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The telephone played a major communications role in American history from the 1876 publication of its first patent by Alexander Graham Bell onward. In the 20th century the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) dominated the telecommunication market as the at times largest company in the world, until it was broken up in 1982 and replaced by a system of competitors.
1991: the GSM mobile phone network is started in Finland, with the first phone call in Tampere. [45] 1993: Telecom Relay Service available for the disabled; 1994: The IBM Simon becomes the first smartphone on the market. 1995: Caller ID implemented nationally in USA; 1999: creation of the Asterisk Private branch exchange
In phones connected to magneto exchanges, the bell, induction coil, battery, and magneto were in a separate bell box called a "ringer box". In phones connected to common battery exchanges, the ringer box was installed under a desk, or other out of the way place, since it did not need a battery or magneto.
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Alexander Graham Bell (/ ˈ ɡ r eɪ. ə m /; born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) [4] was a Scottish-born [N 1] Canadian-American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone.
An early communicating device was invented around 1854 by Antonio Meucci, who called it a telettrofono (lit. "telectrophone"). In 1871 Meucci filed a patent caveat at the US Patent Office. His caveat describes his invention, but does not mention a diaphragm, electromagnet, conversion of sound into electrical waves, conversion of electrical ...
After the creation of the telephone itself, Watson invented many accessories for it. Most important was the ringer, which would alert someone not standing by the telephone that a call was being placed. The first version involved a hammer, which had to hit the diaphragm; [5] this was followed by a version employing a buzzer. [6]
Fewer than one-quarter of Americans still have landlines. More than three-quarters of Americans live in homes without landlines: 76% of adults and 87% of children, as of the end of 2023, according ...