AT&T Archives: Dialing the Nation

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In November of 1951, a historic cross-country phone call was made, New Jersey to California, from the mayor of Englewood to the mayor of Alameda. It wasn't historic like the first cross-country call made in 1915, but was important because it was the first-ever direct-dial long distance call.
Now, operators had been using a set of area codes since around 1943, when the first automatic toll switch had been installed. But it took massive automation in the network to allow customers to accomplish the same task. By 1947, the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) was worked out, and there were 86 standard area codes available for possible use. The first communities that could use this system were Englewood and Teaneck, both in New Jersey, since 201 for NJ was the first area code ever assigned. And customers in these two NJ towns couldn't use all of the area codes - they could dial only 11 cities across the country directly: Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Oakland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, Sacramento, and San Francisco.
The film "Dialing the Nation" shows a family changing their vacation plans and having to call grandma in Chicago - using her area code, 312 - to let her know. By the time this film was made, 9 out of 10 phones in the U.S. had dial capability, only some rural communities still had to get all of their calls (local, and, of course, long distance) routed through an operator.
By 2011, 379 of the possible 900 area codes had been assigned to zones in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and toll-free and pay-per-call groups. One can also see when newly-assigned area codes will go into effect at the NANP website.
Note: Though they say in the film that the city it depicts "really doesn't matter," it is actually Englewood, New Jersey.
Footage Courtesy of AT&T Archives and History Center, Warren, NJ

[@atomsmash100]

Glorious analog equipment.

[@kirbyyasha]

I love these, AT&T, can you please post more historical videos?

[@TheLordOfNothing]

For anyone wondering, when they added area codes in 1949, the old numbering system (which went by XX-12345) they just put the area code at the beginning of it so people wouldn't have to get new numbers.

[@altfactor]

I believe the first area code was "201" in northeastern New Jersey in the early 1950's (1951?).

[@MarkMphonoman]

Love AT&T. My phone company for more than 20 years. LOL 😂

[@LMB222]

6:55 This isn't DTMF, but the infamous inband signalling system that allowed sending 2600Hz to seize a trunk line and talk long-distance for free.

[@adamjhuber]

LMB222 ah the infamous Captain Crunch whistle.

[@James_Knott]

It wasn't 2600 Hz. It was multiple tones, but I don't know if it was what we now know as DTMF.

[@lukpac]

@@James_Knott The system shown is MF. That used combinations of 2 frequencies, but 2600 was used for trunk supervision.

[@James_Knott]

@@lukpac Yep. BTW, I worked as a telecom tech for many years, including on voice circuits and PBX.

[@altfactor]

Wasn't the Bell System America's largest private sector employer in the 1950's?

[@paulmiller591]

How exciting I wonder if you can use this with the iPhone. Such a miracle these modern instruments and their electronic ears

[@joshdznyc]

312 is the area code of Chicago

[@drrushfan81]

10 digit dialing back then. Until Long distance calling wanted you to add 1 then the area code, phone number.

[@TechHowden]

Only some places ever required you to dial a 1 first, it had to do with the kind of local switching equipment.

[@Brian-yt8fu]

Some things shown here are the switching equipment that puts thru calls. That punched card was a trouble indication. Next we see the the acounting center where AMA punched paper tape is processed. The tape records your no. The number called and duration of the phone call. Next we see a reeling and splicing machine and then the paper tape goes thru a reader and that information transferred to magnetic tape and a bill gets printed.

[@curtchase3730]

9:00 NEW hands-free calling system!

[@roachtoasties]

Direct Distance Dialing. Cool. What will they think of next? When will this newfangled service be coming to my community? My wrist is getting tired of cranking the old handle on the side of my telephone.

[@johnerickson2673]

Happy holidays from the Hendersons⏲

[@juheeseo7739]

8:17 first moment of 312(Chicago area)

[@Eliusalmo1]

Good old times..

[@turgityfarms3752]

I remember waiting for overseas lines to become available. The girl operator 😆 would tell you we're waiting for a line to open, and you'd hear a sonar ping like sound here and there, till a line was open..."I'll connect you now." Only to talk to an overseas girl operator.

[@james-ht5vf]

this archive video about NANP

[@James_Knott]

I remember when DDD came to my area. I was about 6 YO and it was just a few years after this film was made. At that time we had to switch from 5 to 7 digit dialing, even for local calls.

