Telephone Related Links

 

Here are some links to some telecommunications related websites. Included are telephone companies, telecom equipment manufacturers and distributors, and links to websites that are similar to Telephone World

Other Telephone Enthusiast & Resource Websites

A list of other telephone enthusiast & resource websites similar to Telephone World:

AreaCode-Info.com - Information and maps about Area Codes, Area Code splits/overlays and other telephone related information.

Bell System Memorial - Website created as a memorial to the people, history, technology and the "Spirit of Service" of what was known as the "Bell System" prior to 1984. Originally by David Massey, now operated by Ben Jackson.

LincMad Telephone Area Codes & Splits - This site is probably the best site detailing NPA (Area Code) splits and overlays. Includes many Area Code maps (past and present) as well as other information. Operated by Linc Madison.

Local Calling Guide - Great website to help you determine local calling areas for any given prefix or ratecenter. Operated by Ray Chow of Ontario, Canada.

Privateline.Com - Tom Farley's website of many writings and articles for telephones, the telephone system, and cellular phones. Also has a very detailed history about the telephone.

thedirectory Prefix Locator - Great website on finding locations if you know the area code and prefix of a phone number. 

Telebeans -  Telecom stuff for the Mid-Atlantic. Central office pictures, long distance company building pictures, microwave towers and more. Founded by the late Parris Wood.

Telecom Digest - The TELECOM Digest and Archives, along with its associated Internet USENET newsgroup comp.dcom.telecom is a moderated discussion on the telephone and related topics. This digest is moderated by Pat Townson.

Telephone Central Offices -  Pictures of telephone central office buildings from all across the US (and a few from Canada). Operated by Jon Jamieson.

Telephone Tribute -  An all-inclusive telephone tribute site. Created by David Massey, now operated by Bob & Sheri Stritof.

World Telephone Numbering Guide - Dave Leibold's site with information on country codes and country specific dialing instructions.

Telephone Sound Websites

Phone Trips - The original and still one of the best telephone sound web pages. Narrated telephone recordings by Mark Bernay and Evan Doorbell. Includes submissions by others as well.

This Is a Recording (formerly The Web Page You Have Reached) - A website with a large number of telephone sound recordings. Web site operated by Jennifer Martino.

Tribute to the Telephone - The "Signal and Circuit Conditions USA and Canadian Telephone Systems" page of a very large website devoted to the Telephone. Lots of old telephone sounds from some very old equipment.

Telephone Pictures Websites

Chuck Eby's Telephone History Website - If you want a complete history of old (and I mean really OLD telephones), this is the place to go! Everything you wanted to know (and more) but were afraid to ask!

Tribute To The Telephone - Files and Photos - Photographs and descriptions of old telephones and telephone equipment.

Vince Budnick's Cavalcade of Phones - Photographs and descriptions of old telephones - Western Electric, Automatic Electric, Stromberg-Carlson, and more!

Old Telephhones as Entertainment - Photographs, newspaper clippings and more! Specializing on listing every single model number for every phone created! Also has wonderful picture history on prototypes. Automatic Electric & Western Electric and more!

Telephone History Resources & Museums

Atlanta Telephone History - Information about the origin and history of telephone service in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dutch Telephony Museum - Information about the history of telephone service in The Netherlands.

Florida Telephone History - A website that has an overview on Florida's telephone history, including old ratecenter maps and telephone sounds

Museum of Communications - A museum of vintage telephone equipment (Step-by-Step, crossbar, etc) located in Seattle, Washington. Formerly known as the Vintage Telephone Equipment Museum.

Rob Grant's Telephone Pages - Rob Grant has a good page on British telephone system history. (link not working 1/2/05)

The Strowger Telecomms Page - A site devoted to the history of British Step by Step (Strowger) equipment and sounds.

Telephone Exchange Names - Find out what could have been the telephone exchange name for your telephone prefix. (Example: 373 in Fredericksburg, VA was ESsex-3. Also lists Ma Bell's recommended names.

Telephony History - Website of telephony history by The Media History Project.

Telephone History Preservation Organizations

TelecomPioneers (formerly known as the Telephone Pioneers of America) - TelecomPioneers is the largest industry-related volunteer organization in the world, with chapters located throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1911, TelecomPioneers, formerly known as the Telephone Pioneers of America, is comprised of nearly 750,000 current and retired telecommunications employees who have joined together to make their communities better places in which to live and work.

Pay Telephone Enthusiast Websites

The Mojave Phone Booth Site - A website dedicated to what was probably the most remotely located pay phone in the continental US. This pay phone was located in the middle of the Mojave desert in California. The neat thing about this pay phone is that if you called it, more than likely someone would answer it! Unfortunately, the National Park Service didn't like all the attention it was getting and had it removed. The number of the pay phone was (760) 733-9969.

