in Devonshire is the sheer enormity and scope of the operation.

Tucked away from public sight beneath the big white satellite dish whose face tilts dramatically heavenward, a force of some 130 highly trained specialists ensure that, for every minute of every day and night, Bermuda is in constant touch with the rest of the world. And the rest of the world, be it banks, stock exchanges, travel agencies, or just a friend calling to say "hi'', is able to remain in instant touch with Bermuda.

Huge as it is (30 metres in diameter, weighing 400 tons and speaking to and from an Intelsat satellite hovering 22,000 miles above earth), the Standard "A'' dish is just part of the complex, state-of-the-art network of inter-connecting buildings at Devonshire.

The very name, Cable & Wireless, is derived by the two distinct methods by which the company communicates -- namely, by submarine cable and through the literally wire-less method of satellite transmission.

Today, Bermuda is linked directly through that wonder of modern science, the optical fibre submarine cable, to the US, Britain and the Caribbean.

"One of the biggest misconceptions about Cable & Wireless,'' observes marketing manager Mr. Cornell Fox, "is that it is the Bermuda Telephone Company that sends a call overseas. Actually, every call goes through us.'' Although C&W works in close partnership with the Bermuda Telephone Company (which operates the Island's internal telephone service) few Bermudians realise that it is C&W which provides access to all external telecommunications that link up with more than 150 countries around the globe.

Every one of the thousands of calls that go to and from the Island each day is routed through the telephone switching centre in Devonshire.

The Technical Operations Centre (TOC) is described by engineer Mr. Alfred Hartman as "the hub of all international connections in Bermuda.'' It is a large room, full of machines and monitoring screens, where white-coated men move quietly about as they press switches and levers, or keep a steady gaze on the hieroglyphic blips of this hi-tech haven.

There is an air of "sci-fi'' about this room, which operates for 24 hours a day, ensuring the smooth functioning of the world-wide system of circuits. All the systems in this department are duplicated in order to provide instant back-up service in the rare event of a failure.

This building is connected to the cable terminal building by an underground passage, so that staff do not have to venture outside in stormy weather: "At the first sign of a serious hurricane,'' explains Mr. Fox, "we bring the whole crew in to stay!'' A staggering $400 million has been spent by the Cable & Wireless Group in ensuring that Bermuda remains at the forefront of the telecommunications revolution. By the continual upgrading of its infrastructure, the Island's pivotal position in the international communications network is the envy of countries far larger than Bermuda.

Just a quick tour round the Devonshire headquarters helps even the layman understand that the Island's emergence as a major international business centre is due, in large part, to this undeniably sophisticated system.

"Our reliable and secure communications system is certainly one of the deciding factors that influences business leaders when they decide to locate in Bermuda,'' says Senior Manager Mr. John Fuge.

From the very beginning of America's space programme, C&W has worked in close partnership with NASA. It has taken part in every manned space mission undertaken by NASA.

Mr. Steve Stompf, director at the NASA Tracking Station at Cooper's Island explains that C&W provides the means to get the necessary data to and from his Station during trackings of satellites and launch missions.

Company vital for space launches missions. "This Station is mandatory for all launches from the East Coast of the US and therefore, that makes Cable & Wireless mandatory, as they are the ones who handle all the data for us,'' he says. It's all a far cry from that momentous day in 1890 when the first submarine telegraph cable linking Bermuda with Halifax, Nova Scotia, was landed in Tucker's Town by the SS Westmeath . According to reports in The Royal Gazette , the opening of the offices of the Halifax and Bermuda Cable Company at No. 6 Front Street, took place "amid great rejoicing'', with military bands leading a special parade through Hamilton, and a fireworks display on White's Island. In 1898, a further cable link was completed to the West Indies and the companies subsequently became part of the Cable & Wireless Group, a world leader in its field, employing over 40,000 people worldwide. In addition, C&W owns and operates the world's largest fleet of cable-laying vessels. The Mercury cable ship is based at Ireland Island, while her sister ship, the Sir Eric Sharpe is based in the UK. From those early days, C & W has never looked back. Amongst the services provided to both private residents and business customers -- services that many of us take for granted -- are the telephone, the fax, telegrams, telex, satellite TV, and even ship to shore radio transmissions. C&W has long been proud of its system of digital fibre optic cables which links the world's leading financial centres, such as London, New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong. An integral part of this system, explains Mr. Fuge, is the Private Transatlantic Telecommunications system (PTAT), another fibre optic cable which connects the UK, Ireland, the US, and through a `spur' includes Bermuda in this economically vital circuit. The submarine fibre optic cables, which come ashore at Devonshire Bay, are housed in a separate building. This fibre optic cable can accommodate over 17,000 simultaneous telephone calls through six glass fibre strands, each only as thick as a single human hair. Within this complex there is also an entire room devoted to generating batteries, used, along with separate diesel generators, as part of the elaborate and fail-safe back-up system. British-owned Cable & Wireless is proud of its record in training nationals in each of the countries in which it operates. As such, it has followed a highly successful programme of Bermudianisation. "There are only two overseas specialists working here now,'' says Mr. Fuge, "whereas in 1966 there were about 50, working alongside and training Bermudians. Now, 98 percent of our workforce, including top management, is Bermudian.'' Many employees have been trained to full engineer status at the Cable & Wireless College in Cornwall and other specialist colleges in the UK. "It costs around $200,000 to train each engineer but we consider it a good investment,'' he explains. It took some time before Bermudians became aware of the potential offered by a career with Cable & Wireless. "Back in the '60s and early '70s, the schools here were not doing a lot of science and, in any case, everyone wanted to be a lawyer or an accountant. But in the '80s, a lot of these positions dried up and became less `glamorous' and guidance counsellors suddenly woke up and realised that there were excellent career opportunities with companies like ours, Belco and Telco.

Now, people are knocking our doors down to get in!'' PHOTO EARLY DAYS -- The first offices (circa 1890) of Cable & Wireless, on Front Street, opposite the present Ferry Terminal. THE SPACE AGE OF CABLE & WIRELESS -- Marketing Manager Mr. Cornell Fox, left, and Mr. John Fuge, senior manager Operations, stand beneath the huge satellite dish which has dominated the Devonshire skyline since 1984. SWITCHED ON -- Mr. Paul Furbert is station engineer of Submarine Systems at the Devonshire headquarters of Cable & Wireless.