Week 12- The Slow Diffusion of Phones

Week 12

The Slow Diffusion of Phones

As new technology emerges, it often takes time for individuals to discover and utilize it. Especially in earlier times, it took people a long time to not only accept and utilize new technology, but to even hear about it took a long time. A prime example is the telephone. While Alexander Graham Bell is credited in the United States with inventing the telephone, this isn't true. According to the International Telecommunications Pioneer Association, the principal of the modern day telephone was discovered in 1874. Bell beat Elisha Gray to the patent office by just a few hours and secured the lucrative patent.

However, even before this, in 1844, Innocenzo Manzetti brought up the topic of a speaking telephone, beginning the conversation around this, at the time, unfathomable idea. Individuals began researching and trying to develop this concept, ones who can be referred to as the innovators. This occurred for many years until Bell received the patent for the first telephone. It wasn't for another 4 years, in 1878, that subscribers truly began to make calls without a direct line. The people who used phones during 1874 and 1878 can be referred to as early adopters. Those who began to subscribe after 1878 can be referred to as the early majority. 1904 is when telephones took off as the Bell Company developed the "French Phone" which was a handheld telephone. With the more convenient design, many new people, the late majority, began purchasing phones. Then, in the 1980s, fiber optic cables were introduced which drastically changed the landscape of the telephone industry. Individuals who purchased a phone for their house after 1980 can be seen as the laggards.

Although this may seem fairly simple, it is far from that. When new technology is first introduced, people are often hesitant to use it. The telephone shows this as it took nearly 100 years to be fully integrated into society. As technology continues to evolve, especially telephones, this process starts over again. A prime example is when Apple first released the iPhone. With each new phone that is released and each new innovation that is made, the process of the Diffusion theory restarts. While some may view this as a negative, it is far from that. These new beginnings show the relevance of Everrett Rogers theory in modern day as well as the advances being made each and every day in technology.

This image showcases one of the earliest designs of the telephone

Source: Wikipedia