Reading Guide" The Telephone" Flashcards
“Early History of Telecommunications”
What was the “deal” the Associated Press struck with telegraph companies?
dealing exclusively with certain leading telegraph companies and for promising not to print anything detrimental to these companies, the Associated Press received reduced rates on its business
What was Anson Stager’s job prior to being tapped to by George McClellan to administer telegraph lines for military purposes?
general superintendent of Western Union
Was a monopoly provider of telegraph service a better idea that many regional telegraph firms? Why or why not?
idk
How were early switched telephone calls routed through the network, i.e., how did the calling party identify the called party?
the early exchanges served only a few customers, and calls were “put through” by name rather than number
How did A.G. Bell first make money off of the telephone?
idk
What was AT&T’s original mission?
long distance
What did Western Union make prior to being purchased by the Bell System?
electric telephone
What made a telephone company “independent”?
independent of any Bell affiliation and in direct competition with the franchised companies
What was the largest independent telephone company?
USITA- United Stated Independent Telephone Association
What were the three critical tactics employed by AT&T to combat independent telephone companies?
- Rate Cutting
- Buying Out Competitors
- Refusing to interconnect
What promises did AT&T make with the Kingsbury commitment?
- disposing of its stock in Western Union
- Refraining from acquiring additional independent telephone companies, except as approved by the Interstate Commerce Commission
- Interconnecting its facilities with those of the independents so that the independents could offer nationwide telephone service to their customers
What did the Graham-Willis Act do?
exempted telephone companies from the provisions of the Sherman Antitrust Act with regard to the acquisition of competing companies. This measure removed the constraints of the Kingsbury Commitment upon AT&T affording it the opportunity to resume expansion of its territory
“Network Switching”
How were toll calls set up prior to the 1920s? How long did it take to set up a call?
Switchboard and it took 7 minutes
“Early History of Telecommunications”
Briefly explain the switching hierarchy that improved toll calling staring in 1929
8 interconnected direct connections
When did direct dial long distance calling first become possible?
1950s
