Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica
SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE TO PREMIUM
  • Home
  • Biographies
  • Animals & Nature
  • History & Society
  • Science & Tech
  • Geography & Travel
  • Arts & Culture
  • ProCon
  • Money
  • Games & Quizzes
  • Videos
  • Today in History
  • Dictionary
  • New Articles
Biographies
  • Browse Biographies
Animals & Nature
  • Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
  • Environment
  • Fossils & Geologic Time
  • Insects & Other Invertebrates
  • Mammals
  • Plants
History & Society
  • History
  • Philosophy & Religion
  • Politics, Law & Government
  • Society & Social Issues
Science & Tech
  • Health & Medicine
  • Science
  • Technology
Geography & Travel
  • Geography & Travel
Arts & Culture
  • Entertainment & Pop Culture
  • Literature
  • Sports & Recreation
  • Visual Arts
  • Image Galleries
  • Podcasts
  • Summaries
  • Top Questions
  • Lists and Stories
  • Britannica Kids
Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
push-button dialing
References
Images
On the left, a hand dials a number on a green rotary phone above a graph showing pulses (interruptions in DC current) that represent the phone being dialed. On the right, a hand presses a button on a red tone-dial phone above a representation of a push-button pad showing frequencies corresponding to each button. Evolution of the Phone: A look at telephone technology through the decades.
Britannica AI Icon

push-button dialing

telephones
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Learn about this topic in these articles:

  • Alexander Graham Bell and the New York City–Chicago telephone link
    telephone
    / Push-button dialing

    In the 1950s, after conducting extensive studies, AT&T concluded that push-button dialing was about twice as efficient as rotary dialing. Trials had already been conducted of special telephone instruments that incorporated mechanically vibrating reeds, but in 1963 an electronic push-button system, known as…

    Read More

    In the 1950s, after conducting extensive studies, AT&T concluded that push-button dialing was about twice as efficient as rotary dialing. Trials had already been conducted of special telephone instruments that incorporated mechanically vibrating reeds, but in 1963 an electronic push-button system, known as…

    Read More