<p>In 1871, the era of telecommunication started the telephone timeline history and has made a big impact up to this day. It’s considered to be one of the most phenomenal technological changes of all time.</p>



<p>It started with a dream that many have tried to achieve but only few succeeded. Fast forward to today, communication has become essential for maintaining connections across the world. People need not to be near one another to strike a conversation.</p>



<p>Communicating over the phone brings us together and helps us to feel the comfort of our loved ones even from afar. It allows us to give quick updates regardless of the distance.</p>



<p>Nowadays, phone technology is fundamental  in businesses. It plays an important role in every business transaction. To know the complete evolution of the telephone timeline, read more below.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://blog.ultatel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/telephone-revolution-inforgaphic-1024x420.jpg" alt="The telephone revolution" class="wp-image-307" width="580" height="237" srcset="https://x5siwvse0svtj0yw5pfe.ultatel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/telephone-revolution-inforgaphic-1024x420.jpg 1024w, https://x5siwvse0svtj0yw5pfe.ultatel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/telephone-revolution-inforgaphic-600x246.jpg 600w, https://x5siwvse0svtj0yw5pfe.ultatel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/telephone-revolution-inforgaphic-300x123.jpg 300w, https://x5siwvse0svtj0yw5pfe.ultatel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/telephone-revolution-inforgaphic-768x315.jpg 768w, https://x5siwvse0svtj0yw5pfe.ultatel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/telephone-revolution-inforgaphic.jpg 1186w" sizes="(max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px" /></figure>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="1870s-1910s-the-telephone-was-invented">1870s &#8211; 1910s: The Telephone Was Invented</h2>



<p>In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and made the first phone call. A year later, there were 3000 active users in record. Then in 1881, the first long-distance phone service started. They also provided the yellow pages directory.</p>



<p>Telephones went mainstream in the early 20th century. They installed the first coin-operated telephone and the first manual switchboard debuted in 1878. It led to the first “official” <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/2874390/this-1915-conference-call-made-history.html">transcontinental phone call</a> in 1915. Bell from New York City phoned Thomas A. Watson in San Francisco.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="1920s-1940s-hoover-and-his-office-telephone">1920s &#8211; 1940s: Hoover and His Office Telephone</h2>



<p>Herbert Hoover was the first U.S. president that used a phone in his office to talk from outside a booth. And in 1946, Bell’s company hired 250,000 women as Switchboard Operators for public and business services.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="1950s-1960s-global-communication-became-more-convenient">1950s &#8211; 1960s: Global Communication Became More Convenient</h2>



<p>Bell’s company decided to lay down the first transatlantic phone cable that made global communication more convenient. Calls were automatically routed to different extensions without manual switching.</p>



<p>In this era, the first Touch-Tone phone with a lighted dial became part of American pop culture and was marketed to traveling business people.</p>



<p>Then in 1964, at the New York World’s Fair, the first video conferencing feature appeared in the timeline of telephone &#8211; called the Picturephone. Hotlines were established and 911 was chosen as the nationwide emergency number.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="1970s-1980s-the-era-of-mobile-phones">1970s &#8211; 1980s: The Era of Mobile Phones</h2>



<p>This is considered the era of portable mobile phones &#8211; cell phones.</p>



<p>Martin Cooper, a senior engineer in Motorola, introduced the <a class="rank-math-link" href="https://www.knowyourmobile.com/phones/the-history-of-mobile-phones-from-1973-to-2008-the-handsets-that-made-it-all-happen-d58/">first-ever mobile phone</a> in the world. It was the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X at a premium cost of $4000 USD. The prototype handset weighed 2.5 pounds, and it offered 30 minutes of talk-time, six hours standby, and can store up to 30 contact numbers.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="1990s-the-internet-era-and-voip">1990s: The Internet Era and VoIP</h2>



<p>This was considered the internet era.</p>



<p>They introduced a new feature which is the caller ID and it became a controversial subject in America during this time. Also, mobile phones were no longer restricted to business use but were open to mass production.</p>



<p>And in 1995, <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/VocalTec">VocalTec</a> patented the first internet call &#8211; Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also called IP telephony. They introduced a peripheral device in the international market that can provide voice calling for desk computers.</p>



