Who received the first US patent for the telephone in 1876?
AnswerAlexander Graham Bell
Bell's patent was granted in March 1876.
Tech · Facts & stats
Telecom facts & stats
7 fact-checked facts about telecommunications, phones and networks, each with the reason behind it. 5 more are in today's round and join this page after it closes.
The basics
What does SMS stand for?
AnswerShort Message Service
SMS is the standard for text messages.
Going deeper
What were the first words Bell spoke over the telephone, as he recorded them?
AnswerMr. Watson, come here
He called his assistant Thomas Watson in 1876.
What was the original character limit of a standard SMS text?
Answer160
160 characters fit in the signaling space of early networks.
How do fiber optic cables carry data?
AnswerAs pulses of light
Light travels through thin glass or plastic fibers.
Expert level
Which writer proposed geostationary communication satellites in a 1945 article?
AnswerArthur C. Clarke
This orbit is sometimes called the Clarke orbit.
Which 1962 satellite relayed the first live transatlantic television?
AnswerTelstar
Telstar 1 launched in July 1962.
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