From wax-sealed letters to handheld smartphones, it’s no secret that communication has advanced drastically over the last few centuries. But do you know just how far the telephone alone has come? The following overview covers some of the key points in the history of the telephone, including how phone systems went from rotary to Wi-Fi technology in just a little over a century.

A Brief History of the Telephone

Early Beginnings

Telegraphs were invented in the late 18th century, but they weren’t perfect. In an attempt to improve upon the shortfalls of telegraphs, Alexander Graham Bell was given the first U.S. patent for the telephone in 1876. He invented the harmonic telegraph, which operated on the principle that different pitches could travel over electricity and be converted back into voice data. Following his invention, the first telephone line was established in 1877 between Boston and Somerville, MA. Bell’s father-in-law set up the first telephone company — called the Bell Telephone Company — in 1878; this business is now known as AT&T®.

Modern Phones

The rotary phone, which was invented in 1896, eliminated the need to tap a button multiple times to input a single number. When turned, the dials inside the phones produced pulses at set frequencies to place calls. In 1941, the first touch-tone phones were invented. These were followed by cordless phones in the 1970s, which eliminated their cables by allowing for a wider frequency range and lower power requirements. While cell phones were first theorized in 1947, they weren’t commercially available until 1983.

Business Phones

In the 1960s, businesses began using private branch exchange (PBX) systems. These systems were revolutionary because they relieved outside telephones lines from internal use, allowing businesses to pay for fewer lines and worry less about increasing costs due to expansion. It also allowed employees to make internal calls without physical telephones.

Business phone systems advanced even further following the invention of the internet. Many companies today use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone systems. These systems run over the internet instead of phone lines, and they incorporate other telecommunications essentials like speech-to-text for voicemails, call recording, and the matching of client records with their respective phone numbers. Employees can now make calls or even video chat and instant message through their computers, all without touching their phones.

If you’re interested in modernizing your business by swapping your landlines for VoIP phone service and/or a VoIP phone system, get in touch with ACC Telecom of Columbia, MD. They’ve been implementing the advancement of phone systems since the business began in 1979, and they’ll help you transition to the latest and greatest in telecommunications. For more information on their VoIP service and cloud-based phone systems, visit their website, or call (410) 995-0101 today.