Operator. May I help you?: Bell Canada's 125 Years
For over 125 years, the development of telecommunications systems has helped revolutionize Canadian society. Yet until the 1930s, only a select few were connected to the telephone system. Only the wealthiest households and businesses subscribed to the service. The telephone remained a luxury that many Canadians had to do without. In the latter half of the 20th century, a combination of technical improvements, technology convergence and lower charges made service more accessible.
Setting up telecommunications networks across the country was a complex feat involving many players. Among them were inventors and scientists who made technological innovations, businesses that planned systems and made use of new technologies, workers who built the systems and kept them operating, public officials who oversaw the services offered and consumers who adopted the new communications devices.
Telecommunications companies are an economic force in Canada now more than ever. With continuing technological advances, there are bound to be further upheavals.
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