Western Electric 500: How AT&T created the most iconic telephone of all time

For years, even decades, almost everyone in the United States owned the same phone. No one really thought about it, and it didn’t even matter what it was called – it was just the phone. Well, the phone was called Western Electric 500When landlines took over the world, the Western Electric 500 took over landlines. It’s been so ubiquitous for so long that even if you’ve never touched a landline, you’ve encountered 500. The phone app on your iPhone? Seems like 500.

on This episode of Release datewe tell the story of the Western Electric 500, and the very strange world it has come to represent. David Pearce, Nilay Patel, university professor and author Tim Wu Go back to the invention of the telephone to explain how AT&T came to dominate the telephone industry, and how its monopoly position gave it the exclusive right to put any phone it wanted in your home. This power has been tested many times, and came under new siege around the time of the 500th. However, this phone represents AT&T at the height of its power – and it was a good phone, too.

This is the sixth and final episode of the third season Release date. Thank you to everyone who listened, watched and shared the show! We’ll be back in six weeks with a whole new set of stories to tell. Here’s how to get every episode and all the other fun stuff as soon as it drops:

If you want to learn more about the history of AT&T, landlines, and the Western Electric 500, here are some links to get you started: