Metroliner telephone article 4139

Phil Kane

An awful lot of civilian technology was first developed for the military or military contractors, by military money.

As we know, the Internet was in part used by the military.

In the early 1950s, pioneer data processing equipment and computers was bought by defense contractors, especially nuclear and aeronautical research. They had the money to buy the newest computers and cover their development costs. Northup was so desperate for calculating horsepower they jerry-rigged some IBM card machines to create an electronic calculator. IBM refined it and sold it as a poor man's computer (the CPC). Popular for its day and far, far cheaper than a real Univac.

Having a local number serve a distant location is not new. Originally that was called foreign exchange and enabled local calling in both directions. For example, it allowed customers in Phila call the business in NYC and NYC to call customers locally in Phila. Such lines were expensive. It was very common and may still be for a business or even a home to have such lines between city and suburbs so suburbanites wouldn't have to pay to call the city business. I knew a number of suburbanites who had two phone lines, one city, one suburban.

I believe the switching local number aspect is still common to this day. It gives customers the sense that the business has a local presence and of course lets them call for free. A look in today's Yellow Pages shows many businesses with multiple numbers but one actual location.