Evolution of the intelligent telecommunications network

The development of the U.S. telecommunications network is described and traced from the invention of the telephone by Bell in 1876 to the use of integrated circuits and the UNIX system for interactive computers. The dialing system was introduced in the 19th century, and amplifiers were invented to permit coast to coast communication by 1914. Hierarchical switching was installed in the 1930s, along with telephoto and teletype services. PCM was invented in the 1930s, but was limited to military applications until the transistorized computer was fabricated in 1958, which coincided with spaceflight and the Telstar satellite in 1962. Fiber optics systems with laser pulse transmission are now entering widespread application, following the 1976 introduction of superfast digital switches controlled by a computer and capable of handling 1/2 million calls per hour. Projected advances are in increased teleconferencing, electronic mail, and full computer terminal services.