Song 1 5 Yingxue Song Prof. Lloyd Ackert HIST 285 26 Apr 2015 The Birth of Telecommunication Introduction In 1876, alexander graham bell invented the telephone and filed for patents. However, he was not the only inventor of a device that could transmit speech electronically. There was also another inventor known as Elisha Gray, but because Bell made the first move to patent his invention he is believed to be the sole inventor of the phone and this consequently led to big battle of invention. Alexander was a teacher of the deaf, and his motivation for the invention was to create a device that would transmit messages over the wire intended to help the deaf learn now to speak . In the development, Bell began with a phonautograph machine from which he studied the sound waves it draws and could trace the vibrations. He was able to produce electrical waves that corresponded with the sound waves he needed and from there he develop a model that practically demonstrated his ideas . With the help electrical engineer Thomas Watford, he was able to the physical model of his ideas. He subsequently incorporated additional ideas in his invention and after being granted the patents followed the global awareness and acceptance of the telephone. Bell offered his patents to the western union for $ 100000 but had difficulty in convincing the management that the telephone invention was a viable idea. The major setbacks were that the voice signals being sent were very weak, and they grew weaker the distance between the receiver and transmitter is long . They did not see the reason as to why anybody would want to use such a device when one can send clearly written messages to any part of the United States. They also did not see the device as ever capable of any improvements on the weak signal to produce a recognizable speech over long distances. Having made substantial improvements to the telegraph, Bells device was of no use to them. It, however, did not take long before they realized that technology was evolving, there was need to embrace change in order to continue being relevant in business and by 1882, Bell was offered controlling interests in western union. It was in 1876 that Bell conducted a successful two-way talk over the telephone between Cambridge port and Boston two miles apart . The first switchboard was developed. Bell and Watson later formed bell Telephone Company, where the bell was the electrician and Watson, was the superintendent. By 1880, the bell company had assembled over 30000 phones that were already in use. One year later bell company purchased western electric, and that is how bell gained the controlling interests of Bell Company. In 1884, the bell company expanded its operations to long distances when it opened services between New York and Boston that is 235 miles apart. One year later, Bell Telephone Company started a subsidiary company called American telephone and Telegraph Company. By 1890, Bell Company had alre.

1. Song 1
5
Yingxue Song
Prof. Lloyd Ackert
HIST 285
26 Apr 2015
The Birth of Telecommunication
Introduction
In 1876, alexander graham bell invented the telephone and filed
for patents. However, he was not the only inventor of a device
that could transmit speech electronically. There was also
another inventor known as Elisha Gray, but because Bell made
the first move to patent his invention he is believed to be the
sole inventor of the phone and this consequently led to big
battle of invention. Alexander was a teacher of the deaf, and his
motivation for the invention was to create a device that would
transmit messages over the wire intended to help the deaf learn
now to speak
.
In the development, Bell began with a phonautograph machine
from which he studied the sound waves it draws and could trace
the vibrations. He was able to produce electrical waves that
corresponded with the sound waves he needed and from there he
develop a model that practically demonstrated his ideas

2. .
With the help electrical engineer Thomas Watford, he was able
to the physical model of his ideas. He subsequently
incorporated additional ideas in his invention and after being
granted the patents followed the global awareness and
acceptance of the telephone.
Bell offered his patents to the western union for $ 100000 but
had difficulty in convincing the management that the telephone
invention was a viable idea. The major setbacks were that the
voice signals being sent were very weak, and they grew weaker
the distance between the receiver and transmitter is long
.
They did not see the reason as to why anybody would want to
use such a device when one can send clearly written messages
to any part of the United States. They also did not see the
device as ever capable of any improvements on the weak signal
to produce a recognizable speech over long distances. Having
made substantial improvements to the telegraph, Bells device
was of no use to them. It, however, did not take long before
they realized that technology was evolving, there was need to
embrace change in order to continue being relevant in business
and by 1882, Bell was offered controlling interests in western
union. It was in 1876 that Bell conducted a successful two-way
talk over the telephone between Cambridge port and Boston two
miles apart
. The first switchboard was developed. Bell and Watson later
formed bell Telephone Company, where the bell was the
electrician and Watson, was the superintendent.
By 1880, the bell company had assembled over 30000 phones

