The Telephone and it’s The Telephone and it’s HistoryHistory

By: Nick MercerBy: Nick Mercer

Communications TechnologyCommunications Technology

A telephone simply put A telephone simply put allows two or more users allows two or more users to have a conversation to have a conversation anywhere in the world anywhere in the world where there is a where there is a

telecommunications telecommunications service available.service available.

A telephone sends A telephone sends electronic signals over a electronic signals over a cable and replays the cable and replays the signals in the form of your signals in the form of your voice to the endvoice to the end

user.user.

The Speaking TubeThe Speaking Tube The first known form of The first known form of

telecommunication was the telecommunication was the 'speaking tube'....it consisted of 'speaking tube'....it consisted of two cones that weretwo cones that were

attached to an air tube. There attached to an air tube. There were two problems with this early were two problems with this early method of telecommunication. method of telecommunication. First, the callers First, the callers

had to be very close and second had to be very close and second you could only connect to one you could only connect to one caller. It was used to the mid 20th caller. It was used to the mid 20th century to deliver century to deliver

quick clear messages. It was used quick clear messages. It was used mainly by higher society to relay mainly by higher society to relay messages to servants...it did messages to servants...it did however lead to however lead to

the invention of the microphone the invention of the microphone and later the modern day and later the modern day telephone.telephone.

The TelegraphThe Telegraph

About 30 years prior to the About 30 years prior to the telephone...it's telephone...it's predecessor the predecessor the telegraph was invented. It telegraph was invented. It used a series of ticks and used a series of ticks and dashes to send dashes to send messages. The telegraph messages. The telegraph was also used by transit was also used by transit systems such as the systems such as the railway and shipping railway and shipping lines.lines.

Alexander Graham BellAlexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell pondered Alexander Graham Bell pondered

the idea of a speaking telegraph the idea of a speaking telegraph and along with his assistant and along with his assistant Thomas Watson created a Thomas Watson created a working telephone on March 10, working telephone on March 10, 1876. They also used a bell to 1876. They also used a bell to signal a call and came up with the signal a call and came up with the concept of a dial pad. Inconcept of a dial pad. In

the beginning however, there was the beginning however, there was little privacy as telephones were little privacy as telephones were connected on party lines and connected on party lines and anyone who was connected to anyone who was connected to your line could listen in to your your line could listen in to your conversations. Again, only the conversations. Again, only the very wealthy could afford thevery wealthy could afford the

luxury of a telephone in the luxury of a telephone in the beginning.beginning.

The telephone primarily The telephone primarily has a microphone and a has a microphone and a receiver, it also has a receiver, it also has a ringer and a dial pad. The ringer and a dial pad. The transmitter and receiver transmitter and receiver are built into the handset. are built into the handset. The transmitter converts The transmitter converts the sound waves to the sound waves to electrical signals. Each electrical signals. Each telephone line has a telephone line has a unique telephone number unique telephone number and provinces, states and and provinces, states and countries are identified by countries are identified by area codes and country area codes and country codes.codes.

A landline phone is connected A landline phone is connected by cable pairs to a central by cable pairs to a central office and then connected office and then connected through a path of polesthrough a path of poles

or underground wiring to or underground wiring to customers home. There are customers home. There are also transatlantic cables also transatlantic cables underneath the ocean surface underneath the ocean surface that allow overseas that allow overseas

calling. More recently calling. More recently fibreoptic cabling has been fibreoptic cabling has been introduced giving customers a introduced giving customers a faster more efficient service.faster more efficient service.

The telephone network consists of:The telephone network consists of:

telephone linestelephone lines

fibreoptic cablefibreoptic cable

microwave transmissionsmicrowave transmissions

satellitesatellite

undersea cablesundersea cables

switching centresswitching centres

NewfoundlandNewfoundland The first telephones in Newfoundland The first telephones in Newfoundland

were installed in March 1878 by St. were installed in March 1878 by St. John's postmaster John Delaney John's postmaster John Delaney constructed two telephones from a constructed two telephones from a description in the March 31, 1877 description in the March 31, 1877 edition of Scientific American, and set edition of Scientific American, and set up a telephone line between his home up a telephone line between his home at 2 Monkstown Road and the home of at 2 Monkstown Road and the home of John Higgins, a post office messenger John Higgins, a post office messenger at 48 Southwest Street. The telephone at 48 Southwest Street. The telephone sets were connected by a line that was sets were connected by a line that was normally used for post office business. normally used for post office business. There is no further evidence of There is no further evidence of telephone use in Newfoundland until telephone use in Newfoundland until 1884, when a line was set up in St. 1884, when a line was set up in St. John's between Archibald's Furniture John's between Archibald's Furniture Store, at the junction of Duckworth Store, at the junction of Duckworth Street and St. John's Lane, and the Street and St. John's Lane, and the residence of its manager on Devon residence of its manager on Devon Row.Row.

The twentieth century has seen many The twentieth century has seen many advancements in the telephone from the advancements in the telephone from the rotary dial phone to visual screens androtary dial phone to visual screens and

call features such as call waiting. By the call features such as call waiting. By the end of the twentieth century telephones end of the twentieth century telephones became a necessity in thebecame a necessity in the

average household.average household.

EmploymentEmployment

With the advancement of With the advancement of the phone came the the phone came the increase of employment increase of employment opportunities from opportunities from linesman and telephone linesman and telephone

technician to the operator technician to the operator that was present in every that was present in every small community back small community back when local and long when local and long distant calls were placed distant calls were placed

through cord boards.through cord boards.

Telephony has now reached new levels and from the Telephony has now reached new levels and from the telephone industry we have now branched out into telephone industry we have now branched out into internet usage and VOIP (voice over IP) services. This internet usage and VOIP (voice over IP) services. This can be easily seen through the common use of such can be easily seen through the common use of such programs as SKYPE.programs as SKYPE.

Until recently there was little competition in the telephone Until recently there was little competition in the telephone industry in Newfoundland and the business was a industry in Newfoundland and the business was a monopoly. With the introduction of competition there monopoly. With the introduction of competition there have been numerous advancements in telephone have been numerous advancements in telephone technology, as each business competes to gain the technology, as each business competes to gain the customer. Who knows what features lie ahead for the customer. Who knows what features lie ahead for the consumer!consumer!