1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:12,399 Speaker 1: Welcome to Tech Stuff production from I Heart Radio. Hey there, 2 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: and welcome to tech Stuff. I'm your host, Jonathan Strickland. 3 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: I'm an executive producer with I Heart Radio and a 4 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 1: love of all things tech. And we are continuing our 5 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: look back in the classic episode archive with the A 6 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: T and T Story. Now, last week we published or 7 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 1: republished the A T and T Story Part one. This week, 8 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: surprise surprise, it's the A T and T Story Part two. 9 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: Originally this published on November six, two thousand thirteen. Let's 10 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: listen in. How about an episode on the history of 11 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: A T and T, especially the deregulation of the telco industry. Now, 12 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: of course we already talked about the founding of A 13 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: T and T, but and how it started off kind 14 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: of as a natural monopoly. Um, now we're going to 15 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: really look into how that continued and how the United 16 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: States government began to uh put the brakes on A 17 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: T and T a little bit, all right, because at 18 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: the beginning they had kind of been saying, you know, 19 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: you guys have this terrific infrastructure, you go on and 20 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,960 Speaker 1: build that. That's terrific, right, This would be incredibly useful 21 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: for the United States and so and then, and they 22 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: took it over just for example, during World War One, 23 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: which we talked about in the first episode, government said 24 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 1: let's just take over this for a little bit, and 25 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: then returned it barely used just a couple of years later. 26 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 1: So we left off in the twenties. So we're picking 27 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: up right around nineteen twenty four, which is when A 28 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: T and T developed something that frankly, I was shocked 29 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 1: at how early the development for this technology came. I 30 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: didn't expect to see this. It's a telephotography, which is 31 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: also called a fax machine in goods. Yeah, I had 32 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: no idea. Yeah, people were faxing goofy little pictures of 33 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: of early twentieth century folklore back and forth, you know, 34 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: letting people know that if you if you forward this 35 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: one letter, Rockefeller will give you free M and m's 36 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: or something. I don't I I don't think that's what 37 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: was actually being facts at the time. I honestly, UH 38 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: just made all that up because it didn't research that. 39 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: But then I don't know what the first facts was, 40 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: hopefully not not some sort of email scam. We should 41 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: do we should do another. I think we actually got 42 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:16,959 Speaker 1: a request for a facts related episode we should totally 43 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: look into that. Sometimes we should do one about facts 44 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: machines and one on facts lore, which is kind of 45 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,959 Speaker 1: the predecessor to the Internet email memes that we see 46 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:30,080 Speaker 1: today or Facebook games exactly. Okay, So things that we 47 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 1: do know about Bell Telephone Laboratories Incorporated open for business, 48 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 1: that is, that is Bell's R and D Lab, which 49 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: would come out with some of the most important pieces 50 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: of technology of the twentieth century. Exactly. Yes, Bell Labs 51 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: famous for their research. And here's the thing is that 52 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: the research that Bell Labs did was not always directly 53 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: related to the telephone industry, at least not in a 54 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: way that you could tell from the surface. But but 55 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: down the line would become critical. Exactly. It's it's instrument 56 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 1: at all in the way telephones work today. Now. Nineteen 57 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: twenty six, that's when Bell Labs and Western Electric begin 58 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: to make sound equipment for these crazy moving pictures that 59 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: are coming out of the Hollywood these days. That's crazy. Yeah, 60 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: so obviously not too far from the whole idea of 61 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:20,920 Speaker 1: transmitting sound. Now it's recording and playing back sound in 62 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,639 Speaker 1: a way that works in a synchronized fashion with moving pictures. 63 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: Nineteen seven A T and T begins trans atlantic telephone 64 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: service between London and the United States. But they don't 65 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: have a cable. There's no cable connecting the US in 66 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: London at this point. That would be via a radio signal. Yeah, 67 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: and uh, it was, you know, it was. It was 68 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: a slight a little expensive to make a phone call. 69 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: It was seventy five bucks for three minutes. Yeah, which 70 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: if you're looking at nineteen twenty seven dollars and then 71 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: you compare them to today's dollars. I I used the 72 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: Bureau of Labor Statistics, which uses the Consumer Price Index 73 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: two factor in how much stuff costs from one era 74 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: to another. According to that, that would be about a 75 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: thousand and eight dollars for those three minutes. So if 76 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: you've got an extremely important phone call right to your 77 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: British buddy, or if you're in London your Yankee friend, yeah, 78 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: that's pretty much. That's that's pretty expensive. UM ninety nine, 79 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: Bell Labs broadcast the first public demonstration of a color 80 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: television picture. That's early too. Yeah, and it was. The 81 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: thing they showed was a telephone operator, of course, dressed 82 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 1: in a colorful costume. And uh, A T and T 83 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 1: researchers that year filed a patent for coaxial cable for 84 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: broadband transmission. As of that year, there are more than 85 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: twenty million phones in the United States, and fifteen point 86 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:47,840 Speaker 1: four million of those are operated by Bell. UH and 87 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,720 Speaker 1: they've got how many four hundred and fifty thousand employees 88 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,839 Speaker 1: They started off with one Thomas Watson. UH. Now they're 89 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: up to four hundred and fifty thousand. Of course Watson 90 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: was no longer with a company at that point, but 91 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: at any rate, Yeah, it's pretty amazing. And so nineteen 92 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:09,719 Speaker 1: thirty Bill starts to hold demonstrations to teach customers how 93 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: to use dial service, the rotary dial, right, because before that, 94 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: whenever you picked up a phone, you would reach an 95 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 1: operator and you tell the operator where you wanted to 96 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 1: place your call. They would find out how to root 97 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 1: it and do it for you. And UH, I think 98 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: in the nine twenties they were starting to get into 99 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: some electro mechanical systems that would do that for you 100 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: but or for the operators, but you still had to 101 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: talk to an operator to get your call to where 102 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: it was going. This was the first time that you 103 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: would use a number a data set to tell the 104 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: phone what you wanted to do, right, So this is 105 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: where people started to get phone numbers and you would 106 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: start to dial numbers and uh and all the all 107 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: the switching was handled by electro mechanical switches at that 108 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: point forward. But you had to teach people how to 109 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,040 Speaker 1: do this because it was new. No one had ever 110 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:57,040 Speaker 1: had to do it before. And I don't know how 111 00:05:57,080 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: many of our listeners are familiar with the old rotary 112 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: dial phones. Dialing on those could be really fun if 113 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:06,159 Speaker 1: you were a kid, but if you were an adult 114 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: making the Earth fifth or six phone call that day, 115 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 1: you just sit there and hope that none of the 116 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: numbers you had to call were in that nine range. Yeah, 117 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,720 Speaker 1: where you know, you dial and you just the whole 118 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 1: thing click click ci ci cick click cick cick click. 