<p>Nokia took advantage of this transition and launched a handset in telephone timeline history with picture display. It was the Nokia 1011 and it offered mobile calling, SMS, and games. Since then, Americans got their internet connection through their mobile phones.</p>



<p>To learn more about VoIP and its advantages over traditional phones, read <a href="https://blog.ultatel.com/benefits-of-voip/">this article</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="2000-and-beyond-the-release-of-the-first-blackberry-handset">2000 and Beyond: The Release of the First Blackberry Handset</h2>



<p>The first Blackberry handset with cell phone service was released. It offered real ringtone, Wi-Fi, Quad-band, and full web browsing in Opera Mini. This device can be used anywhere across the globe.</p>



<p>The applications for computers and smartphones were also developed into full integration of landlines, softphones, and VoIP was hosted in Private Branch Exchange (PBX) phone systems. It allowed users to surf the Internet, check their email, make phone calls, and check voicemail from a single device.</p>



<p>A few years later, the iPhone debuted and most lines became VoIP-based. It helped us to communicate through voice calls or conference calls instantly across the globe at an affordable rate.</p>



<p>Mobile phones are getting smarter too. It provided a capacitive touchscreen feature and replaced the traditional buttons to swiping and scrolling. This evolution made a widespread and inexpensive tool for communication.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="final-words">Final Words</h2>



<p>Smartphones have become essential to our modern life. As you can see, the way we communicate continually changes from time to time. Now we get to enjoy more features and flexibility, making modern devices essential to everyday life.</p>



<p>Phones bring loved ones from around the world together, make business transactions smoother, provide entertainment, and allow users to capture every moment. We hope you’ve learned from today’s topic on the phone history timeline!</p>



<p>Telephone systems, like many other technologies, have evolved over the past century and VoIP phone systems now include many advanced features that make communication simpler, more reliable, more efficient, and more affordable. In fact, advanced VoIP systems are invaluable tools for any business.</p>



<p>If you’re looking for a robust and reliable communications solution for your business, get in touch with ULTATEL. Our <a href="https://www.ultatel.com/cloud-based-phone-system/">cloud-based phone systems</a> offer everything you need to change the way you and your customers communicate.</p>


