What’s New

A Visit to the Ellsworth Telephone Museum – October 2024

In October 2024, I had the opportunity to visit The Telephone Museum in Ellsworth, Maine. This museum had so much to see! It features many different kinds of telephones, manual cordboards, several Step by Step switches, several All-Relay switches - and finally an entire #3 crossbar switch and a partial #5 crossbar switch. This is a place that a telephone enthusiast must visit at least once in their life. There is a long write-up on my visit, plenty of photos, and also plenty of videos! Please visit the Ellsworth, ME Telephone Museum section

Preserving a #5ESS Switch for Posterity

In June 2023, Telephone World was invited to participate in preserving a small #5ESS switch at a rural telephone company for posterity. This was no small feat as you can imagine! Check out the Preserving a #5ESS Switch for all the details and a TON of pictures!

The Beginning of the End of AT&T Operators Started in 1992

It's hard to imagine almost 30 years ago that the first Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems were coming online to eventually replace operators. In fact, AT&T no longer has an operators. At all! They got rid of them several years ago. This video came out in October 2021, but it was recorded back in 1992. So take a look to see the beginning of the end.

New Section – Various Virginia Telephone Recordings

Thanks to a contribution from a visitor, we have a new section - Various Virginia Telephone Recordings! Check it out!

The UK Speaking Clock

A great video on the UK Speaking Clock and its history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVeMNrwRO-A

The Old Days -Talkable Busy Signals

Evan Doorbell is mentioned in an article about talkable busy signals back in the old days where impromptu conferences were found.

https://onezero.medium.com/the-prototype-for-clubhouse-is-40-years-old-and-it-was-built-by-phone-hackers-71389d117cad

Site Updates – January 2021

We've just completed our move to the new site. We're making updates and additions as we go!

Many more things will be added to the site as we go along. I've been keeping a lot of things in storage waiting to develop a new site to hold them all. That time is just about here.

Enjoy the new site!

Site Updates – November 2020

Some updates to the site as we continue our transition from our old site to this one:

The pages for Cellular Phone History have been completed. The section discusses pre-cellular (with MTS and IMTS), AMPS, 2G, 3G, 4G and now 5G.

Check out the section at the Cellular Phone History section page.

Site updates – August 2020

Progress is being made with site updates, migrating the old site to the new one, and also adding new content.

Updates include the Links of Interest page and the Stories pages.

Website (re)construction in progress

Welcome to the new Telephone World! We are making a brand new site from scratch. If you were a user at the old site, you'll see most of that site being recreated here, and new things added. LOTS of updates need to be made!  So hold tight while the old site is being migrated over, page by page! Thanks!