Historical Timeline

1790-1900 1900-1950 1950-1998 1999-2016

1794 Optical telegraph invented 1840-1861 development of the telegraph 1869 elisha gray’s improvements to telegraphy 1873-1876 Alexander graham bell’s patent 1877-1881 commercialization of the telephone 1884-1885 At&T emerges 1886 Edison & Hollerith’s contributions 1888-1889 first coin telephone 1891-1892 the strowger switch 1893-1899 bell patents expire/At&T grows grows

1897-1909 birth pangs: independent telephone association 1906-1911 Commercial applications and improvments 1913 AT&T’s Kingsbury Commitment 1915-1916 1916 USITA Formed 1917-1919 The First World War 1920-1922 The Early Twenties 1924-1927 Pictures By Wire 1928-1930 Audio Advances 1931-1938 The Depression Era 1940-1943 The Second World War 1946-1948 The Computer Era is Born

1949-1953 Boom Times for Telephony 1956-1957 International Development 1957-1964 The Sputnik Era 1966-1968 911 Service Is First Offered 1969 A Call To Outer Space 1970-1971 USITA Negotiates Landmark Agreement 1972-1981 The Digital Era Begins 1982 Enhanced Digital Communications Services 1983-1985 AT&T Divestiture of Bell System 1988-1989 Optical Fiber Era Begins 1990-1992 Further Advancements 1993-1995 The Internet Comes of Age 1996-1997 Telecommunications act of 1996 1998 Mergers and Competition Wars

2000 Industry consolidation 2001-2004 Wireless advances 2005-2006 MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS 2007 breaking new ground 2008-2010 further innovation & AN ERA ENDS 2010 THE FUTURE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS 2011-present cloud innovation