[BC] putting phone calls on the air

[Rich Wood]

------ At 12:35 PM 9/17/2006, Joseph M. Davis wrote: -------

>Dave, what a great story.  Thanks!  And newbies to the field wonder 
>why Dr Johnny Fever was so frightened of "the phone cops" !!!!

Thank Tom Carter. His Carterphone was a device designed to allow 
calls to be put on 2-way radios. In 1968 the courts ruled non Bell 
devices could be connected to the system with a rented protective 
coupler, known as the Carterphone decision. If that hadn't happened 
I'd bet we'would have had rotary phones until every switch was fully 
depreciated (read: crapped out).

It's interesting to note that his "Hush-A-Phone" caused problems with 
Ma Bell. Both it and the Carterphone used acoustic couplers, not 
direct connections. Ma Bell still complained. Carter won the case for 
acoustic couplers in 1956. In 1976 companies could register equipment 
that no longer required renting a coupler.

Rich


Rich Wood
Rich Wood Multimedia
Phone: 413-454-3258