[@neilmansfield8329]

This is a great video

[@Warzau]

312 is just downtown Chicago area code now.

[@roachtoasties]

213 was down to a tiny area of downtown Los Angeles. I think it was just three square miles, until the 323 and 213 merged. Of course, now, with cellphones and VOIP, the "area" in area code has less of a meaning.

[@mattalbrecht7471]

She forgot to dial "1" first.

[@jackamelar1455]

I can remember dialing 112 first. Once finished dialing, an operator came on with "Your number please" wanting the number I was calling from so they knew where to bill to. I took advantage of this when calling from another home or business to charge my phone avoiding the extra third party billing fee.

[@prestoncheapbtheadphoneste3010]

No. Not necessarily.. Some numbers may have been like that back then. That number could have been in the same state, same city or even another city not far from them. It was like that here about twelve years ago. It’s not like that anymore now. That’s why she didn’t have to dial , “ 1” . But if she’s dialing someone next door to her, she’d just dial the number without the area code. They all have same area code.. 😐 confusing, I’m glad they stopped it.

[@TechHowden]

It depended on where you are, only some types of switching equipment required you to dial a 1 first.

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

At 6:50, this film predicts Touch-Tone, 9 years before it debuted!

[@zee3499]

That's because The Bell System harbored advancing technology for YEARS, repeatedly testing it, or using it only for themselves. They did the same with cellular technology.

[@Locutus]

9 years is nothing. Obviously AT&T had been working on this technology for a while, and planned to use it when the technology had matured. Now, if it was 19 years before its introduction, then it would be surprising.

[@LMB222]

This isn't touch tone (DTMF), but inband signalling for long-distance trunk lines - there's the KP key bottom left. It was made famous in the 1970's, because some freak figured out how to produce 2600Hz to seize a trunk line to talk for free. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signaling_System_No._5

[@TechHowden]

@@zee3499 not really, this equipment isn’t quite the same as the later touch tone system, also at this time in history it would’ve required 7 vacuum tubes to generate the tones which would be totally impractical to put inside a regular telephone.

[@jaworskij]

What is that constant tone I hear along with the audio?

[@c0t0d0s7]

2600 Hz. Some lousy phone phreak probably added it.

[@elcothelosen3621]

pink noise _white noise...static..?. huf ..and hum ...from a tape seq...they where 24 V ...or some... amp distortion ...for the mic setup like a amped mixer or system it gets like this..

[@dullaverage1667]

Remember how expensive long distance cost!

[@emeraldkimble7602]

Local providers names changed with divestiture of att bell Atlantic c&p newyork tell I’ve been on all these with moving

[@nemo5831]

Can you find the blue turtle commercial plz?

[@jaworskij]

What's with the Herzian tone in this film? Can you not digitally edit it out?

[@autex.lewis06]

Maybe the digitalization process didn't smoothly remove the tone.

[@nickwilde9256]

*beep beep beep* We're sorry, the number you have dialled is disconnected or no longer in service. If you feel you have reached this message in error, please check the number and try again.

[@TechHowden]

That wasn’t until the late 70s, every recording sounded different and there was no standardized text for it back then.

[@emeraldkimble7602]

Now all calls are free included I. Monthly bill

[@wakkowarner4288]

Can't slam an iphone like you can slam a Model 300 or 500. It'd kill it. There was a catharsis in that.. "Oh YEAH? *SWING*BLAM*" Into the cradle it went. And the phone would be just fine. Try that with an iphone..

[@oliverharris7366]

@@wakkowarner4288 they have special effects you can download were it makes a sound like you slammed the receiver when you hang up.

[@oliverharris7366]

It makes me think how many little old ladies give up some of thier food money in the day just to talk to their grandchildren back in the day.

[@luisreyes1963]

The medieval age of telecommunications. ☎️

[@friendofdorothy9376]

She didn’t know her own mother’s phone number?

[@redwingfan9393]

I find it amusing they didn't bother to name the kids, just brother and sister.

[@johnfairhurstReviews]

Ann and Johnny by the father as he hugged them coming home...

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

the big cheese

[@brianarbenz7206]

Ah, America. You are so beautiful now that equal marriage rights for homosexuals, legal abortion and feminism have improved everything!

[@superchitownhustler]

Nice.

[@atomsmash100]

They sure have! Thanks for your support!

[@jkvelasquez84]

is great!!! 🙏

[@jamesb8305]

Way back when women knew how to cook a meal...