Principles of Digital Audio, Sixth Edition, 6th Edition

CHAPTER 15Telecommunications and Internet Audio

The telephone was invented in 1876, either by Alexander Graham Bell or Elisha Gray. Bell’s attorney registered his telephone patent at the U.S. Patent Office a few hours after Gray’s attorney had registered a caveat, an announcement of a telephone invention he intended to file a patent for. The men fought for ownership of the invention in litigation that lasted for years. Finally, Bell was given credit for inventing the telephone. It was later determined that Gray’s proposed apparatus would have worked, but Bell’s apparatus, as represented, would not.

Whoever invented it, telephone technology evolved tremendously, and progressed from a wired analog system to one that is wired and wireless, and ...