This week brings us to the 140th anniversary of a major moment in the history of telecommunications; the world’s first long distance phone call. On March 27th, 1884, Alexander Graham Bell’s inaugural long-distance telephone call from Boston to New York, covering 235 miles using copper wire, marked a pivotal moment. This experiment underscored copper’s viability over galvanized iron for long-distance communication. 

A Breakthrough in Modern Communication

The initial successful long-distance call was made between Boston and New York, spanning 235 miles with a circuit of two hard-drawn copper #12 wires. This pioneering effort, an experiment by the American Bell Company, and constructed with the help of various companies, including a significant portion by the Southern New England Telephone Company, remained operational for about 90 minutes before a river-crossing cable malfunctioned.

Resolving the issue and other technical challenges took several months. The Boston to New York line marked the first significant application of hard-drawn copper wire for telecommunications, transitioning from previous galvanized iron lines used between Boston and Lowell, and Boston and Providence.

The early experimentation with copper wiring and thorough testing laid the foundation for reliable long-distance telephony. The Boston to New York City long-distance telephone service was officially launched to the public in September 1884, offering a novel pricing structure: $2 for daytime calls and $1 for nighttime calls, marking a significant milestone in telecommunications history.

The Wrap

Alexander Graham Bell’s first long-distance call from Boston to New York set new standards for the potential of instant communication and established a pricing model that reflected the value of this service. This pivotal development laid the groundwork for the future of long-distance telephony, ushering in a new era of connectivity.

Go Deeper –> First Long Distance Phone Call – This Day in History