In our modern age of digital cordless telephones it is easy to forget
that the technology we take for granted on a daily basis is the result
of over a century of hard work and advancement.
The first working telephone is mainly credited to Alexander Graham Bell, although he admitted to sharing the invention of the device with others. There was even some controversy over who patented the telephone first: the inventor Elisha Gray was experimenting with sound telegraphy at the same time, and had also come up with a device that he wished to patent; and their applications were submitted on the very same day! However, history remembers Bell as the ultimate inventor of the telephone.
The first telephones were expensive, and only owned by businesses and the wealthiest members of the public. The wall mounted device had a separate mouth piece and speaker, a bell mounted at the top to signify an incoming call, and a handle which powered a generator. Initially, telephone exchanges were not used, and telephones were wired in pairs. The owner had to pay for a wire to be installed between the two machines: for example, between two homes or businesses. It was possible to purchase several telephones and link them together, to allow users to talk to each other – Western Union quickly connected a number of telephones in both New York and San Francisco, to aid with the speedy communication of messages.
The early twentieth century saw the invention of the kind of telephone style we are used to today. The speaker and mouthpiece were mounted together in a single molded plastic handle, which rested in a cradle atop a base unit. The telephone dial was added, and a switchboard system was by now in full use, to allow callers to telephone each other. Phone lines across the nation were installed and increased constantly, making the network larger and larger.
Digital telephone technology became a possibility in the 1960s, and gradual technological advancement enabled a digital core network to replace the analogue system which preceded it. The latest development is the use of IP (internet protocol) phones, which use the Internet to transmit conversations. These phones can use wifi Internet connections which means that they can offer a significantly lower cost service than other digital phones. However, these phones do require an uninterrupted power supply, so in a power cut or similar emergency the phone may not be useable (exactly at the moment when you really need a phone!).
The telephone has seen many incarnations and developments over the last century so the next time you make a call, take a minute to appreciate the technology that you are holding, and the scientists that worked so hard to put it there!
The first working telephone is mainly credited to Alexander Graham Bell, although he admitted to sharing the invention of the device with others. There was even some controversy over who patented the telephone first: the inventor Elisha Gray was experimenting with sound telegraphy at the same time, and had also come up with a device that he wished to patent; and their applications were submitted on the very same day! However, history remembers Bell as the ultimate inventor of the telephone.
The first telephones were expensive, and only owned by businesses and the wealthiest members of the public. The wall mounted device had a separate mouth piece and speaker, a bell mounted at the top to signify an incoming call, and a handle which powered a generator. Initially, telephone exchanges were not used, and telephones were wired in pairs. The owner had to pay for a wire to be installed between the two machines: for example, between two homes or businesses. It was possible to purchase several telephones and link them together, to allow users to talk to each other – Western Union quickly connected a number of telephones in both New York and San Francisco, to aid with the speedy communication of messages.
The early twentieth century saw the invention of the kind of telephone style we are used to today. The speaker and mouthpiece were mounted together in a single molded plastic handle, which rested in a cradle atop a base unit. The telephone dial was added, and a switchboard system was by now in full use, to allow callers to telephone each other. Phone lines across the nation were installed and increased constantly, making the network larger and larger.
Digital telephone technology became a possibility in the 1960s, and gradual technological advancement enabled a digital core network to replace the analogue system which preceded it. The latest development is the use of IP (internet protocol) phones, which use the Internet to transmit conversations. These phones can use wifi Internet connections which means that they can offer a significantly lower cost service than other digital phones. However, these phones do require an uninterrupted power supply, so in a power cut or similar emergency the phone may not be useable (exactly at the moment when you really need a phone!).
The telephone has seen many incarnations and developments over the last century so the next time you make a call, take a minute to appreciate the technology that you are holding, and the scientists that worked so hard to put it there!
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