Early History of Telecommunications

Early Methods of Communication

Early methods of  coded communication consisted primarily of:
–	Signs
–	Gestures
–	Facial expressions
–	Beating and tapping sounds

These elementary, nonverbal methods are still effective means of communication and form the basis for signaling in modern telecommunications.

Early History of the Telegraph

Samuel Morse – Well-known and respected portraitist, Professor of Painting and Sculpture at the University of the City of New York and President of the National Academy of Design from 1826 to 1845.

Ran for mayor of New York City on the Nativist Party ticket.  Came in fourth of four candidates and lost badly.

The Morse telegraph
–	Prior to the telegraph – just the postal service
–	Morse perfected the Telegraph and Morse Code in 1837
–	The first public was use in 1844
–	“What hath God wrought?”
–	Morse became a hero of science in both the U.S. and Europe and was a millionaire when he died.
–	The development of the telegraph revolutionized communications
–	Railroads
–	Newspapers
–	Associated Press
–	Politics
–	Civil War years saw dramatic use of the telegraph
–	Helped the North win 
–	The war made some companies and sank others
–	Western Union, founded 1856, emerged from the war years as the nation's largest corporation and its first powerful monopoly.

Early History of Telephony

Alexander Graham Bell 
–	Was a teacher of speech to the deaf, along with his greanfather, father, and brother.  Both mother and wife were deaf
–	Professor of Speech and Elocution at Boston University
–	Co-founder of the National Geographic Society
–	Later invented the metal detector, photo-transmission of sound (early optics) and did ground-breaking work in hydrofoils and aeronautics
–	Filed application for the patent of the telephone a few hours before Elisha Gray – issued March 7, 1876, despite some hints of scandal.
–	The first three decades of the life of the telephone were marked by protracted legal battles over patent claims for the basic invention.
–	The Bell patents were contested in over six hundred lawsuits; they were upheld in every one.

The Bell Telephone Company
–	Was founded on July 9, 1877
–	The first business organization was a trusteeship
–	A decision with far-reaching effects
–	Rent telephones instead of selling them
–	A system of franchises, whereby agents provided telephone service after paying a license fee.
–	Early telephones were connected to each other by private, directly-connected lines.
–	The first telephone exchange was in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1878; it served 21 subscribers.

Western Union, ignoring Bell patents:
–	Organized the American Speaking Telephone Company and began offering telephone service.
–	In 1878 Bell filed suit against Western Union for patent infringement.
–	Suit was settled out of court: Western Union agreed to withdraw from the telephone business and sell its network to the Bell Company. Bell agreed to stay out of the telegraph business, plus financial incentives, and added 56,000 phones in 55 cities.

American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T)
–	Began as a subsidiary of American Bell
–	Was formed In 1885 to build and operate long lines and provide long distance service.
–	In 1882 Bell Company purchased Western Electric Company; became Bell's manufacturing unit and sole supplier of Bell System equipment.
–	In 1900 AT&T absorbed the Bell company and became the headquarters company of the Bell System.

Independent Telephone Companies
–	Many new telephone companies were formed.
–	Some were organized under a Bell franchise agreement; others began operation "independent" of any Bell affiliation.
–	The independents concentrated on serving smaller communities Bell ignored.
–	Continues today: How many phone companies in Kentucky?
–	Competition between Bell and the independents became intense.
–	Bell's most potent weapon was its refusal to allow independents to interconnect with its nationwide network.
–	The term independent telephone company is still used today; describes a telephone company that has no Bell affiliation.
–	In 1912 the independent companies protested to the Department of Justice that Bell was operating in violation of the antitrust laws.

The Kingsbury Commitment
–	In 1913 AT&T VP Nathan Kingsbury sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General committing AT&T to 
–	Dispose of its stock in Western Union
–	Refrain from acquiring additional independent telephone companies
–	Interconnect its facilities with those of the independents.
–	This agreement became known as the Kingsbury Commitment.  It remains in effect today.
–	In 1921 Congress passed the Graham-Willis Act, which exempted telephone companies from the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Alexander  Graham Bell died on August 2, 1922.  On the day of his funeral, all phone service in the United States (13 million phones) ceased for one minute.

Early History of Wireless Telegraphy

Guglielmo Marconi’s Early Life
–	Born in 1874 near Bologna, Italy
–	Wasn’t a very good student as a youth
–	But he was interested in science and electricity
–	Excelled in university/scientific institute

The Invention of Wireless Telegraphy
–	Marconi didn’t invent anything
–	He set out to create a “practical” method of wireless telegraphy
–	Nicolai Tesla is generally regarded as the inventor, but many others had worked on it for 50 years.
–	Marconi assembled and improved various components

Marconi’s Improvements
–	Made the antenna vertical rather than horizontal
–	Allowed the antenna to touch the ground
–	Made the first transmission over open water
–	At age 21, he had the basis for the technology down
–	Concentrated on improving power and range
–	Transmission across the Atlantic in 1901

Marconi the Businessman
–	Founded the Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company in 1897
–	This later became known as British Marconi
–	Founded Marconi Marine in 1904
–	Later founded the British Broadcasting Company
–	Founded American Marconi in the U.S.
–	This company later became the Radio Corporation of America

Revolution on the High Seas
–	Communication with ships at sea was unprecedented
–	The U.S. Navy attempted to wrest control from Marconi
–	Then came World War I, and the Navy succeeded
–	U.S. Govt. didn’t want a foreign-controlled company in charge of wireless communication
–	The Navy attempted to retain control after the war, but the Supreme Court ruled against it.

The Wireless Ship Act of 1910
–	In 1909, a single wireless operator saved 1200 people
–	As a result, the 1910 Act required wireless operators on ships
–	Traveling more than 200 miles off the coast
–	Carrying more than 50 passengers
–	Had to have a range of at least 100 miles
–	But amateur radio enthusiasts resented the government, military, and corporate intrusion into the new frontier
–	Faked distress calls to the Navy
–	Sent Navy ships on spurious missions
–	Sent obscene messages to Naval stations

The Titanic Disaster of 1912
–	Two wireless operators on board worked for Marconi, not the White Star Line
–	They served the paying passengers; did not relay two ice warnings from other ships to the bridge
–	One was from a ship called the Californian
–	Wireless operator was told by the Titanic to shut up
–	He turned his set off and went to bed
–	Titanic struck an ice berg 40 minutes later
–	Californian was within sight as Titanic sunk

The Radio Act of 1912
–	Required all seafaring vessels to
–	Maintain 24 hour radio watch
–	Stay in constant contact with other ships and coastal stations
–	To address problems with 1910 Act
–	Prevented amateurs from transmitting on commercial and military wavelengths
–	Later strengthened in the 1927 Radio Act 

Wireless Becomes a Mass Medium
–	In 1919, the Army and the Navy asked General Electric to refrain from selling the new and improved alternator to Marconi companies
–	Still suspicious of foreign ownership
–	GE created a new company called RCA that acquired American Marconi
–	Close cooperation between GE, RCA, Westinghouse Electric, United Fruit, and AT&T led to the National Broadcasting Company, and others