albeit along routes

[mei]

Hi,

I am not sure about the meanign of the underlined clause, could anyone give me a hand?


Up to the 1830s, a letter posted in England took five to eight months to reach India; and due to monsoons in the Indian Ocean, it could take two years for a reply to be received. In the 1870s, a telegram could reach Bombay in five hours, and the answer could be back on the same day... Rapid communication on a global scale-albeit along routes that reflected the organization of economic and political power-was a reality.

Thanks a lot.

Mei

 

[RonBee]

Hi,

I am not sure about the meanign of the underlined clause, could anyone give me a hand?


Up to the 1830s, a letter posted in England took five to eight months to reach India; and due to monsoons in the Indian Ocean, it could take two years for a reply to be received. In the 1870s, a telegram could reach Bombay in five hours, and the answer could be back on the same day... Rapid communication on a global scale-albeit along routes that reflected the organization of economic and political power-was a reality.

Thanks a lot.

Apparently, that has to do with where the telegraph lines were installed. The telegraph companies would organize their operations in a way so that they could be profitable, so the poorer areas were less likely to have telegraph service. Thus, communication with those areas would continue to be slower than with other areas.

8)

Mei

 

[mei]

Hi, Ronbee, thank you very much. :wink:

Mei

 

[RonBee]

You're quite welcome.

8)