[BC] putting phone calls on the air

[Harold Hallikainen]

> ------ At 12:35 PM 9/17/2006, Joseph M. Davis wrote: -------
>
>>Dave, what a great story.  Thanks!  And newbies to the field wonder
>>why Dr Johnny Fever was so frightened of "the phone cops" !!!!
>
> Thank Tom Carter. His Carterphone was a device designed to allow
> calls to be put on 2-way radios. In 1968 the courts ruled non Bell
> devices could be connected to the system with a rented protective
> coupler, known as the Carterphone decision. If that hadn't happened
> I'd bet we'would have had rotary phones until every switch was fully
> depreciated (read: crapped out).
>
> It's interesting to note that his "Hush-A-Phone" caused problems with
> Ma Bell. Both it and the Carterphone used acoustic couplers, not
> direct connections. Ma Bell still complained. Carter won the case for
> acoustic couplers in 1956. In 1976 companies could register equipment
> that no longer required renting a coupler.


I remember reading about Hush A Phone in the Federal Register as I dug
through the entire Federal Register looking at FCC decisions. Though not
from the FR, I recall also that "the phone company" considered covers for
phone books which contained advertisements and were not provided by the
telephone company were considered illegal attachments.

Stuff's changed over the years.

Harold

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