Speeding Speech - (1950s)

THIS FILM IS PUBLIC DOMAIN

Automation in the telephone industry dispenses with operator long distance dialing to complete calls faster.

This film explains how long distance calls were handled when the first toll dial switching systems were introduced, and contrasts it with earlier methods where the connections were made totally by operators.

Part of the explanation about how the new technology worked includes a demonstration with sound of the then new "multi-frequency" or MF tone senders.

Different and more pleasant sounding than the "touch-tones" used by our phones today, MF tones were used internally by the switching network. Though they're now nearly extinct, MF tones were considered by phone phreaks to be among the most beautiful sounds heard on the old network.

The film also has some great shots of toll operators processing calls and of the original Western Electric #4 Crossbar switches being built and installed.

The climax of the film comes after the old, manual method of calling long distance is compared with the new operator toll dialing when the narrator proclaims: "As soon as the operator presses the proper keys, it happens! Just like that!".

CCITT FREQUENCIES
--------------------------------------
FUNC.- FREQUENCY Hz - SHORT INFO
--------------------------------------
1 - 700 & 900 - TO DIAL "1"
2 - 700 & 1100 - TO DIAL "2"
3 - 900 & 1100 - TO DIAL "3"
4 - 700 & 1300 - TO DIAL "4"
5 - 900 & 1300 - TO DIAL "5"
6 - 1100 & 1300 - TO DIAL "6"
7 - 700 & 1500 - TO DIAL "7"
8 - 900 & 1500 - TO DIAL "8"
9 - 1100 & 1500 - TO DIAL "9"
0 - 1300 & 1500 - TO DIAL "0"
--------------------------------------
C.11 - 700 & 1700 - INWARD OPERATOR
C.12 - 900 & 1700 - DELAY OPERATOR
KP1 - 1100 & 1700 - TERMINAL CALL
KP2 - 1300 & 1700 - TRANSIT CALL
ST - 1500 & 1700 - END OF PULSING

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• phone
• telephone
• switch
• dtmf
• mf
• marker
• sender
• bell
• system
• #4
• crossbar
• tandem
• xbar
• xb
• step
• phreak
• bluebox
• blue
• box
• tones

[SockBoy65]

As a former employee of Ma Bell - I salute this film

[johnwilson25]

Another day under the oppressive cloud of the phone company

[thecooldude9999]

@dmine45 crossbar is from the late 50's to early 70's

[dmine45]

@gnutelliums Yes. Area codes as we know them were invented in 1947. But there were operator routing codes used before then for the #4 crossbar switches and Crossbar Tandem switches that handled long haul and short haul long distance calls. Operator toll dialing was one step away from customer toll dialing, which started in 1951.

[rsp196607]

The narrator uses the terms "operator" and "girl" interchangeably.

Poor Mr. Miller doesn't even have time to light up.

[GelandnaleG]

6:06pm Tuesday (CST) - Time in Mississippi

[TheZepmeister]

Imagine if kids were suddenly made to call like this now! That's crazy.

[elgavilan2000]

And now all this functionality fits inside that little blue linksys box next to your computer.

[Epc100]

What year was this film made please?

[DoubleDutchBust]

2:24am Tuesday (IST) - Time in India

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