1896/7 Telephone Exchanges1901 Wireless Telegraphy 1946 The Computer1956 Communications Satellites 2000? Mobile Phones2000? The Internet NO MORE WASTE OF WORDS AT THE TELEPHONE. Electric Signals Will Soon Be Used. A new telephone exchange has just put into use an invention which will quickly make its way into public favour. It is the first multiple switchboard ever constructed employing automatic signals, and it is unquestionably the most rapidly operating board ever constructed. Not only is an operator enabled to complete the work of making a connection for a subscriber whose call she answers, but the signals are so skilfully arranged that she has constant knowledge of the several connections under her charge. Post Office operators training at Clerkenwell It is not necessary for the operator to listen into the line to determine whether a subscriber has answered his bell nor to find out whether or not he has finished talking, for all this and more is shown her by the lamp signals placed upon the keyboard. When the subscriber removes his telephone from the hook it lights a lamp on the switchboard, which indicates that the operator must place a plug in a jack close beside a lighted lamp. The placing of this plug extinguishes the line lamp, and on receiving the number wanted, the operator places the second plug of the pair in the jack of the subscriber to be called, which lights a lamp on the keyboard corresponding to that particular cord - which lamp remains lighted until the called-for subscriber removes his telephone from the hook. This lamp then goes out and the connection is allowed to remain until both lamps in this set of cords light. The operator understands by this that both subscribers have replaced their telephones on the hook, and her duty then is to take down the cords and plugs which automatically extinguishes the lights. There is no asking, "Did he answer?" "Are you finished?" Nothing whatever is required to be said after the number of the party desired is known to the operator.