequency or carrier
pulses by other frequencies or pulses representing the information
being transmitted.
Multiplex (as an adjective): Of or pertaining to the-combining of
information signals, modulated or unmodulated, of two or more lanes,
supergroups, groups, channels, or subchannels for transmission over
the same circuit.
Network: An interconnection, electrical or physical, of two -or more
circuits or portions thereof for the purpose of facilitating tele-
communications service.
Point-to-point (as an adjective): Generally, of or pertaining to tele-
communications service between fixed points, using the radio medium.
Portable (as an adjective): Of or pertaining to a telecommunications
facility which can be readily moved from place to place but is not
normally operational while in motion. (See Mobile.)
Private (as an adjective): Belonging to or concerning an individual
person, organization, institution, or activity; not public or common.
Pulse: A spurt of electrical energy of extremely short duration
?(usually measured in millionths of a second), yet capable of being
used in telecommunications to transmit information.
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Quad: In a multiconductor telecommunications cable, the physical asso-
ciation of A group of J. conductors in any one of various arrangements
for the purpose of providing 2-way multichannel operation.
Reception base: The aggregate telecommunications receiving facilities
employed in providing a broadcast service.
Route: The geographical path followed by a wire, cable, or radio line.
Scatter (as an 'adjective): Of or pertaining to a radio medium tech-
nique in modern telecommunications by which energy in radio fre-
quencies above 30 mc is deliberately scattered into one or the other
of two reflecting portions of the atmosphere (troposphere and iono-
sphere) at a predetermined angle such that a usable portion of the
energy arrives at the desired receiving location. This technique
is especially applicable to regions in high latitudes (Arctic and
Antarctic) where facilities of other media suffer from the rigors of
weather and terrain and where the conventional long-distance radio
media of the lower frequency bands (200 kc to 30 mc) are subject to
serious disruptive propagational anomalies. (See Band.)
Subchannel: A portion, electrical or physical, of a telecommunica-
tions channel which can be used independently of and simultaneously
with all other portions. An appreciable number of telephone channels
can usually be subchanneled to carry from three to twenty 60-word-
per-minute teletype subchannels on each telephone channel so employed.
Subscriber: Any customer who directly operates telecommunications
apparatus in obtaining telecommunications service.
Supergroup: A number of groups (often five) combined (multiplexed)
electrically in building up the total capacity of a telecommunications
circuit or lane.
System: All of the facilities and networks managed by a single agency,
organization, company, department, committee, ministry, or other
entity in rendering either functional or basic telecommunications
service.
Telecommunications: Transmission, reception, or exchange of informa-
tion between distant points by electrical energy over a wire, cable,
or radio medium facility to produce telephone, telegraph, facsimile,
broadcast (aural and visual), and other similar services.
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Teletype (as an adjective): Of or pertaining to a technique for
effecting telegraph service by the use of an apparatus similar to
a typewriter in which information is transmitted by keyboard and
received by type printer on a roll of paper or a roll of tape, or
by perforations on a roll of tape, or by both. (Sometimes called a
"teleprinter" or "teletypewriter.")
Transmission base: The aggregate telecommunications transmitting
facilities employed in providing broadcast service.
Transistor: A modern device which is capable of performing in a solid
(germanium or silicon) many of the functions performed by the con- -
ventional electronic tube in a gas or vacuum..
Troposphere: The layer of the earth's atmosphere occupying the space
from the earth's surface to a height of about 6 statute miles. This
layer is used an a scattering reflector for tropospheric scatter
transmission techniques to distanced of about 200 to 500 statute miles.
'Wave guide (as an. adjective): Of or pertaining to a telecommunica-
tions medium, now under development in several countries, which may
be capable of transmitting extremely large amounts of conventional
and complex information. It consists of a.circulRr or rectangular
hollow metallic tube in which electrical energy travels in the form
of waves, much as do sound waves in a speaking tube.
Wire diffusion: Distribution of broadcast programs by a wire or
cable medium to wired loudspeakers.
Wired Loudspeaker: A telecommunications loudspeaker which receives
from a distribution point one or more broadcast programs by a wire
or cable medium.
Wireline: A general term used to identify a line consisting of either
an aerial cable (and/or separate wires) or an underground cable, used
as a telecommunications medium.
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