The 1950s
black
rotary dial
desk telephone.
from Chase's Calendar of Events.
What the black rotary dial desk telephone represented to most US citizens was a triumph of technology. With the US telephone system came an ease of communications, talking to family and friends 'just like being there', finding and doing business. Early choices included a party line, a group of neighbors sharing the use of a telephone line at reduced cost compared to the private line routed to each home or apartment.
Later came the court-ordered 'break-up' of 'Ma Bell" into the 'Baby Bells' came the cellular telephone networks and less reliance on the 'land line' telephone network.
Whether to protest large network charges and fees, many directly related to governmental fees, or to create an industry from an affordable "utility", the US telecommunications infrastructure has been irrevocably changed.
The old system was a truly affordable 'natural monopoly' controlled by AT&T, Bell, General Telephone, and a few other large suppliers who leased or shared the basic infrastructural items, telephone poles, lines, grids. Most could afford telephone service with free unlimited local calls and charges for long distance.
Around the time of the court-ordered break up, life began to move faster for many Americans, who moved from home to college dormitory or travelled for jobs. The cellular phone system provided the mobility many telephone users sought. But it came at a higher cost: phone + network + call charges.
Initially, a very private system became a heavily monitored or 'eavesdropped' system, especially during the Bush administrations use of telephone monitoring to investigate terrorism. What began as a national defense issue has been misused by many to snatch business ideas, snoop on US citizens at home or at work, as well as to too aggressively bill collect.
The telecommunications loop has grown larger, nationally and internationally, with cell phone, automated, and internet phone calls. But paradoxically, the usable loops may be becoming smaller.
The major land line and cell phone technology suppliers, AT&T, Verizon, and others,
are in many areas decreasing the number of telephone books or discontinuing telephone book publishing.
The rationale, that telephone users mostly call a select group of family, friends, or businesses, or that listing are available on the internet, is not convincing. People seeking products or services and businesses using the phone book as basic advertising may be very disappointed by internet telephone search websites.
Internet telephone search websites are expensive, requiring a subscription payment of $20 or more in advance or a $2.99 fee for each request. Also these websites are not as complete or up-do-date as the old telephone book.
On a recent trip one source complained that only 1 or 2 year old telephone books were available in businesses or libraries. Even current phone books contained many old or uncorrected entries.
Phone numbers for old friends, now possibly not listed or using cellular phones, could not be found. Business listings were out of date.
A search for laundromats in the Cleveland, Ohio area proved frustrating. Gone were the old 'Ma Bell' recordings that the 'number had been changed to ...', 'this number has been disconnected', or 'service has been discontinued'. A drive to addresses listed led to a closed or new business at the address listed.
In the Erie, Pennsylvania area, rental car/truck listings were old and outdated. Calling an '800' number also was difficult. No local current phone numbers or addresses could be found for some old phone book listings. There was no helpful inquiry system for a range of possible rates or vehicles available. Yet an automated system asked the customer to begin the rental reservation process. How can a consumer rent a car/truck if the shop cannot be found? A live operator sometimes was not available or could not clarify the problem. How to make a reservation if it is not known if a vehicle is available? What if the reservation somehow became a bill charged to the customer?
In the rush to sell information and make more profits from the telephone system, the infrastructure has been damaged. The ability to buy or sell, outside of a computer automated billing system, is often lost, making the telecommunications industry and the economy more frustrating and more chaotic.
Email mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com to comment or request copies of this or other blogs posted by mary for monthlynotesstaff on http://monthlynotesthirteen.blogspot.com (http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com through http://monthlynotes20.blogspot.com)
Graphic: from Chase's Calendar of Events, 2002.
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