119 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 1: Good times. So by nineteen thirty two, Bell had was 120 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: in control of seventy nine percent of national telecommunications market 121 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: in the United States. They had made acquisitions throughout those 122 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: years and had bought up smaller companies, so nearly of 123 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,720 Speaker 1: all telecommunications in the US falls under that's an effectively 124 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 1: a monopoly, Oh sure, right right, And it's also up 125 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: from what's that about only a few years ago. So yeah, 126 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: so they were, they were continuing to grow, and they 127 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: were already practically the only game in town. So and 128 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: a monopoly doesn't have to really be the only business, right. 129 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: You don't have to be just the only one out 130 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 1: there offering something. To have a monopoly, you just have 131 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 1: to be so large that no one can realistically compete 132 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: with you on any similar level. So let's say, for example, 133 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:20,239 Speaker 1: that Google were to to completely dominate search. They're they're 134 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: pretty far in the lead. Let's say they completely dominated 135 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: to the point where no other search engine is even close. 136 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 1: Then Google would have to start worrying about being identified 137 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: as a monopoly. And this is the funny thing is 138 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: this doesn't necessarily mean that people are practicing unfair you know, tactics. 139 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: That just may mean that the way they do business 140 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: was the way that resonated with a lot of people. 141 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 1: So you can have different views of monopolies. You can 142 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: either see people trying their best to try and grab 143 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: up as much as the pie as possible, or you 144 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: just see people just doing a really good job and 145 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: then being punished for it. So there are two sides 146 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: to this coin. I think in this case, in particular, 147 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: it was due to that entire government regulation of basically 148 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 1: allowing them to be a monopoly could be. Yeah, they 149 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 1: had a huge head start, and then the government gave 150 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 1: them an even bigger boost. Well, first of all, because 151 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: of that whole patent thing we talked about in the 152 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,800 Speaker 1: last episode, they had exclusive rights for the longest time, 153 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: so yeah, they definitely benefited quite a bit. Moving on, so, 154 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty four, A t T began trans Pacific telephone 155 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: service between the United States and Japan via radio signals. 156 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: So again, as with many of these beginning services, you 157 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 1: could only put through a single call at a time, 158 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 1: right and now granted they had they had improved the 159 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: efficiency of radio by that time. So remember just a 160 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 1: few years earlier, that transatlantic call was around seventy five 161 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 1: bucks for three minutes. They lowered the costs for Pacific calls, 162 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 1: which is amazing. It was only thirty nine bucks for 163 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: three minutes, yep, which in today's money would be about 164 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 1: six hundred and didn't yeah you know, forget your friends 165 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:58,080 Speaker 1: in London, call your buddies over in Tokyo. Um. Yeah, 166 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: still expensive, but not nearly as much as it was before. 167 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: Now this brings us up. Ninety four is big year 168 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 1: for a T and T because that's also when the 169 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 1: United States government passed the Communications Act of nineteen thirty four. 170 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 1: They thought about passing the Communications Act of nineteen thirty 171 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:17,720 Speaker 1: four nineteen thirty three, but the name just didn't work, 172 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 1: so they held off for a full year. Lawrence just 173 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: staring at me. She doesn't like it when I throw 174 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: in jokes, so especially bad ones established that that that's 175 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: the act that actually established the Federal Communications Commission, also 176 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: known as the f c C. Now the FCC did 177 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: not just spring out fully formed and have brand new powers. 178 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: It actually kind of absorbed some previously existing organizations like 179 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: the Federal Radio Commission and parts not all of it, 180 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: but parts of the Interstate Commerce Commission that governed telephone 181 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: and telegraph operations and kind of centralized all this because 182 00:09:56,080 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: this was one of those examples of how technology outpaces 183 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 1: is legislation absolutely, and so this was the United States 184 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:06,040 Speaker 1: government attempt to try and catch up to the state 185 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: of affairs because they said, well, you know, back when 186 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 1: this was starting, we had no idea where it was 187 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: going to go, and now we need to be big 188 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,680 Speaker 1: enough thing. And especially considering that more and more people 189 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 1: were using radio signals. In the way that radio signals 190 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 1: work is that you cannot have two signals on the 191 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 1: same bandwidth going out near each other because they'll conflict. 