Pay Phone Directory - The original pay telephone directory, operated by El Jefe. News and information about pay telephones, including Customer Owned Pay Telephones (COCOTs). Also has many recordings from telephone switching equipment.

The Payphone Project - User-contributed listings of pay telephones throughout the US, Canada and parts of the rest of the world. Also includes some information, photographs, and funny stories related so some of these phones. An excellent site operted by Mark A. Thomas.

Telephone Tribute - Pay Phones & Phone Booths
A great telephone tribute website - this page devoted to the pay phone. Developed by David Massey, it is now maintained by Bob and Sheri Stritof.

Stromcarlson.com
A website that has pictures of pay phones in southern California and Nevada. Also with pictures of central office buildings in the Las Vegas area. Site also has phone recordings and listings of some interesting phone numbers.

Phonebooth.us
A website devoted to the history of pay telephones (mostly Western Electric) with photos of classic pay phones, technical information, and even old magazine advertisements encouraging the use of pay phones.

COCOT Pay Phone Providers

Protel -  Protel provides innovative payphone solutions--pay telephone equipment, retrofit kits, payphone parts, software--to telecom companies worldwide. Founded in 1983, Protel is North Americašs leading manufacturer of smart public pay telephones, with payphones installed in more than 60 countries.

QuorTech - Current owners of the Millenium pay phone (formerly made by Nortel) and the Fortress phone (formerly made by Western Electric & Lucent). QuorTech includes the former Elcotel COCOT company.

Telephone Resource Management Companies

Telcordia - Originally Bellcore, a joint ventured company originally owned by the seven RBOCs when AT&T split up in 1984. Now an independent company that still provides telephone numbering and related research. The Traffic Routing Administration division assigns and issues new telephone prefixes within the US.

North American Numbering Plan Administration - The North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) has been turned over to a third-party private industry (NeuStar). NANPA's job is to handle numbering administration for the USA, Canada, most Carribean islands, and some Pacific islands (Guam and Northern Marianas Islands).

NeuStar Number Pool Administration - NeuStar's website that is devoted to "thousand block pooling" of telephone prefixes. Included are reports that you can run to find out what prefixes have thousand block pooling and what carriers are assigned to each prefix thousands block.

Telephone Switch Companies

Alcatel-Lucent - Formed in December 2006 from the merger of Alcatel (France) and Lucent Technologies (USA). Lucent is also home of Bell Labs, the research and development arm of Lucent & former Western Electric.

Ericsson - Based in Sweden, makers of computer and telephone switch network products, focusing on the wireless market.

Nortel Networks - Based in Canada. Nortel (Northern Telecom) is a manufacturer of computer and telephone switching systems.

Siemens DCO - Information for the DCO (Digital Central Office) model of telephone switch, formerly made by Stromberg-Carlson of the USA, now made by Siemens of Germany.

Siemens EWSD - Based in Germany. The EWSD switch is a medium to high capacity digital switch.

On-line Telephone Directory Websites

AnyWho - Find a number for a person or business - anywhere in the USA. Helpful when you only know part of a name. Also has a reverse number lookup. This website is operated by AT&T.

DexOnline - The "Directory Expert" on-line yellow pages. Phone numbers for businesses anywhere in the USA. Created by Qwest, it is now owned by the Carlyle Group.

DA Plus - This site lets you search for residences or busineses by telephone number and also by name.

SMARTpages - The on-line business pages of SBC.

Switchboard - Very good online telephone directory. A subsidiary of InfoSpace, Inc.

SuperPages - The on-line directory operated by Verizon.

Yahoo People Search - An on-line phone number and E-mail address directory operated by Yahoo. Contains information from the former Four 11 site.

Large Local Telephone Companies - USA

A list of local phone companies that serve a significant area and customer base. Primarily what is left of the Regional Bell companies (RBOCs) and the larger independents.

at&t - The local arm of "at&t", formerly SBC Communications. SBC was formed with the breakup of the original AT&T in 1984 (formerly Southwestern Bell). SBC later merged with former RBOCs Ameritech, Southern New England Telephone (SNET), and Pacific Telesis (Pacific & Nevada Bell).

BellSouth - An RBOC that covers the southeastern US.

CenturyTel - An independent telephone company serving primarily rural areas in portions of 22 states.

Cincinnati Bell - An RBOC that covers the Cincinnati metro area.

Citzens Communications - A telecommunications-focused company providing wireline communications services in rural areas and small and medium-sized towns and cities.

