The First Submarine Transatlantic Telephone Cable System

Category:	Science & Tech
Type:	world first
Date:	25 9, 1956
Province:	Newfoundland
Tags:	Technical, World first

Global telephone communications using submarine cables began on 25 September 1956, when the first transatlantic undersea telephone system, TAT-1, went into service. This site is the eastern terminal of the transatlantic cable that stretched west to Clarenville, Newfoundland. TAT-1 was a great technological achievement providing unparalleled reliability with fragile components in hostile environments. It was made possible through the efforts of engineers at AT&T Bell Laboratories and British Post Office. The system operated until 1978. 

The first transatlantic telephone cable, TAT-1, inaugurated the modern era of global communications. Many of the basic concepts and processes developed for achieving highly reliable submarine infrastructure have not changed significantly from those used in TAT-1. Before TAT-1, voice was carried across the Atlantic on unreliable and expensive radio channels. Text messaging was carried on submarine telegraph cables (the technology of the previous 90 years) which were reliable, but slow and expensive.

Source: Global telephone communications using submarine cables began on 25 September 1956, when the first transatlantic undersea telephone system, TAT-1, went into service. This site is the eastern terminal of the transatlantic cable that stretched west to Claren