Phone History Timeline: The Telephone Revolution

<p><span class="rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time">4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>Telephones are everywhere nowadays. There’s even a chance that you’re reading this article on your phone. What started as a simple device to facilitate easier communication has become something so advanced, our ancestors wouldn’t recognize the phones we have now! But for something you use everyday, there are still facts about the telephone that you might not know. Here are twelve fun telephone facts!</p>
<h2>1. People Still Use Payphones</h2>
<p>It might sound surprising, but payphones are still around &#8211; and people still use them! Their number is slowly dwindling, though. It is estimated that there are about 100,000 of them still existing in the US. Quite a drop, especially when you consider more than two million payphones in the 1990s.</p>
<h2>2. “Hello” Came Later On</h2>
<p>Hello is the common greeting we use when picking up the phone, but it wasn’t always that way. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, suggested using “ahoy” when answering the phone. It was actually Thomas Edison who suggested using “hello.” These truths may sound simple, but they still count as a worthy element on telephone invention facts.</p>
<h2>3. Alexander Graham Bell Didn’t Invent It First</h2>
<p>Bell gets credit for inventing the phone when, in fact, there were many pioneers before Bell’s model. Antonio Meucci is often credited as creating a prototype of the telephone with his <em>teletrofono</em>. Unlike the modern phone that converts sounds into electrical signals, Meucci’s prototype didn’t work as well as later versions. The first telephone by Alexander Graham Bell worked through the sound transmission. This sound is then converted into an electric signal, which allowed it to travel for a distance.</p>
<h2>4. The Word “Telephone” Was Used Before The Telephone Existed</h2>
<p>The term actually predated the device as we know it. The word “telephone” was first used in 1828 by a man named Francois Sudre to describe his invention, which was a musical signaling device. Later on, the term was also applied to the phone as we know it.</p>
<h2>5. Before the Telephone Was The Telegraph</h2>
<p>The telegraph is widely considered to be a forerunner of the modern telephone. It was a machine used to transmit written messages over long distances. Inventors who were inspired by the telegraph sought to create a version that could send voice over long-distances, and thus, the telephone was born.</p>
<h2>6. A Wireless Telephone Was Invented in 1800</h2>
<p>Here’s another fun telephone fact! Bell filed a patent for a wireless telephone in the 1800s. However, it didn’t look like any of our wireless phones. It used beams of light to transmit sound. We’re not sure how it worked exactly, but suffice to say that the idea didn’t take hold. Thankfully, we now have the <a href="https://www.ultatel.com/small-business-phone-systems/">small business telephone system</a> that&#8217;s cloud-based, allowing us to communicate using any device.</p>
<h2>7. The First Mobile Phone Existed in 1983</h2>
<p>The first mobile phone was born in 1983, and it was called the DynaTAC 8000x. It was made by Motorola and looked like other telephones from its time, except that it didn’t have wires! It took 10 hours to charge fully, and you could use it only for 30 minutes. Remember this telephone fact the next time you’re complaining about your old phone!</p>
<h2>8. Deaf People Influenced the Invention of the Telephone</h2>
<p>Deaf people actively inspired Bell’s work with the telephone. His wife, Mabel, was deaf, and it is said that Bell grew interested in telecommunication in an effort to help restore his wife’s hearing. Bell’s mother, Eliza, was also deaf and needed the help of a hearing trumpet.</p>
<h2>9. There Are More Mobile Phones than People Alive</h2>
<p>As of 2019, statistics reveal that there are around 8 billion mobile phones, compared to 7 billion people alive on earth. No wonder though &#8211; phones are becoming more and more important in our society, where you need to be connected all the time. Thus, it’s unsurprising that the demand for mobile phones has gone up.</p>
<h2>10. Switchboards Used To Be Manned by People</h2>
<p>Before automatic switchboards existed, phone companies had to employ switchboard operators to connect you to your calls. That means when you dial the operator on your phone back then, you would speak to a human who would then connect you to your call. Isn’t that an interesting fact about how telephones used to work?</p>
<h2>11. Answering Machines Used to Exist</h2>
<p>Prior to the advent of digital voicemail, you had to purchase an answering machine if you wanted people to leave a message if you missed their call. Some of them still exist today, but most are phased out due to lack of demand.</p>
<h2>12. The First Long Distance Call</h2>
<p>The first long-distance call was also set up by Alexander Graham Bell. It took place between Dominion Telegraph Office in Brantford and Paris in Ontario, Canada (not Paris, France!).</p>
<h2>Summary</h2>
<p>Isn’t it fun to know all these telephone interesting facts? There are still many things to learn about the invention and creation of the telephone. What started as a humble device has been transformed into something intricate. We can expect to see more surprising developments about the telephone in the near future.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Considering the above, there are many telephone facts you probably don’t know. What you can be certain of, though, is that ULTATEL provides robust VoIP phone systems that offer high-quality and reliable communication consistently. So, with a ULTATEL VoIP phone system, you’ll take your customer communication to the next level.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To learn more about ULTATEL and how we can help you, read more about our </span><a href="https://www.ultatel.com/cloud-based-phone-system/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cloud-based phone systems</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for businesses of any size. </span></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-144" src="https://blog.ultatel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/inforagphic.png" alt="12 telephone facts infograhics" width="1135" height="1074" srcset="https://x5siwvse0svtj0yw5pfe.ultatel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/inforagphic.png 1135w, https://x5siwvse0svtj0yw5pfe.ultatel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/inforagphic-600x568.png 600w, https://x5siwvse0svtj0yw5pfe.ultatel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/inforagphic-300x284.png 300w, https://x5siwvse0svtj0yw5pfe.ultatel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/inforagphic-1024x969.png 1024w, https://x5siwvse0svtj0yw5pfe.ultatel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/inforagphic-768x727.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1135px) 100vw, 1135px" /></p>


12 Fun Telephone Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

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Telephone History

Phone History Timeline: The Telephone Revolution

12 Fun Telephone Facts You Probably Didn’t Know