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Telephone Invented
Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone, beating Elisha Gray in a matter of hours. -
First Outdoor Telephone Wire
The very first permanent outdoor telephone wire was completed. It stretched a distance of only three miles. This was closely followed in the U.S. by the world’s first commercial telephone service. -
Battery System Developed
A common battery system developed by Hammond V. Hayes, allows one central battery to power all telephones on an exchange, rather than relying on each unit’s battery. -
First Coin-Operated Telephone
The first coin-operated telephone was installed in Hartford Connecticut. -
"French Phone" Developed
“French Phone” developed by the Bell Company. This had the transmitter and receiver in a simple handset. -
10 Million Telephones in Service
It was estimated that there were now ten million Bell system telephones in service throughout the U.S. -
First Transatlantic Service
The first transatlantic service from New York to London became operational. The signal was transmitted by radio waves. -
First Commercial Mobile Phone Service
The world’s first commercial mobile phone service was put into operation. It could link moving vehicles to a telephone network via radio waves. -
Advances
Huge advances in microelectronic technology over the last two decades have enabled the development of cellular (mobile) phones to advance at a truly astonishing rate. A cellular phone has its own central transmitter allowing it to receive seamless transmissions as it enters and exits a call. -
New Mobile Phones
Phones are still continuing to evolve and now are better than ever.