| The telephone of the 21st century is much different | | | | exchange was founded in 1891. |
| when compared to its humble 19th century beginnings. | | | | Years passed, and it wasn't until 1923 that a new |
| Though a fascinating machine in the late 1800's, it | | | | telephone device was developed - the rotary phone. |
| certainly didn't offer those who used it the | | | | Then, only a year later, the Bell Telephone Company |
| convenience it would provide them today. This is | | | | introduced the first mobile telephone, which was |
| because the stationary hand crank phone has | | | | designed for New York City police cars. However, it's |
| dramatically evolved into phenomenal devices that | | | | interesting to note that the first commercial mobile |
| differ in size, shape and capabilities. What's more is | | | | phone didn't actually become available until 1946, and |
| phones have become an incredibly personal | | | | wouldn't become popular as a cell phone until 40 years |
| technology in the sense that almost everyone has their | | | | later! |
| own telecommunication equipment. Thus, phone | | | | The premiere touch-tone system for telephones was |
| numbers have practically become a part of an | | | | invented in 1941, but it wasn't until the early 1960's that |
| individual's identity. | | | | home touch-tone phones were made possible. |
| However, if you are not familiar with the history of the | | | | As the telephone became more and more advanced, |
| telephone, you may be wondering how this invention | | | | other telecommunication features were explored such |
| evolved from its roots. To begin with you should know | | | | as caller number identification, call waiting, call |
| that while Alexander Graham Bell is credited with | | | | forwarding, call answer, voice mail, text messaging, and |
| inventing the phone, in actuality he wasn't the only one | | | | the many other features that can be ordered with |
| tinkering with the idea or the technology at the time. | | | | today's phone service. Moreover, as phones became |
| Names of others who are believed to have had a | | | | popular, they became more commonplace and |
| hand in the development of the phone include Antonio | | | | affordable. Thus, virtually every household owned one. |
| Meucci, Elisha Gray, and Philip Reis among others. Bell | | | | This meant a lucrative business opportunity for many |
| was simply the first to patent it and experience the | | | | companies and the number of telecommunication |
| first successful voice transmission in 1876. | | | | providers increased. |
| Nevertheless, regardless of who actually deserves the | | | | Finally, more phone consumers meant more telephone |
| invention credit, once the telephone was developed, | | | | numbers, which amplified the requirement for diverse |
| with each passing year it improved. The first system | | | | numeric codes, which eventually resulted in the need |
| was called an exchange and involved a group of | | | | for area codes, and increased the popularity of |
| operators that would answer incoming calls and | | | | telephone directories. Today, due to the number of |
| manually connect the calling party to the desired | | | | landline and cell phone subscribers, many of us depend |
| recipient. The two major cities where an exchange link | | | | on these directories and free reverse lookup |
| was originally established was New York and Boston, | | | | databases to help us find other telephone users we |
| and occurred in 1883. A coin operated pay phone was | | | | would like to get in contact with. |
| created in 1889, and the automatic telephone | | | | |