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"Communication is the process of passing meaningful information from a sender (or location) to a receiver (or another location). Telecommunications is communication by electrical or electromagnetic means over a distance.
Major Inventions and Patents:
Telegraph-1837 Invented by Samuel Morse, this device allowed information to be sent via electricity by wire using Morse code.
Telephone-1876 Invented by Alexander Graham Bell, this invention allowed people to communicate by voice over an electronic line, and is still in use today.
Teletype-(Western Union) These machines consisted of an electro-mechanical typewriter, paper-punch machine, and a tape reader. This machine used the five-state Baudot code. The strip of tape is also known as ticker tape.
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Growth of Regulation(1934-1956)
Rural Electrification Act(1936)-Encouraged investment in rural areas to estalish electric service. This act has been renamed and is now part of the Rural Utilities Services of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
AT&T Consent Decree(1956)-AT&T was permitted to keep Western Electric, but was orderd to limit sales of equipment to the Bell Operating Companies and to sell at competitive prices. |
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Pre-Regulatory Period
(Pre-1934)
- 1910 Mann-Elkins Act-The first step of regulating the Telecommunications Industry (The Interstate Commerce Commission was charged with enforcement of the regulations of this act.)
- 1912 Kingsbury Commitment-Allowed independent to connect to the AT&T network and stated that AT&T would not buy any more independence without Justice Department approval.
- 1921 Graham Act-Exempted the Telecommunications Industry from the Sherman Antitrust Act. Companies were now able to become monopoly service providers.
- 1934 Communications Act of 1934-Established the Federal Communications Commission to oversee interstate telecommunications. Intrastate jurisdiction was left to the jurisdiction of each state through the Public Utilities Commission.
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Deregulation and Divestiture (1968-present)
Carterphone Decision of 1968-This decision allowed customers to buy their telephones and business phone systems from someone other than telephone company.
Computer Inquiry I(1971)-The FCC found that the computer industry should not be subject to regualtion and it was beyond the FCC's control.
Computer Inquiry II(1981)-Deregulated customer provided equipment and allowed the Bell Operating Companies to enter the data processing business.
Computer Inquiry III(1986)-Detailed the extent to which AT&T and the Bell Companies could compete in non-regulated services.
Modified Final Judgement (1984)-AT&T agreed to divest itself of the Bell Operating Companies.
Telecommunications Act of 1996
Allows AT&T to re-enter the local telecommunications service market.
Check out the FCC & PUC's in Action!
What has the History of Telecommunications taught us about the future?
All of the information found here and in the text book shows us that the Telecommunications Industry is highly competitive as well as fast-paced. In order to compete, companies must be on top of the latest technological advances and/or bring those resources to the market place.
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