First UK telephone exchangeIn 1879, Telephone Company Ltd opened the first public British telephone exchange in Lombard Street, London using Edison's system. The service was in effect an exclusive club, to which members paid a subscription - hence the origin of the term “subscriber.” The exchange served just eight subscribers with a two-panel Williams switchboard. Between the connected offices, private conversations could be made in either a loud or a low tone. By the end of the year, with about 200 subscribers, a further two exchanges had been opened at Leadenhall Street in the City, and at Westminster. The same year, the company also opened telephone exchanges in Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Bristol. |