192 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: You end up getting interference. Interference, right, So so yeah, 193 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: so so government regulations starting to crack down on how 194 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: people could use these new fancy radio signals in order 195 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 1: to keep the airways clear for everyone's use, right. And 196 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 1: it also gave the FCC authority to regulate rates of 197 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 1: interstate and international common carriers and administration relating to electronic communication, 198 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: which was basically saying don't gouge your customers, right. So, 199 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: in other words, A T and T remember was pretty 200 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 1: much exclusive as far as long distance goes. So any 201 00:10:54,679 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: regional operator had to pay a toll in order for 202 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: their customers to be able to access law distance. So 203 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 1: if you're if let's say Lauren, You're in Atlanta and 204 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: you want to call me, and for some reason, I'm 205 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:10,440 Speaker 1: in Omaha, Nebraska, and there are two different regional carriers, 206 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 1: and so you are using your regional carrier to tie 207 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 1: into the A T and T long distance service, and 208 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,439 Speaker 1: then that call goes to me, Well, your regional service 209 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:23,079 Speaker 1: has to pay a fee in order to access that 210 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 1: a T N T long distance, and then that fee 211 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 1: usually gets passed down to you, the customer. And this 212 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:32,839 Speaker 1: was a way of preventing any company, specifically A T 213 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 1: and T, because they were really the only one who 214 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 1: could have that kind of wheeld that kind of power 215 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 1: right from raising prices so much that it puts other 216 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 1: companies out of business or it puts undue harm on 217 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: the consumer. That was the intent. Uh. That brings us 218 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 1: up to nine. When A T and T completed the 219 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 1: first around the world call. It went all the way 220 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:57,360 Speaker 1: around the world. That seems uh, less than useful in 221 00:11:57,400 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: a technical sense, but good to know that they could 222 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,439 Speaker 1: do it. It was an impressive display of technology, not practical. 223 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 1: If I want to if I want to call you, 224 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:08,839 Speaker 1: I just stand up and shout over the divider between 225 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:15,839 Speaker 1: our desks. I don't, I don't. No, I don't. I 226 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:18,439 Speaker 1: don't not anymore, not on not on Tuesdays anyway. Not 227 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 1: after hr taught to me ninety seven, that's when Clinton 228 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: Davison of Bell Telephone Labs wins the Nobel Prize in 229 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 1: Physics for experimental confirmation of the wave nature of electrons. 230 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 1: So this is the first Nobel Prize awarded to someone 231 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 1: working out of Bell Labs. It would not be the last. 232 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,880 Speaker 1: And uh, in case you're wondering the whole wave nature 233 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: of electrons, well, electrons are particles, but in the lab 234 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:49,840 Speaker 1: we have, I say, we scientists have observed that electrons 235 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: could also behave like waves. And so this was that 236 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:56,199 Speaker 1: whole wave particle duality thing you can hear about in 237 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: various types of particle physics, quantum mechanics, that kind thing. Uh, 238 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: we won't go into it here because it's outside the 239 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 1: realm of this podcast, but fascinating stuff. So it's no 240 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 1: no surprise they got the Nobel Prize. Now nineteen nine, 241 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 1: the telephone is deployed as quote a weapon of preparedness 242 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 1: end quote. That's also when Western Electric makes signal core 243 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: sets leading up to the US involvement in World War Two. 244 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:25,960 Speaker 1: So signal core sets are essentially kind of like radio telephones. 245 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: It is something that certain h certain units in World 246 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: War Two had access to in order to maintain communications. 247 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 1: And UH just showed that this company was still very 248 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 1: much involved in government uh projects, which will become important 249 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 1: in just a minute. But before we get to that, 250 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 1: let's take a quick break to thank our sponsor. You've 251 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: probably tried Hulu dot com. Now with Hulu Plus, you 252 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:53,640 Speaker 1: can watch your favorite shows anytime, anywhere. Hulu Plus let's 253 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 1: you watch thousands of hit TV shows in the selection 254 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 1: of acclaimed movies on your television or on the go 255 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:01,319 Speaker 1: with your smartphone or tap blet and it all streams 256 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 1: an HD for the best viewing experience. With Hulu Plus, 257 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 1: you can watch your favorite current TV shows like Supernatural 258 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:11,439 Speaker 1: or South Park or Parks and Recreation. You can also 259 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: check out exclusive content, including Hulu originals like The Awesome 260 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: starring s n. L Seth Meyers and moon Boy starring 261 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: Chris Odwald from Bride'smaids. Hulu Plus also offers a great 262 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: selection of acclaimed films for only seven dollars and nine 263 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 1: nine cents a month. You can stream as many TV 264 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 1: shows and movies as you want, wherever you want. Right now, 265 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 1: you can try Hulu Plus free for two weeks when 266 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 1: you go to Hulu plus dot com forward slash Tech. 267 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: That's a special offer for our listeners. Make sure you 268 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 1: use Hulu plus dot com forward slash tech so you 269 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: get the extended free trial and they know that we 270 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 1: sent you go to Hulu plus dot com Forward slash 271 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 1: Tech now and uh, you know, I always like to 272 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: talk about the shows I watch when I use Hulu Plus, 273 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 1: I gotta talk about Community. Community is one of those 274 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 1: shows where when I watched the first couple of episodes, 275 00:14:57,440 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: it didn't quite grab me. But as I again to 276 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 1: get more invested in the characters and really enjoy the 277 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: way that jokes would play out, not just over an episode, 278 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 1: but over several episodes, I couldn't help but feel that 279 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 1: was a really clever, really funny show. So if you 280 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: like running gags and if you listen to this show, 281 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: you pretty much have to go check out Community. And 282 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 1: we're back, all right. So now we're up to nineteen 283 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 1: forty one. And we talked earlier about how Bell Labs 284 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 1: was was pioneering coaxial cable development in the laboratory is 285 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: when they actually installed the first non experimental coaxial cable 286 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: for Bell service between Minneapolis, Minnesota and Steven's Point, Wisconsin. 287 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:46,560 Speaker 1: So this is physical cable they're laying down for the 288 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: transmission of signals as opposed to transmitting them over the air. 289 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:54,280 Speaker 1: UM and uh, and it was a success. Ended up 290 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: being the basis for the cable industry, also for the 291 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 1: early internet industry. Pretty impressive stuff. Now, this is when 292 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 1: World War two is being waged around the world, mostly 293 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 1: and of course the European and UH Southeast Asia theaters. Um. 294 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:18,240 Speaker 1: This is also a time when Bell employees would serve 295 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,920 Speaker 1: in World War two. UH and and Bell companies would 296 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 1: wind up producing more than one thousand two D defense 297 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 1: projects for all all kinds of stuff. I mean, you know, materials, radios, radar, 298 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: mind fuses, all of that technical stuff that needed to happen. Yeah. 299 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: So that another government project that was a big part 300 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: of what a T and T was doing at that 301 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:43,640 Speaker 1: point was when A T and T begins automation of 302 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: long distance switching. So now there at this point. The 303 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: rolling it out would take years, sure, but but it 304 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 1: was just not only local service but also across different 305 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 1: local UH networks. Right right, local operators connecting to the 306 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:02,520 Speaker 1: long distance one. We're starting to see the switching become automated. UH. 307 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:07,840 Speaker 1: That would be a big it. Proven inefficiency to as 308 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: American households had a telephone, the problem was they all 309 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 1: wanted to call the other half. Yeah, so darned when 310 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,199 Speaker 1: are they when are the Johnsons get that phone. We 311 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: have more to say about the early days or middling 312 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:24,160 Speaker 1: days of a T and T, but first let's take 313 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 1: a quick break. Was when A T and T offers 314 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: mobile telephone service in St. Louis, Missouri, And it's not 315 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: what you're thinking of, Well, I had a car, Yeah, 316 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 1: these were These were not the kind of handheld devices 317 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 1: that that even Zach Morris would have many decades later. 