Amy Horney

CIS 270-WX-01

Maj Sook Ha

Help Received: Works Cited

Telephone Communication for the United States

Although the use of wired communication via telephones seems inconvenient and out-of-date to most people today, wired communication through the telephone paved the way for instant communication. Using the telephone via wires has become one of the United States’ most reliable forms of communication to date. Often times we as Americans will drive down a road and not think twice about the miles of miles of telephone wires hanging above us because it has become the norm in our society. Communication via wired telephones has allowed for more reliable communication, more efficient communication, and more jobs for the people of the United States.

Telephone wires have had major improvements in terms of design since their start. The first telephone wires “were overhead lines, placed on telephone poles or attached to racks on rooftops. The telephone lines were single grounded wires made of iron or steel. Some wires were galvanized for corrosion resistance, but corrosion problems were never the less prevalent,” (Rhodes). These overhead wires then became too common and the telephone wires filled the sky. In some places, the wires were so frequent that it was difficult to even see the clouds above. This is how inventors knew they needed a new strategy; that is when wires made their way underground. According to Rhodes, “By the late 1890’s telephone and electric power cables were laid underground in conduits made of creosoted wood . Then vitrified clay conduits were developed. The multiple duct vitrified clay conduit became the main type of underground construction used. A separate square hole was provided for each cable, and when more ducts were required sections of conduit could be added,” (1). By using underground wires, there was less risk of damage by wind, rain, or even birds flying into wires to disrupt communication. This also made it so there was only one wire to connect a call rather than multiple telephone operators connecting callers, a method that is prone to human error. This made communication more reliable because there much fewer risk factors involved.

Once reliability came as a “given,” the idea of efficiency was brought to the table. How could communicating with someone via the telephone happen at an instant? During the 1960’s, telephone communication relied heavily on switchboard operators to connect calls. Operators of these switchboards had to receive a request from a caller of who they wanted to connect to, find that person, and switch the plug to that switch, connecting them to the person they intended to call. Not only was this method prone to errors but it was also a method that was very time consuming. Even if the operator had no errors and could find the receiver easily, it would still take longer than communicating instantly over wires like Americans do now. Telephone wires gave one path to communication and replaced human error with technological error; which at most times is much less.

Although telephone lines replaced some telephone operators, they added jobs to the work force. Telephone wires needed to be implemented somehow and humans were the only ones that could get the job done. Not only did the wires need to be put into place, but they also needed to be replaced. Actually, “Improvements were continually being made to telephone cable, the use of more and finer conductors in a given cable, lower electrostatic capacity requirements and a larger air to paper ratio of the insulation,” (Rhodes). Humans are the ones who discovered the improvements that needed to be made on the wires. Therefore, better and more frequently placed wires directly affects the job market.

Telephone wires changed the way Americans have communicated with each other and those from other countries forever. Telephone wires make communication almost a guarantee. Americans could not even fathom the thought of having to wait more than 30 seconds to reach someone for a phone call. We often times take advantage of telephone wires because they are much less prominent and more of a norm in society. Telephone wiring has allowed for more jobs and more efficient and effective communication for not only Americans, but the world as a whole.

Works Cited

Rhodes, Frederick. “The Evolution of Telephone Cable.” Applications:

Telecommunications. Copper Development Association Inc., n.d. Web. 9 April 2016