Telecomms in the 1990s (as seen from the 1960s)

A video made by the Post Office Research Labs in the 1960s, looking forward to what telecomms might be like in the 1990s. A lot of it is quite good, and I particularly like the printer towards the end.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• telecomms
• post
• office
• BT
• telephone
• tomorrows
• world

[PhilInSuffolk]

I was given the video by a colleague and he had titled it as I have here - so I assume it was made in the very late 60s. Digital transmission was well known when I joined the Post Office in 1974, so it would certainly have been part of the future in the late 60s.

[MrJacMac1986]

Was this made in the 60's-70's or made in 90's made to look like its in the 60's or 70's?

[PhilInSuffolk]

@MrJacMac1986

It was made in the 1960s.

[spottydog4477]

little could they know that porn surfing wouls be the leading attraction and that it would become a public platform for every lunatic not held in bedlham

[gdsm93]

I want to bring my iPhone back in the 60's and show them the trailer of Skyrim.

[HarryjWinter]

They invented everything in the 60's! Best decade ever, and the technology looks a lot easier to use that it is now

[cobrachoppergirl]

These people so own the patents on Apple's FaceChat app. I'd sue the crap out of Apple.

[rsp196607]

The "young wife" actress is quite cute.

[liwowoli]

I love the sense of humor in this video. Almost all the "visions of the future" are far from utopian. They're mostly just normal people going through the usual troubles, except with the conveniences of technology.

[pjones08]

This is like a Harry Enfield piece.

[JacanaProductions]

Wow, what a great movie. Looks like they were 10 years off though. Interestingly, the telephone and the networks part (internet) are still separate, probably due to the phone / cell companies monopoly. When the entire earth is blanked in the inter webs we'll be done with them for good. Probably not going to happen for quite a while.

[tomkandy]

@PhilInSuffolk The term "new pence" is a pretty good giveaway on the date, it would be between when decimalisation was anounced in 1966 and when it was implemented in 1971

[ScottMacFie]

Respond to this video... : Also like "Robots"...we over emphasized this idea we would want humanoids, when the reality is, we have "robots" all over the place, in small ways, things that do things we thought we wanted a 5'8, 200 lb clunk of humanoid metal to do.

I still argue, "3-D" movies have never really caught on...they've been around in the same format essentially, with not much more popularity, for 40 years. No one really cares.

[ScottMacFie]

@Matty112uk: Isn't part of it, that we always presume the future will unfold by the possibilities we THINK we want now? The reality is, other than teleconferencing for work, most people don't CARE if they see someone they are talking to (which requires you be stationary, in the context they are showing). BUT, we do like the fast-paced cell-phone "Hey, here's a pic of Time Square where I am standing...call u in a sec".

[drewyisation]

This has fake written all over it, FAKE