318 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:54,880 Speaker 1: That's saved by the bell reference. That's that's that's after 319 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 1: my time. But I get it. Um. I think each 320 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: region of service had a single antenna which could handle 321 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:05,960 Speaker 1: about twenty calls at once at most most and sometimes 322 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 1: it was between twelve and twenty. It all depended upon 323 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 1: the antenna. Yeah. These were again using radio signals, sort 324 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:15,399 Speaker 1: of like those those transatlantic and trans Pacific connections that 325 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 1: we talked about earlier, but on a more mobile scale. 326 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 1: You would call in and it would it would communicate 327 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 1: to it to his tower, kind of similar to cell service, 328 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 1: but it's not cell service. Yeah, if you if you 329 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:30,400 Speaker 1: moved outside the range of that antenna, you would not 330 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 1: be able to place that call because there were there 331 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:35,199 Speaker 1: weren't cells. You know, we will have to do a 332 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 1: full episode on how cell phones work at some point 333 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:41,120 Speaker 1: to explain that handoff process. But there was no handoff process, 334 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 1: so if you moved out of range, that was it. 335 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 1: And these mobile telephones were enormous and heavy. They were 336 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: more akin to the sort of stuff you would have 337 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 1: seen in like if you've ever watched the World War 338 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:53,320 Speaker 1: two movie where they have one of those backpack radios. Yeah, 339 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:55,480 Speaker 1: I think I think Patent carries a few around sometimes 340 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 1: it's a it's a little closer to that, not quite 341 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: as military looking, but similar in size and weight. So 342 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 1: not something that was terribly useful for the average person, 343 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: but for some people like truck drivers it might come 344 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:10,399 Speaker 1: in handy or other other people who happened to be 345 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 1: very mobile but have a large carrying capacity. On the 346 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 1: middle of times, um, so the this is also the 347 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: year seven when Bell Labs employees invent a particular piece 348 00:19:22,359 --> 00:19:24,639 Speaker 1: of technology that would go on to play a very 349 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:28,360 Speaker 1: important role I think, and not only telephone industry, but 350 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 1: computers the future as we know it. But we're talking 351 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,440 Speaker 1: about the transistor. Yep, that it was Bell Labs that 352 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:37,399 Speaker 1: came up with the transistor. And we've talked about and 353 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 1: then we talked about these gentlemen before. There were three 354 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: people in particular leading that project who ended up later 355 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:47,160 Speaker 1: on winning a Nobel Prize for that invention. That's John Bardine, 356 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:51,160 Speaker 1: Walter Brittaine, and then William Shockley, who we talked about 357 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 1: recently when we were talking about another company. Shockley's shocking 358 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 1: views that led the some people to to become the 359 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,679 Speaker 1: traitor usk or something like that. Yeah, yeah, and and 360 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:06,400 Speaker 1: and this transistor. We talked in the previous episode about 361 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:09,439 Speaker 1: vacuum tubes being such a huge development in the telecommunications 362 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: industry because they allowed for those first electro mechanical computers 363 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:15,959 Speaker 1: to to work. And the transistor was what would replace 364 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:20,400 Speaker 1: these vacuum tubes in anything that was doing computing work. Yeah, 365 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 1: it would allow you to do amplification, it would allow 366 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:27,960 Speaker 1: you to do and miniaturization. Maniaturization was the big thing. 367 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 1: It reduced heat and it allowed for miniaturization, something that 368 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: you couldn't do with vacuum tubes, which meant that our 369 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,920 Speaker 1: computers no longer would take up the space of a building, 370 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:40,640 Speaker 1: could eventually take up the space of you know, your 371 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: pocket smartphones. All of this really makes me wonder what 372 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:46,200 Speaker 1: would have happened. If A T and T had not 373 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 1: had the reach and power and the money to have 374 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 1: this research and development lab. You know, if if they 375 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 1: had not been the crazy not quite monopoly sort of 376 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:58,040 Speaker 1: a monopoly that they were, you know, would you know 377 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 1: parallel development was going on in some other last Yeah, 378 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:04,119 Speaker 1: I think we would have eventually seen the transistor, but 379 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 1: it probably would have come out later, and it probably 380 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:10,680 Speaker 1: would have taken longer to get ramped up into a 381 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 1: a form that would be manufacturable, because this early transistor 382 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:16,919 Speaker 1: was not something you would put in any kind of electronics. 383 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: It was more of a proof of concept. If you've 384 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:21,399 Speaker 1: ever seen a replica of it, it was enormous. I mean, 385 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:25,399 Speaker 1: it's one transistor. Keep in mind that your average microprocessor 386 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 1: could have a billion or more transistors on it. This 387 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: thing was big enough to fit like it was, it 388 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 1: would fit in the palm of your hand. But the wood. Yeah, 389 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: so so this is this is early days yet, so 390 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 1: I think our world would be significantly different had that 391 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 1: not happened. So let's move on to Uh. That was 392 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:48,200 Speaker 1: when A T. T began offering networking services for TV. Yeah, 393 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:51,679 Speaker 1: in the Northeast and the Midwest, So you know, The 394 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 1: way it would work is that your your networks, your 395 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: big networks, would use this service to transmit programming to 396 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:00,679 Speaker 1: affiliated stations in different regions of the states. So that 397 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: way you could have like the Big Network broadcast out 398 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:06,440 Speaker 1: of some place like New York and then have that 399 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 1: sent to to an affiliate station that might be far 400 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,399 Speaker 1: across the country. This was also the year that A 401 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,479 Speaker 1: ten T began to build its first microwave relay system 402 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 1: between New York and Boston. And microwave relay is a 403 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 1: an improvement on, or not an improvement, but but a 404 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 1: parallel development on that radio transmission that we've been talking about. 