3. that were already in use. One year later bell company purchased
western electric, and that is how bell gained the controlling
interests of Bell Company. In 1884, the bell company expanded
its operations to long distances when it opened services between
New York and Boston that is 235 miles apart.
One year later, Bell Telephone Company started a subsidiary
company called American telephone and Telegraph Company.
By 1890, Bell Company had already registered 211503
telephone station. In 1892, long distance telephone services
received another boost with the development of an overhead
line from New York to Chicago. In the 1890s, the basic patents
expired, and intense competition begins. What followed was the
development of the early forms of broadcasting in Budapest. An
approximated six thousand telephone subscribers who were
served by more than 220 miles of telephone wire could at
specific scheduled times listen to music, poetry readings and
stock market prices
. In 1896, selector trunking was invented, and there was the use
of dial telephones in large exchanges. Three years later the
name of bell Telephone Company was changed to American
telephone and telegraph (AT&T), and it highly dominated the
telecommunications in the 19th century. The number of
telephones in the American telephone and telegraph system had
hit 600000 and rose to about 2.2 million in 1905 and up again
to5.8 million by 1910. A transcontinental telephone line was put
up and in 1915 it began operation
. It was noted that AT&T was operating almost like a monopoly
and the government began to investigate it for an antitrust
violation. The company’s president at the time Theodore Vail
argued that a monopoly was the most efficient for the nation’s
underdeveloped communication network.
The result of the investigation was the kings bury commitment.
This agreement required that AT&T separates from western
union and to provide long distance services to independent

4. telephone exchanges. The government nationalized all the
telephone and telegraph line in the united states during the First
World War. This was after a consensus by the congress when
President Wilson gave a directive that they are under the care of
United States post office. Later they were returned to private
ownership, and AT & T resumed to business still as a monopoly
. In 1934, the government intervened again and this time it
allowed AT&T to operate a regulated monopoly. The public
utility commissions at municipal and state levels were charged
with the responsibility of regulating AT&T and other upcoming
telephone companies. They set the rate to be charged by the
phone companies and made decisions on the services and
equipment these companies should offer.
Bibliography
Cefrey H. The Inventions of Alexander Graham Bell: The
Telephone (New York: The Rosen
Publishing Group, 2003), 5-18
David Massey.Timeline of communication-telephone tribute
(2003). accessed April 25, 2015
http://www.telephonetribute.com/index.html
Elon university school of communications imagining the
internet: a history and forecast.
accessed April 25, 2015 http://www.elon.edu/e-
web/predictions/150/1870.xhtml
Graham Bell, A. "Researches in telephony." In Proceedings of
the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences, vol. 12, pp. 1-10. American Academy of Arts &
Sciences, 1876.
� Graham Bell, A. "Researches in telephony." In Proceedings
of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, vol. 12, pp. 1-
10. American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 1876.

5. � Jeffrey H. The Inventions of Alexander Graham Bell: The
Telephone (New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003), 5-
18
� Cefrey H. The Inventions of Alexander Graham Bell: The
Telephone (New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003), 5-
18
� Elon university school of communications imagining the
internet: a history and forecast. accessed April 25, 2015,
http://www.elon.edu/e-web/predictions/150/1870.xhtml
� David Massey.Timeline of communication-telephone tribute
(2003). Retrieved from
http://www.telephonetribute.com/index.html
� Elon university school of communications imagining the
internet: a history and forecast. accessed April 25, 2015
http://www.elon.edu/e-web/predictions/150/1870.xhtml
� David Massey.Timeline of communication-telephone tribute
(2003). accessed April 25, 2015
http://www.telephonetribute.com/index.html

6. Module Readings Required
Complete the following readings early in the module:
· From the textbook, Organizational Behavior (12th ed.), read
the following chapter:
· Individual Differences, Values, and Diversity
· From the University online library resources, read:
· Derr, C. L. (2012). Ethics and leadership. Journal of
Leadership, Accountability, and Ethics, 9(6), 66–71. (ProQuest
Document ID: 1315152989)
http://www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemoc
s.asp?sch=auo
&turl=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1315152989
· Hur, Y., & Strickland, R. A. (2012). Diversity management
practices and understanding their adoption: Examining local
governments in North Carolina. Public Administration
Quarterly, 36(3), 380–412. (ProQuest Document ID:
1312443542)
http://www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemoc
s.asp?sch=auo
&turl=http://search.proquest.com./docview/1312443542
· Mok, A., & Morris, M. W. (2010). An upside to bicultural
identity conflict: Resisting groupthink in cultural
ingroups. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46(6),
1114–1117. Retrieved from
http://www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemoc
s.asp?
sch=auo&turl=http://www.sciencedirect.com.libproxy.edmc.edu
/science/
article/pii/S0022103110001381
· Sanders, P. R., & Conti, G. J. (2012). Identifying individual

7. differences: A cognitive styles tool. Journal of Adult Education,
41(2), 43–63. (ProQuest Document ID: 1284596014)
http://www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemoc
s.asp?
sch=auo&turl=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1284596014
· Recommended reading:
· Staw, B. M. (1991). Dressing up like an organization: When
psychological theories can explain organizational
action. Journal of Management,17(4), 805–819. (ProQuest
Document ID: 215257272)
http://www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemoc
s.asp?
sch=auo&turl=http://search.proquest.com/docview/215257272/f
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