Timeline of Telecommunications

Timeline of Telecommunications

Twyla Dold

September 7, 2015

NTC/362

Stanley Kuchel

Telecommunications today have climbed over major technology milestones to become the communication services they are for today’s society. There are many ways in which one can communicate with individuals around the world. International calling, mobile to mobile calling, landline to landline, landline to mobile, internet calling, and video calling are all normal ways for individuals to communicate.

The Beginning

In 1791, two young teens, known as the Chappe brothers, first started communications using a semaphore device that sent signals using letters of the alphabet. This device consisted of arms on a pole that moved in conjunction to the letters of the alphabet. In the year 1793 the Chappe brothers created the first commercial semaphore in France.

The year 1840 brought funding requests to Congress to receive finical assistance in order to run semaphore lines from New Orleans to New York City. This specific funding request went against the better judgment of Samuel Morse, the creator of the Morse code, because he was in the process of inventing the electric telegraph.

The Beginning of the Telephone System

The world knows Alexander Graham Bell created the first telephone system around the globe. The first telephone patent was established in 1876 by Bell. There were many patents filed behind his, and the courts settled in favor of Bell. Bell and his finical backer sent an offer to Western Union to establish the telephone system and by the year 1882 Bell was in total control of Western Union. Western Union establishes the first working phone lines in 1877, and the Bell phone company was also created.