405 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:30,119 Speaker 1: It's um it's a series of antennas or dishes that 406 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 1: carry data via microwave, and these can be sent to 407 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:36,359 Speaker 1: narrow beams directly to the receiving devices, which means that 408 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: you can have multiple devices working within the same bandwidth 409 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:43,879 Speaker 1: at the same time. So you dramatically increased capacity that way, 410 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: right right, UM. You know, they've also got a higher 411 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,440 Speaker 1: bandwidth and other radio waves. But you do have to 412 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: have a direct line of sight, which means that you 413 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:54,959 Speaker 1: know it's it's you can't have something behind a hill 414 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:56,919 Speaker 1: or behind a tree. Or behind a house. It's not 415 00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 1: gonna work. Yeah, So there were limitations, but still dramatic 416 00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:06,520 Speaker 1: improvements in being able to transmit information and both data 417 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:10,160 Speaker 1: and voices it would turn out. Uh So, moving on, 418 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:15,160 Speaker 1: we now get hit in nine with another antitrust suit. 419 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:19,879 Speaker 1: We don't actually this would not be resolved for several years, 420 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 1: and believe us, we will tell you about it when 421 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: that happens. In that timeline. At that time, A T 422 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:27,600 Speaker 1: and T controlled about eight percent of the telecommunications industry 423 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 1: in the United States, so still holding steady from several 424 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:32,439 Speaker 1: years before when they were at seventy. But keep in 425 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 1: mind the industry is growing by leaps and bounds like 426 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:39,440 Speaker 1: that that of American households with telephones is growing over 427 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:42,320 Speaker 1: a time. So while A T and t s percentage 428 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:46,679 Speaker 1: might have gone from the actual numbers are huge all right, Right. 429 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: As of seventy sevent of American households would have a telephone. 430 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 1: So that's that's the range that it was growing a 431 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:57,399 Speaker 1: huge jump. Yeah, and back in nine, that's also when 432 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:00,320 Speaker 1: A T and T introduced the five series tele phone, 433 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,400 Speaker 1: which was one of the most recognizable phones ever introduced. 434 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:05,880 Speaker 1: Have you ever seen this? It's essentially the base station 435 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: with the rotary dial on it, and then you have 436 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 1: the back of it. The top back has the cradle 437 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: where the handset sits. And uh, it's just one of 438 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: those phones that once you see it, you're like, oh, yeah, 439 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 1: that's what even if only phone I've ever seen as 440 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 1: a smartphone, somehow I recognize that that's a phone. Um, yeah, 441 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:27,440 Speaker 1: because phones don't like that or sound like that anymore. 442 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,160 Speaker 1: And yet it's still the enduring image, I would say. 443 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:32,960 Speaker 1: And that's probably the where the sound that we think 444 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 1: of as a telephone ring comes from. As well. You know, 445 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:38,439 Speaker 1: before we all had you know whatever Miley Cyrus ring 446 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: tones are, etcetera. Hey, let's not reveal to the listeners 447 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:46,280 Speaker 1: what my ringtone is. But we talked about that one 448 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: A T and T introduces customer dialing of domestic long 449 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:53,879 Speaker 1: distance calls, and it started in Inglewood, New Jersey. So 450 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: before that time, you could make local calls dialing. We 451 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:00,480 Speaker 1: talked about that earlier, but you would still connect with 452 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,440 Speaker 1: an operator to make a long distance call. Also that year, 453 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 1: A T and T helped broadcast a live transcontinental television show. 454 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:12,760 Speaker 1: Actually it was an address that President Harry Truman made 455 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:16,200 Speaker 1: to the Japan Peace Treaty Conference at the United Nations. 456 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:20,919 Speaker 1: So big, big development in in just television broadcast at 457 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 1: that point, right, This was thanks to that to that 458 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:25,199 Speaker 1: microwave really network that I was talking about that they 459 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,879 Speaker 1: had spent the past few years building um As of 460 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:29,879 Speaker 1: ninety one, it was a system of a hundred and 461 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 1: seven towers, some thirty miles apart each and this telecast 462 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:37,280 Speaker 1: happened only a month after the very first call was 463 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 1: placed via this microwave network. They moved up their telecast 464 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:44,280 Speaker 1: schedule by almost a month in order to accommodate President Truman. 465 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 1: That's pretty incredible that they were able to accommodate that 466 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 1: so quickly, considering that it was just recently new technology. Yeah, 467 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 1: that's pretty amazing. Nine. For the first time, Western Electric 468 00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:00,679 Speaker 1: begins to produce telephones in different colors, giving choices to consumers. 469 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:03,959 Speaker 1: So it wasn't just black telephones anymore. Now you can 470 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 1: get them in beige. Uh. Nine fifty six was the 471 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 1: resolution of that anti trust lawsuit. Yeah, so this was 472 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:14,879 Speaker 1: a big deal. So part of the antitrust lawsuit mad 473 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:18,199 Speaker 1: that A T and T agreed to restrict itself to 474 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:23,200 Speaker 1: just dealing with the telephone industry and also occasionally doing 475 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:25,520 Speaker 1: any sort of projects for the federal government that was 476 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,520 Speaker 1: asked of it, but otherwise to stay out of other 477 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: industries television, of the slowly burgeoning computer industry that was 478 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:36,120 Speaker 1: going on at the time. So essentially they were they 479 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:39,400 Speaker 1: were saying, all right, you know, we we don't want 480 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 1: any trouble, Mr. United States Government, we will back off. 481 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:46,040 Speaker 1: So this is the first of that of that telco 482 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:50,680 Speaker 1: industry regulation. But we'll get into a one that directly 483 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 1: affected A T and T even more than this did 484 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:56,160 Speaker 1: another couple of decades, but see an even bigger one. Um. 485 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:00,360 Speaker 1: This particular consent decree also included a stipulation that had 486 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 1: to place its patents for the transistor which which our friends, 487 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 1: uh the nice Studeley, Dudes, Bardine and Britain, et cetera, 488 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:10,560 Speaker 1: and Shockley yes, uh, they won the Nobel Prize for 489 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 1: it this year. Um, they had to place the patents 490 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,679 Speaker 1: for that transistor in the public domain and be willing 491 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: to license their tech for about dollars, which according to 492 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:24,200 Speaker 1: that Bureau of Labor Statistics calculator, would be about two 493 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: hundred and fifteen thousand dollars. Right, And when you think 494 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:32,880 Speaker 1: about the benefit of transistors. It's it's fortunate that that happened, 495 00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:35,720 Speaker 1: absolutely because imagine a world where a T and T 496 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:38,639 Speaker 1: had had held onto that for yeah, I had what 497 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:40,960 Speaker 1: if they had had exclusive rights to the transistor the 498 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 1: way they had exclusive rights to the telephone company. Certainly, 499 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:47,439 Speaker 1: everything that we talked about in our in our last 500 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:50,320 Speaker 1: in our in our last few podcasts where we've talked 501 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 1: about companies that were like fair Child Semiconductor and also 502 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:58,320 Speaker 1: things like Texas Instruments and other companies that that did 503 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,679 Speaker 1: pioneering work with transistors, Obviously that would not have been 504 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:05,720 Speaker 1: the case had they not been allowed to license that technology. 