The Third Screen: From Bell's Phone to iPhone By Adam Ganser

1. The Third Screen: From Bell's Phone to iPhone By Adam Ganser

2. Media Timeline 1844: Telegraph Service begins. 1876: The first telephone. 1934: Communications Act. 1983: Commercial cell phone service. 1984: AT&T and operating companies. 1996: Telecommunications Act. 2005: SBC emerges. 2007: The first iPhone 2008: The FCC auction. http://bizbox.slate.com/blog/iphone_home.gif

3. Alexander Graham Bell Bell was an inventor from from the 1860's into the 1900's. His wife and mother were both deaf which inspired him to invent hearing devices. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Graham_Bell

4. His partner Thomas Watson helped Bell develop a voice transmitter that would transport sounds through a reed system. Reeds are used in music- a pipe like object that transmits sounds. With voice like sounds being received on each end the telephone was born.

5. Patents A patent is granted by the government and states nobody else can copy your invention. By March 7, 1876, the U.S. Patent office granted Bell a patent for his invention for creating an apparatus which transmits vocal sounds telegraphically.

6. Bell Telephone Company (AT&T) Established in 1877, was accompanied by Western Electric, an electrical equipment manufacturer. It was also part of a vertically integrated monopoly. Vertical integration- When a company owns related businesses in the same industry. (Media Now, 370)

7. By 1910, Bell Telephone Company became AT&T where they used their patent rights excessively to exclude competitors from it's long distance network. http://blackberrysync.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/att-logo-221x300.jpg

8. Universal Service Universal service- principle that everyone should have access to a particular service. AT&T acquired Western Union Telegraph Co. sparking controversy since they undercut every other competitor. With a possible law suit for anti trust, AT&T dropped the deal and offered service for everybody which became known as the Kingsbury Commitment.

9. AT&T was exempt from the Sherman Antitrust Act and their business was known as a natural monopoly. Congress ruled that it makes sense to have one phone company serving a particular area. http://projects.vassar.edu/1896/sherman.gif

10. By the Great Depression of 1929, the economy hit an all time low as the stock market crashed and thousands of people were jobless. This effected AT&T because people couldn't afford a phone anymore. President Franklin Roosevelt declared AT&T as a common carrier making them offer service to all customers on an equal basis.

11. The FCC Federal Communications Commission regulates communication in the U.S. The FCC started investigations on AT&T that would last 50 years until the fall of AT&T.

12. The Fall of AT&T During the 50 year investigation, the FCC found it impossible for AT&T's competitors to succeed in the Bell System, Western Electric had high prices which increased phone rates. By 1984 AT&T was forced to sell off local phone companies and split them up into Regional Bell operating companies which carries the Bell trademark.

13. Telecommunications Act of 1996 The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was designed to spark competition with various companies. In the telecommunications industry, phone companies were now allowed to offer internet and cable service as well as phone service. Cable companies were allowed into the local telephone business.

14. The act had companies merging together at a huge rate. Bell Atlantic merged with NYNEX serving from ME. To VA. They later merged with General Telephone becoming Verizon. Southwestern Bell covered TX. MO. KS. AK. And OK merged with Pacific Telesis which covers CA and NV.

15. Cell Phones According to the Media Now text book, the cell phone has replaced land line phones in 1/7th of the United States homes. AT&T had predicted back in the 60's that phones with visual display were going to be the next big thing and they were right. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_taPC-1l2iog/SCKbL0C8JeI/AAAAAAAAhdU/F-WdBW30A1o/s400/137988-mobileFirst.jpg

16. Picture History of Cell Phones http://www.techfresh.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/mobile_phone_evolution.jpg

17. Evolution of Smart Phones By the early 1990's cell phones were improving as they were decreasing in size and were able to hold e-mails and an address book. In 1999 the first Blackberry was sold that made text messaging the new frenzy. http://blog.mail.com/xlii:thegame.com/files/2007/09/blackberry.jpg

18. In 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone, and every year since they have come out with a new version making them smaller and more efficient. It is the perfect example of convergence in that it's a phone, computer, mini T.V., and an iPod all mixed into one.

19. First Generation to 3G 1st generation phones used analog transmission and are still used today but it is a dying breed as upgrades are being made. 2nd generation phones became digital, they are digitally compressed 3rd generation (3G) are phones that are high speed and are able to view the internet and videos.

20. WiFi WiFi stands for wireless fidelity and it enables cell phones to pick up broadband internet connections if they are in the vicinity of a broadband connection. For example your phone might be able to pick up the internet connection established in your home. Many of the the 3G phones have WiFi and the operation of WiFi is in the process of increasing,

21. WiFi sends the internet's TCP/IP codes through the air at 100 million bits per second which can be picked up by wireless receivers. WiFi is looking for ways to expand its coverage so that the wireless user never loses a broadband connection. European countries are experimenting with UMTS which makes it possible for whole cities to be connected to WiFi.