EMBARQ - Local Phone & Internet Service - Created in 2006 as a spin-off of Sprint Local (former landline divsion of Sprint). When Sprint PCS merged with Nextel, Sprint decided to spin off their landline division. Orignally known as United Telephone, Carolina Telephone & Telegraph and CENTEL (Central Telephone).

Frontier - Now a division of Citizens Communications, an independent telephone company that serves primarily rural areas

Qwest (Local) - The local arm of Qwest (formerly the RBOC US West) that serves a number of Western states.

Verizon - Formerly Bell Atlantic & NYNEX (RBOCs) and GTE & Contel (independent) telephone companies. Verizon was formed in 2000.

Windstream Communications - Created in 2006 with the merger of Alltel's landline division and Valor Telecommunications (itself created in 1999 with spun off GTE areas due to its merger with Verizon). 

Large Local Telephone Companies - Canada

A list of local phone companies that serve a significant area and customer base.

Aliant - Serves New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Laborador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Bell Canada - Primarily serves Ontario and Quebec, but also serves parts of British Columbia and Alberta.

MTS (Manitoba Telecom Services) - Serves Manitoba.

Northwestel - Serves portions of British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

SaskTel -Serves Saskatchewan.

Telus - Serves British Columbia and Alberta. Formed from the merger of BC Telephone and Alberta Telephone.

Major IXC (Inter-Exchange) Carriers - USA

AT&T - The American Telephone and Telegraph company - the one who started it all. Soon to be a division of SBC.

MCI - The first competition to AT&T. Originally known as Microwave Communications, Inc. Merged with Worldcom in the late 1990s. Dropped the Worldcom part of their name after their bankruptcy in the early 2000s, now the long distance arm of Verizon Business.

Qwest - Includes the former LCI Long Distance Company. Also is the RBOC local provider in 14 western states.

Sprint - Originally was called Southern Pacific Railroad Internal Telecommunications when it formed in 1970. United Telephone and GTE purchsed SPRINT and ran the company as GTE Sprint in the 1980s. United Telephone bought out GTE's interest and changed their corporate name to Sprint in the early 1990s.

Major Wireless Companies - USA

Alltel - Provides analog and CDMA services in many areas nationwide.

Cellular One - Cellular One is a franchise system and is owned by different companies throughout the US. Each division is different and you will be a roaming customer if you're not in your home zone (unless you have a regional or nationwide package). Franchises include Western Wireless and Dobson Cellular Systems.

Cingular Wireless - Provides analog, TDMA and GSM services in many areas nationwide. Formed from the merger of SBC's "Cellular One" franchise and Bell South's wireless division. Cingular completed their merger with  AT&T Wireless in October 2004, which also provided analog, TDMA and GSM services in many areas nationwide.

Sprint (Personal Wireless) Provides CDMA services in many areas nationwide.  which was formed as Fleet Call, Inc. in 1987. The business wireless side of Sprint (formerly Nextel) provides cellular-like technology in the SMR (Specialized Mobile Radio) band. Nextel exclusively uses Motorola's iDEN digital TDMA style PCS technology.

T-Mobile - GSM carrier owned by Deutsche Telekom of Germany. Formerly known as Voicestream.

US Cellular - Provides analog and CDMA services in a number of rural areas nationwide. 

Verizon Wireless - The wireless division of Verizon, provides analog and CDMA services in many areas nationwide.. Formed from the former Bell Atlantic/NYNEX mobile, GTE Wireless, PCS Primeco, Airtouch and other smaller wireless and PCS companies.

Other Telephone & Numbering Resources of Note

How to Call Abroad - Provides visitors with comprehensive and up to date information on how to dial internationally from the USA, Canada or from any other country that's part of the North American Numbering Plan