505 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:10,960 Speaker 1: So yeah, big big decision there also was when service 506 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 1: opened up for the TAT one, which was the Transatlantic 507 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: UH telephone cable. Now, this is a cable that actually 508 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:21,360 Speaker 1: did stretch all the way from the United States to Europe, 509 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:24,919 Speaker 1: and the initial capacity was for thirty six calls at 510 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 1: a time, so much better than that one call at 511 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:30,240 Speaker 1: a time radio method they had been using decades before. 512 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:32,120 Speaker 1: And they were also of a higher quality the calls 513 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:34,879 Speaker 1: that you could place than via radio. And the cost 514 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:37,639 Speaker 1: was a near twelve dollars for the first three minutes, 515 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,240 Speaker 1: which translates to about a hundred and three bucks today, 516 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 1: So a hundred three dollar phone call for three minutes, 517 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: and we're also slightly more secure. There is less chance 518 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 1: of somebody else. Yeah, it's a lot harder to tap 519 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 1: into a phone line when it's underwater, not that I 520 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 1: speak from experience. Was also the year that the first 521 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: picture phone system was tested. And and by picture phone, 522 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 1: I mean this is this isn't FaceTime, it's you know, 523 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:06,360 Speaker 1: it would send an image about once every two seconds. 524 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 1: And we're gonna get a little bit more into picture 525 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:12,840 Speaker 1: phone shenanigans. In the following years, Yeah, T and T 526 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:17,840 Speaker 1: introduced the first commercial modem, which was meant for enterprise customers, 527 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:22,440 Speaker 1: not not average consumers. So it allowed for computers to 528 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:25,400 Speaker 1: make a direct connection to one another. There's not such 529 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 1: a thing as as a network yet that that would 530 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:30,720 Speaker 1: come into play once arpa net really would give her 531 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:34,479 Speaker 1: would rise up in a couple of years. But modems, 532 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 1: of course, became very important for that kind of technology 533 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 1: to exist. A. T. And also began research work in 534 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 1: lasers and fiber optics. That again another transformative technology in telecommunications. 535 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:51,160 Speaker 1: Speaking of transformative technologies, I believe you have a really 536 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:55,600 Speaker 1: important note. I included this one just for Lauren because 537 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 1: Lauren's a girl. You know, girls like pink. So I 538 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 1: know that because the technology industries have taught me numerous 539 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 1: times by all the pink electronics that are out there, 540 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:08,200 Speaker 1: that pink is for girls, and girls like pink, and 541 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:11,640 Speaker 1: if you don't like pink, then something's wrong, right right? Absolutely? Yeah. 542 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:15,000 Speaker 1: So anyway, obviously I don't really believe any of that, 543 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 1: but the introduction of the Pink Princess phone game in 544 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:20,360 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty nine, and then I have a note here 545 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:22,640 Speaker 1: which says, don't hit me, Lauren, Lauren, please don't hit me. 546 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:24,720 Speaker 1: All Right, we're gonna take a quick break to thank 547 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: our sponsor while Lauren calms down. Alright, we're back. Lauren, 548 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: has your murderous rage kind of died down to just 549 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:42,040 Speaker 1: just a loathing. No, yeah, I guess. I mean, you know, 550 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:45,760 Speaker 1: it's it's just normal, normal levels at okay um no, 551 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 1: so okay. So coming back to the timeline, in nineteen 552 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:52,480 Speaker 1: launched Echo, which was a balloon off which data could 553 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:55,680 Speaker 1: be bounced. And this is about to become important because 554 00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:58,800 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty two they would launch Telestar one, which 555 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 1: was the very first active communications satellite. Right. Remember that 556 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: at this time, the satellites that have been launched into 557 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:10,120 Speaker 1: orbit would usually transmit a very weak, very simple signal 558 00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 1: just to alert people on the ground that in fact 559 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:16,200 Speaker 1: it existed, right. It was just a ping really. Yeah, 560 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:18,240 Speaker 1: So like spot Nick, it was the machine that went 561 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 1: ping and went around the world a few times, and 562 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:23,320 Speaker 1: people on the ground could detect it, but you couldn't 563 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:26,360 Speaker 1: communicate with it. You couldn't use it to bounce signals 564 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:28,440 Speaker 1: off of it. It was really just there as a 565 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 1: proof of concept, right. So the Tellstar one allowed for 566 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:35,280 Speaker 1: actual live transmission of television across the Atlantic. Yeah. And 567 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: and the first phone call transferred through space was between 568 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:41,080 Speaker 1: the A. T and T chairman and the Vice President 569 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: of the United States within thirty minutes. That also tested 570 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,440 Speaker 1: live and taped television and other data. Though the whole 571 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:49,239 Speaker 1: project was a collaboration with NASA actually, but it was 572 00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 1: the first privately sponsored space launch. Yeah. And now look 573 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:56,840 Speaker 1: at our world. Private private sponsored space launches are are 574 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:59,520 Speaker 1: becoming the way that we're getting into space these days. 575 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:03,640 Speaker 1: Nineteen three, A T and T introduces touch tone service, 576 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:07,400 Speaker 1: so we start to see the rotary dial begin to disappear, 577 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 1: and now we have the keypad, the familiar keypad. If 578 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:13,480 Speaker 1: you've ever used an old phone with a keypad on it. 579 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: Some of you guys just don't even know what that is. 580 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:17,520 Speaker 1: You to all your all your buttons have appeared on 581 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:20,560 Speaker 1: a screen. It's it's what the buttons replicate on a screen. 