History of the Institute dates back to 1934 when professor Janusz Groszkowski established the State Institute of Telecommunications in the head of which he remained until 1951. In 1939 the Institute employed 350 persons, including 200 persons of engineering & technical staff. The Institute consisted of the following sections: tele-technical section - dealing with telephone devices, trunk lines control, multiple telephony, telegraphy, amplifiers, payphones, measurements, standardization, and later trunk cables and networks.

In 1951 the State Institute of Telecommunications was divided into the Industrial Institute of Telecommunications and the National Institute of Telecommunications. The latter initially employed less than one hundred persons and on the date of its foundation it consisted of the following scientific & research departments::

• wire telecommunication and transmission,
• connection technologies,
• radio communications,
• power supply devices and metrology.

In 1955 a construction of the new seat in Miedzeszyn was started (at ul. Szachowa 1). The Institute was moved there in 1958 and since then it has remained in that location. In the period 1952-1956 took place a quick development of the Institute. New departments were established. They were dealing with the issues of electro-acoustics, wire broadcasting, telegraphy, microwave communication, wave propagation, connectivity development and postal technology and organization. Together with progresses in the field of telecommunications and emerging new needs subsequent departments, research groups and local branches were being founded. In 1956 the Branch of the National Institute of Telecommunications in Wrocław, then specializing mainly in the issues of transmitting antennas and radio noises, was established. In 1962 the Branch of the National Institute of Telecommunications in Gdańsk, working on the issues of radio communications, telegraphy, wire transmission, telecommuting and acoustics, was created. In 1954 the experimental constructions department in Warsaw was founded. Its task was to perform construction & workshop works as well as models and short batches of devices. Those activities were extended through a foundation in 1974 of the Branch of the National Institute of Telecommunications in Pułtusk, specializing in a limited batch production of telecommunication devices. Branches were developing quickly and thanks to their skilled staff conducted interesting research and construction works.

An important role in development of the Institute and its scientific staff was played by the Scientific Council existing since 1954. Outstanding scientists and experts had a seat in the council. In 1967 it obtained authorizations to grant doctor's degrees, propose and evaluate candidates for docents' posts and for professors' academic titles. Exercising its rights the Council granted academic degrees of doctors of technical sciences to over nearly 40.

After political and economic changes having taken place in 1989 the Institute quickly adapted to new conditions. In 1991 in Poland new principles for financing of science were introduced and currently the Institute acquires a significant part of necessary funding from its market operations, thus supplementing funding from performance of statutory works financed by the Ministry of Education and Science or works assigned by other government organizations.