Crises and Convergence The rise of radio posed an existential challenge to the cable companies. By the mid-1920s, wireless links were cheaper and faster, putting submarine cable operators on the defensive. The crisis culminated in 1928, when the British Dominions demanded a coordinated approach. This turning point underscored the need for stronger collaboration and strategic oversight to ensure the sustainability, security, and efficiency of the Empire’s rapidly evolving communications network.
Delegates at the Imperial Communications Conference, London, 1928 – Leaders and officials from across the British Empire gathered to shape the future of global telecommunications.
The result was the Imperial Wireless and Cable Conference a watershed moment where competition gave way to consolidation. Out of it emerged Imperial and International Communications Limited (I&I Co.), created in 1929 by merging the Eastern Telegraph Companies, the Pacific Cable Board, Marconi’s Wireless Telegraph Company, and the British Post Office’s Atlantic cables and wireless services. 21
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