582 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 1: Skew morphism. Yeah, I want to skew more. Fig dial 583 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:26,160 Speaker 1: pad where it's the rotary top pad. I'm sure there 584 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:28,920 Speaker 1: has to be one positive something for me to look 585 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 1: at more. Now, one of you clever app makers out 586 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:35,400 Speaker 1: there do that the rotary dial dial face. Uh, I 587 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:37,120 Speaker 1: don't know why I would give myself. I would just 588 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:38,920 Speaker 1: be less likely to make phone calls, which I guess 589 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:40,840 Speaker 1: is a good thing in the wrong run. I no 590 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 1: one wants to hear from me anyway. I'm alright. A 591 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 1: t T opens t PC one, which was the first 592 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:52,400 Speaker 1: submarine telephone cable across the Pacific. So this stretched from 593 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:55,520 Speaker 1: Japan to Hawaii and they're connected to two cables that 594 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:59,720 Speaker 1: linked Hawaii with the mainland. Um so experimental picture phone 595 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,360 Speaker 1: service also begins in some cities. It talked about that right. 596 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:06,120 Speaker 1: It was installed specifically in exhibits at Disneyland and at 597 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:09,400 Speaker 1: the New York World's Fair. Yeah, so again I had 598 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:14,000 Speaker 1: a monor and UH and a camera and was very primitive, 599 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 1: but it was sort of the the predecessor to what 600 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:20,000 Speaker 1: we would think of as video calls, which still we're 601 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:23,800 Speaker 1: waiting to take off. N A T and T installs 602 00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:27,280 Speaker 1: a special purpose computer which was the first electronic telephone 603 00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:30,320 Speaker 1: switch in a local telephone exchange in New Jersey, and 604 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:32,800 Speaker 1: I believe that first which was the four E S S, 605 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 1: which could handle about five hundred thousand calls per hour, 606 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 1: which was ten times the amount of the standard electro 607 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:41,320 Speaker 1: mechanical switch could handle exactly. So now we're moving into 608 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:45,280 Speaker 1: the digital age and beyond the electro mechanical age. Nineteen 609 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:47,960 Speaker 1: sixty eight, A T and T introduces nine one one 610 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:51,360 Speaker 1: as the US nationwide emergency number, first rolled out in 611 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 1: Huntington's Indiana. Other countries have their own emergency numbers, and uh, 612 00:33:56,360 --> 00:34:00,560 Speaker 1: I have to mention, you know, according to the crowd, 613 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:03,720 Speaker 1: apparently the UK just changed it to oh one eight 614 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:11,879 Speaker 1: nine nine eight one nine to five three. I had 615 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:15,400 Speaker 1: to put that in there. Yeah, No, incredibly important. UM. 616 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:22,560 Speaker 1: As of nineteen sixty of American households had a phone line. Finally, slackers, 617 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:25,239 Speaker 1: They just didn't have anyone they wanted to talk to. 618 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:29,440 Speaker 1: Nineteen seventy A T and T introduces customer dialing for 619 00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:33,560 Speaker 1: international long distance telephone calls, starting with Manhattan and London. 620 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:37,760 Speaker 1: Um Also that year, a commercial picture phone service debut 621 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:44,120 Speaker 1: in downtown Pittsburgh and and went absolutely nowhere. Basically nobody 622 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:45,880 Speaker 1: cared at all. I think they were like, this is 623 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:48,120 Speaker 1: cumbersome and kind of stupid, and I don't want it. 624 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:50,520 Speaker 1: I think for a lot of us, video calls are 625 00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:54,319 Speaker 1: still kind of slow to be adopted because it means 626 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:57,239 Speaker 1: having to keep some part of your house pristine so 627 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:59,120 Speaker 1: that the people who are calling you don't realize how 628 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:02,319 Speaker 1: you really live. Always really nervous about about web web 629 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:05,120 Speaker 1: chat calls at work because I'm like, oh crap, what's 630 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:07,719 Speaker 1: going on in the background. Is Josh doing something inappropriate 631 00:35:07,719 --> 00:35:10,440 Speaker 1: back there? You know? Buty, Like by inappropriate, I mean 632 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:13,600 Speaker 1: like using the swords that Chuck has to have a 633 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:16,000 Speaker 1: fight with someone else in the editorial department, not that 634 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 1: he would ever do that again. Labs produced the Unix 635 00:35:24,239 --> 00:35:28,520 Speaker 1: operating system. Yeah, huge development here. So the idea was 636 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:32,200 Speaker 1: to create an operating system that was platform independent, meaning 637 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:34,880 Speaker 1: that you could put this operating system on different types 638 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:37,320 Speaker 1: of computers. Because keep in mind, in the early days, 639 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:40,440 Speaker 1: a lot of these computers had proprietary systems that they 640 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:42,759 Speaker 1: would operate on, and that was it. You could not 641 00:35:43,160 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 1: have You couldn't run the same kind of software for 642 00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:50,560 Speaker 1: one computer and a next Yeah, because exactly because they did, 643 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:53,879 Speaker 1: they weren't compatible. You had to recompile all of your 644 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:57,120 Speaker 1: programming into a different language so you would run on 645 00:35:57,120 --> 00:35:59,279 Speaker 1: a different computer. This was kind of an attempt to 646 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:02,160 Speaker 1: allow a T and T to have a computer system 647 00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:04,399 Speaker 1: where it didn't really matter what hardware they had as 648 00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:06,399 Speaker 1: long as it could run this upbring system. They could 649 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:10,400 Speaker 1: run the same software across the multiple divisions. Huge development 650 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:15,319 Speaker 1: absolutely um in nineteen seventy five, armed partially with this 651 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:20,040 Speaker 1: at begin to computerize its operations. Yeah. Yeah, and the 652 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:23,080 Speaker 1: computers could handle a much larger call volume. Like you 653 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:26,200 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier, Lauren, that that one switch was a good example. 654 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:30,880 Speaker 1: So we're starting to see a rapid rollout of development, 655 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:33,520 Speaker 1: although it would take probably ten years for this to 656 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:37,400 Speaker 1: be uh to be complete, because you know, it's a 657 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:40,080 Speaker 1: huge infrastructure, right, I mean, you're talking about a nationwide 658 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:43,279 Speaker 1: telephone service. So it's not like you just flip a 659 00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:47,000 Speaker 1: switch and suddenly everything's magically in computer world, right right, Um, 660 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:51,360 Speaker 1: the in fact, it would take until to complete the transition. 661 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:53,840 Speaker 1: That's true. The very last toll switch was completed in 662 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:56,520 Speaker 1: nine so even longer than I said ten years, I 663 00:36:56,600 --> 00:37:02,160 Speaker 1: was way off. N that's when m c I filed 664 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:05,440 Speaker 1: an antitrust suit against A T and T. Now they 665 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:10,160 Speaker 1: had started looking at the possibility of pursuing this kind 666 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 1: of uh legal action back in there, you know, a 667 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:15,400 Speaker 1: little earlier in the seventies, they had met with the 668 00:37:15,440 --> 00:37:18,839 Speaker 1: Department of Justice, but a T and T ended up 669 00:37:19,719 --> 00:37:23,680 Speaker 1: disconnecting m c i s foreign exchange customers, kind of 670 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:28,160 Speaker 1: It doesn't say directly in response to m c I 671 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:31,719 Speaker 1: asking the d o J about this, but you might 672 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:34,880 Speaker 1: be able to draw that conclusion. So with this antitrust 673 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:37,200 Speaker 1: lawsuit filed against A T and T, the Department of 674 00:37:37,239 --> 00:37:40,839 Speaker 1: Justice would then look into the matter and file its 675 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:43,720 Speaker 1: own antitrust lawsuit against A T and T in nineteen 676 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:48,480 Speaker 1: seventy seven, So that will come into play in just 677 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:50,719 Speaker 1: a couple of years. Where that's that's the big one 678 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:53,279 Speaker 1: we talk about, the big This this lawsuit would go 679 00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:56,720 Speaker 1: on for six years. Yeah. So in seventy seven, besides 680 00:37:56,760 --> 00:37:58,520 Speaker 1: the fact that the d O J brought an anti 681 00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:00,800 