Small Independent Local Telephone Companies - USA

North Pittsburgh Telephone Co. - Gibsonia, PA
YCOM Networks (Yelm Telephone Company) - Yelm, WA
Hutchinson Telephone Company - Hutchinson, MN
Ringgold Telephone - Ringgold, GA
Pineland Telephone Cooperative - Pineland, GA
Wetaskiwin Telephone Company - Wetaskiwin, AB Canada
Park Region Mutual Telephone Company - Fergus Falls, MN
Kalona Cooperative Telephone Company - Kalona, IA
Colton Telephone Company - Colton, OR
Alma Telephone Co - Alma, GA
Southern Montana Telephone - Wisdom, MT
Southern Kansas Telephone Co - Clearwater, KS
Duo County Telephone Co - Jamestown, KY
Mosinee Telephone Co. - Mosinee, WI
Drenthe Telephone - Drenthe, MI
Allendale Telephone - Allendale, MI
Brandenburg Telephone Co - Bradenburg, KY
D & E Communications (Denver & Ephrata Telephone) - Ephrata, PA
Silver Star Communications (Silver Star Telephone Co) - Freedom, WY
Marquette Adams Telephone Co - Oxford, WI
Choctaw Telephone Co - Hallton, MO
Whidbey Telecom (Whidbey Telephone Co) - Coupeville, WA
CC Communications (Churchill County Telephone Co) - Fallon, NV
Nicholville Telephone Co - Nicholville, NY
Pembroke Telephone Co - Pembroke, GA
Ridgeville Telephone Co - Ridgevile, OH
Gulftel Communications (Gulf Telephone Co)  - Foley, AL
New Paris Telephone - New Paris, IN
Palmerton Telephone Company - Palmerton, PA
Lemonweir Valley Telephone Company - Camp Douglas, WI
Monitor Cooperative Telephone - Woodburn, OR
Ganado Telephone Co - Gando, TX
Lakedale Telephone Company - Annandale, MN
Middleburgh Telephone Co - Middleburgh, NY
Ellijay Telephone Co - Ellijay, GA
Wood County Telephone - Wisconsin Rapids, WI
HunTel Telephone - Blair, NE
Comporium Communications - Rock Hill, SC
Citizens Telephone Co - Mammoth, PA
Scio Mutual Telephone - Scio, OR
Rye Telephone Co - Rye, CO
Farmers Telephone Co. Inc. - Pleasant View, CO
Pine Drive Telephone Co. - Beulah, CO
Consolidated telephone Co - Lincoln, NE
Waldron Telephone Co - Waldron, MI
DFT Communications (Dunkirk and Fredonia Telephone) - Fredonia, NY
Alaska Power & Telephone
El Paso Telephone co - El Paso, IL
Wamego Telephone Co - Wamego, KS
Mt. Horab Telephone Co - Mt. Horeb, WI
Kerrville Telephone Co (now part of Valor) - Kerrville, TX
Brooklyn Mutual Telephone Co - Brooklyn, IA
Central Scott Telephone Co - Eldridge, IA
Citizens Mutual Telephone Co - Bloomfield, IA
Colo Telephone Co - Colo, IA
Cooperative Telephone Co - Victor, IA
Ellsworth Telephone Co - Ellsworth, IA
Farmers Telephone of Batavia IA - Batavia, IA
Farmers Telephone of Essex IA - Essex, IA
OmniTel Communications - Nora Springs, IA
Farmers Mutual Cooperative
Grand River Mutual Telephone - Leon, IA
Heart of Iowa Communications - Union, IA
Interstate 35 Telephone - Truro, IA
Liberty Communications - West Liberty, IA
Marne & Elk Horn Telephone - Elk Horn, IA
Montezuma Mutual Telephone - Montezuma, IA
Mutual Telephone Co - Sioux Center, IA
Northwestern Telephone Cooperative - Havelock, IA
Olin Telephone Co - Olin, IA
Oran Telephone Co - Oran, IA
Readlyn Telephone Co - Readlyn, IA
Scranton Telephone Co - Scranton, IA
South Slope Coop Telephone
Springville Telephone Co Op - North Liberty, IA
Sully Telephone - Sully, IA
Van Buren Telephone Co - Van Buren, IA
Walnut Telephone Co - Walnut, IA
Wellman Telephone Co - Wellman, IA
West Iowa Telephone Co - Remsen, IA
Western Iowa Telephone Co - Lawton, IA
Wilton Telephone - Wilton, IA
Winnebago Telephone - Lake Mills, IA
Woolstock Mutual Telephone - Woolstock, IA
Price County Telephone
Molalla Telephone Co - Molalla, OR
Smithville Telephone Co - Ellettsville, IN
Northern Arkansas Telephone - Flippin, AR
Monroe Telephone Co - Monroe, OR
Hillsboro Telephone Co - Hillsboro, WI
Waldron Telephone Co - Waldron, MI
Vernon Telephone Cooperative - Westby, WI
La Valle Telephone Cooperative - LaValle, WI
Cochrane Cooperative Telephone - Cochrane, WI
Coon Valley Farmers Telephone - Coon Valley, WI
Richland-Grant Telephone Cooperative, Inc. - Blue River, WI
Laurel Highland Telephone Company - Indian Head, PA
Commonwealth Telephone Company - Dallas, PA

Miscellaneous Links

What does your phone number spell?
Glass Insulators Home Page - Glass insulators collectors page
DialABC - Find out what your phone number spells

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