AT & T Research Paper

The history of the telephone is one of constant improvement and innovation. Engineers have developed the telephone so it has enhanced our quality of life in the aspect of communication and convenience. It is a utility some people take for granted in the fast-paced modern world. The beginning of this technology dates back to the 1870s, following the industrial revolution. Although the telephone was invented in 1876, the telegraph, which was invented in the 1830s, could be considered its predecessor. In 1876 on March 7 Alexander Graham Bell is credited with inventing the electrical telephone when he is granted a patent under “Improvement in Telegraphy”. Bell was not the only one associated with the creation and development of the telephone as many others contributed such as: Charles Bourseul, Innocenzo Manzetti, Antonio

After Bell’s success with filing patents and defending himself legally, Bell’s company emerged as American Telephone and Telegraph or AT&T which dominated the industry. Wall phones and candle stick phones would be implemented with bells and a common local battery and lines would have to be built between the phones. Telephones entered the mainstream market in 1900 when companies started making them and there were nearly 600,000 phones in the system. Five years later the number would rise to 2.2 million phones. AT&T would go on to purchase the Western Union company, which Elisha Gray and Thomas Edison worked for, creating a monopoly on telephone service. With advancements in technology the telephone was given its own ringer box but still many wires were used and alternately speaking and listening was still in place. In the 1890’s a more compact design was introduced called the “candlestick” telephone. This made it easier to hang up because its stand was equipped with a switch hook, and now the ringer box and power could be kept out of the