Speaker 1: trust lawsuit against it, A T. And He also opened 682 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:04,080 Speaker 1: the first network operations center in New Jersey. Now, this 683 00:38:04,160 --> 00:38:06,920 Speaker 1: allowed A T and T to have a centralized location 684 00:38:06,920 --> 00:38:09,720 Speaker 1: where they can have real time management of its entire 685 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:12,800 Speaker 1: long distance network. Instead of having a bunch of regional 686 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:15,960 Speaker 1: offices that all coordinate together, they could actually control everything 687 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:20,879 Speaker 1: from one spot, like you know, the Empire. That same year, 688 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:23,680 Speaker 1: A T and T installed the first fiber optic cable 689 00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:27,560 Speaker 1: in a commercial communication system, so using light as opposed 690 00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:31,920 Speaker 1: to electricity through a copper wire on the On his 691 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:35,799 Speaker 1: first day on the bench, Judge Harold Green drew the A. T. 692 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:39,239 Speaker 1: And T Anti trust case. Can you imagine that, your 693 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:41,680 Speaker 1: first day on the bench as a judge and you 694 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:43,799 Speaker 1: draw the A T and T Anti trust case. I 695 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:46,239 Speaker 1: think that must in fact be where jokes about like 696 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 1: the cases of the Mondays come from. That's pretty ridiculous, 697 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:52,560 Speaker 1: a case of many years of Mondays for that poor 698 00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:56,120 Speaker 1: judge n nine. All right, so in the United States 699 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:59,359 Speaker 1: they had about a hundred seventy five million, five thirty 700 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:02,200 Speaker 1: five thousand and telephones active, give or take a few, 701 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:05,960 Speaker 1: and Bell had more than a million employees. That's incredible. 702 00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:11,080 Speaker 1: A million people working for this company. That's phenomenal. One 703 00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:14,040 Speaker 1: m c I wins its antitrust lawsuit against A T 704 00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:16,759 Speaker 1: and T and the United States versus A T and 705 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:20,560 Speaker 1: T goes to trial. So the m c I lawsuits over, 706 00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:24,400 Speaker 1: but the Department of Justices lawsuits beginning about it. Yeah, 707 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:28,359 Speaker 1: so that brings us to January two. We're gonna end 708 00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:31,839 Speaker 1: on this year and we'll pick up in night three 709 00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:37,440 Speaker 1: in our next podcast. But six years of this federal 710 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:40,040 Speaker 1: antitrust case going on in some form or another, A 711 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:43,600 Speaker 1: T and T is up against the wall. They have 712 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:48,200 Speaker 1: really very few options, so they agree to divest themselves 713 00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:53,600 Speaker 1: of the seven regional Bell operating company carriers that they owned. 714 00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:56,800 Speaker 1: So like the big ones, which also represented smaller companies 715 00:39:56,840 --> 00:40:00,200 Speaker 1: inside it was up until this point um Jen really 716 00:40:00,239 --> 00:40:03,440 Speaker 1: referred to as Mom Bell and yeah, all the different 717 00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:07,200 Speaker 1: Bell systems, Southwestern Bell, Bell South, you know all these. 718 00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:09,560 Speaker 1: If you've ever heard a company with Bell in the 719 00:40:09,600 --> 00:40:11,719 Speaker 1: title of it as a telephone company, it belonged to 720 00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:15,279 Speaker 1: this at the time. So A T. T essentially is 721 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:18,440 Speaker 1: getting rid of all of its local calling service. It's 722 00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:22,839 Speaker 1: staying as a long distance carrier, and it also as 723 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:24,799 Speaker 1: a sort of a concession. I guess you could say, 724 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:26,239 Speaker 1: you know, it had to get rid of all this 725 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:29,520 Speaker 1: local stuff so that it could no longer kind of 726 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:32,840 Speaker 1: maintain this monopoly. But in return, it was allowed to 727 00:40:32,920 --> 00:40:37,680 Speaker 1: go into computer systems. Yeah, so computer communication business. Yeah, 728 00:40:38,120 --> 00:40:40,600 Speaker 1: and it lift this, lifted that that band we talked 729 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:45,400 Speaker 1: about from the nineteen fifty six judgment. So now while 730 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:46,879 Speaker 1: A T and T has to get rid of all 731 00:40:46,880 --> 00:40:48,600 Speaker 1: those other companies, and it would take a couple of 732 00:40:48,719 --> 00:40:50,319 Speaker 1: years for them to do this. I mean, obviously you 733 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:53,080 Speaker 1: can't just do this overnight either, but for them, the 734 00:40:53,520 --> 00:40:55,400 Speaker 1: you know, in return, they get to go into this 735 00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:58,360 Speaker 1: new industry. Um, so it's kind of a you know, 736 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:01,640 Speaker 1: uh so we lining kind of thing, if you want 737 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:03,120 Speaker 1: to look at it that way. And I think it 738 00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:07,640 Speaker 1: would turn out, considering the very fast gains in Internet 739 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:11,520 Speaker 1: popularity over the next couple of decades, to be completely worthwhile, well, 740 00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:15,040 Speaker 1: especially considering that that separation of A T and T 741 00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:18,640 Speaker 1: and those bell operating companies wouldn't last for all of them. 742 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:22,360 Speaker 1: But that's a spoiler alert. Yeah, so A T and 743 00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:25,360 Speaker 1: T would end up reabsorbing Western Electric, it would become 744 00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:26,960 Speaker 1: part of a T and T formally it was no 745 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:31,600 Speaker 1: longer spun off. Also, the Bell operating companies would not 746 00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:35,000 Speaker 1: be allowed to offer a long distance service, so A 747 00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:37,160 Speaker 1: T T would remain the long distance carrier, the Bell 748 00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:40,600 Speaker 1: operating companies would become local carriers, and neither was supposed 749 00:41:40,640 --> 00:41:43,920 Speaker 1: to engage in the other's business. So uh, I mean, 750 00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:46,840 Speaker 1: apart from a T T allowing the interconnections, but a 751 00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:49,200 Speaker 1: T T could not go into local service. Bell operating 752 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:53,360 Speaker 1: companies cannot go into long distance service. Um. And also 753 00:41:53,719 --> 00:41:58,200 Speaker 1: the Bell companies couldn't go into information service or manufacturing. Uh. 754 00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:01,120 Speaker 1: And everyone was supposed to provide had equal access to 755 00:42:01,200 --> 00:42:03,920 Speaker 1: all long distance companies. So in other words, you couldn't 756 00:42:03,960 --> 00:42:07,080 Speaker 1: have Bell South say that A T T was the 757 00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:10,920 Speaker 1: exclusive long distance carrier Bell South customers had to have choice. 758 00:42:11,719 --> 00:42:15,640 Speaker 1: So that's was supposed to set, you know, put us 759 00:42:15,760 --> 00:42:18,839 Speaker 1: all back at square one, reset the playing field, we're 760 00:42:18,880 --> 00:42:23,520 Speaker 1: all on level ground. That was the intent. But I 761 00:42:23,560 --> 00:42:26,000 Speaker 1: think we'll use our next episode to talk about how 762 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:28,400 Speaker 1: well that turned out. All right, I think it was 763 00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:30,640 Speaker 1: really more, you know, it wasn't it wasn't leveling a 764 00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:33,720 Speaker 1: playing field. It was giving luxury blimps to the people 765 00:42:33,719 --> 00:42:35,600 Speaker 1: at the top of the playing field to kind of 766 00:42:35,640 --> 00:42:39,440 Speaker 1: gently coast downwards a little bit, maybe a diamond encrusted 767 00:42:39,560 --> 00:42:44,480 Speaker 1: uh landing pads for the golden parachutes. And that wraps 768 00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:48,160 Speaker 1: up this classic episode. Next week we will conclude the 769 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:52,279 Speaker 1: three part which again we could easily extend into another part, 770 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:56,160 Speaker 1: but we're gonna listen to part three next week. If 771 00:42:56,200 --> 00:42:59,000 Speaker 1: you guys have suggestions for future episodes that I should 772 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:02,160 Speaker 1: cover on current episodes of tech Stuff, let me know. 773 00:43:02,680 --> 00:43:04,719 Speaker 1: The best way to get in touch with me is 774 00:43:04,719 --> 00:43:07,080 Speaker 1: on Twitter. You can use the handle text stuff h 775 00:43:07,280 --> 00:43:09,719 Speaker 1: s W and I'll talk to you again really soon. 776 00:43:14,680 --> 00:43:17,719 Speaker 1: Text Stuff is an I Heart Radio production. For more 777 00:43:17,800 --> 00:43:21,200 Speaker 1: podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, 778 00:43:21,320 --> 00:43:24,480 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.