AT&T Celebrates 150 years of Connecting on the Anniversary of the First Telephone Call
DALLAS, March 10, 2026 /CNW/ --
The first phone call sparked the creation what is now the largest advanced converged network that connects Americans to the internet faster than ever.
Key Takeaways:
- Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call on March 10, 1876, and formed Bell Telephone Company, which became American Telephone & Telegraph – today's modern AT&T.
- Today, AT&T is leading the next era of advanced connectivity by investing at historic levels in fiber and 5G to create the best and largest network, backed by the AT&T Guarantee.
- AT&T continues to win by putting customers first, providing the best and fastest home internet1, delivering critical connections for public safety with FirstNet, Built by AT&T, and deploying next generation connectivity that positions the U.S. to lead in AI.
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) proudly continues the legacy of founder Alexander Graham Bell, whose 1876 invention of the telephone sparked the creation of the Bell Telephone Company and eventually became today's modern AT&T.
"The first phone call sparked an entirely new way for people and businesses to deepen connections and thrive," said John Stankey, Chairman and CEO of AT&T. "Today, we carry the spirit of communication forward in bold new ways, powering connections for a new generation – more instantaneous, seamless and limitless than ever before."
What began with a single copper wire is now the nation's largest converged network of fiber and 5G wireless services – creating seamless connectivity at home, at work and on the go. One network, one company with connectivity you can depend on – guaranteed, or we make it right.
From calls and cords to bits and bytes
Today, our advanced network carries an exabyte of data – one billion gigabytes – on an average day. That's the equivalent of streaming billions of hours of video or trillions of songs – or like downloading every book ever written, thousands of times over, every single day.
- A century and a half after the first phone call, voice calls now make up a small portion of the traffic carried on our network, as text messages, data and video dominate modern communications.
- In fact, in 2025, approximately three times more texts than calls traveled over our network.
Alexander Graham Bell, inventor and entrepreneur
To honor the first phone call, we recognize the invention that changed the world, the genius of the man who brought it to life, and the many achievements of the company that resulted from this historic moment.
To celebrate this milestone, AT&T has donated $150,000 to The Alexander and Mabel Bell Legacy Foundation – honoring our founding innovator and supporting the foundation's ongoing educational work as it preserves Bell's legacy.
150 years of AT&T firsts
Bell's invention led to AT&T firsts, including the first trans-continental telephone call between New York and San Francisco in 1915 and the first trans-Atlantic call in 1927. Other firsts include:
- Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson answered the first satellite call, with an AT&T executive on the other end of the line. (1962)
- AT&T established the first 911 system to improve emergency response times. (1968)
- President Richard Nixon made the first call to the moon, reaching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on AT&T's network. (1969)
- AT&T installed the first fiber-optic telecom system underneath Chicago, after partnering with Corning to develop the first fiber-optic cable – transmitting information with light instead of electricity. (1977)
- AT&T partnered with the federal government to build FirstNet – America's public safety network. (2017)
- AT&T launched the AT&T Guarantee – AT&T is the first and only provider with a guarantee that includes both wireless and fiber service. (2025)
The Next Era of American Connectivity
AT&T is investing in the network America will rely on for the next 150 years. The company continues to notch firsts, stay ahead of the ever-increasing demand for high-speed uploads and downloads, and boosts America's global competitiveness. Here's how AT&T continues to lead the industry:
- Only AT&T offers a truly converged connectivity experience where fiber and wireless work as one.
- AT&T earned the first-ever Best Home Internet in the U.S. award by Ookla2.
- AT&T Fiber was also named America's Fastest Home Internet for the fourth consecutive time, also by Ookla3.
- AT&T's satellite collaboration with AST SpaceMobile will extend coverage into remote areas, fully integrated with our fiber-fed backbone.
- FirstNet, Built with AT&T, remains the nation's first and only network built with and for first responders.
- With AT&T Dynamic Defense®, we deliver the only network connectivity with comprehensive built-in security controls-securing work connections to the cloud to help stop malicious traffic before it gets to customers.
- AT&T leads in Industrial IoT and connected car connectivity, connecting 150 million devices across major industry sectors.
- AT&T connects over 80% of all connected cars4 in the U.S., and has added more than one million connected cars to our network for 41 consecutive quarters. 5
- AT&T is investing in its network for the AI age, knowing that the demand for low-latency, high-speed uploads and downloads will dramatically increase as autonomous vehicles, remote machinery and robotics come online at scale.
- AT&T's Wi-Fi Personalization delivers a tailored home Wi-Fi experience by learning and automatically prioritizing the activities important to customers.
- With AT&T's Turbo Live, customers can boost their data experience at live events to get the reliable connection they want, even in crowded venues.
Connectivity is no longer one-size-fits-all. AT&T will keep innovating to provide an experience that matches how customers live, work, and play; developing AI-driven solutions to anticipate needs and deliver new services when they matter; and evolving the network from infrastructure into an always-on experience engine. From one invention to today, AT&T's network performance makes it possible.
1 Based on analysis of AT&T Fiber by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data, 2H 2025.
2 Based on analysis of AT&T Fiber by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data, 2H 2025.
3 Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data, 2H 2025.
4 As of 4Q25, sourced from James Brehm & Associates market research reports.
5 As of 4Q25
About AT&T
We help more than 100 million U.S. families, friends and neighbors, plus nearly 2.5 million businesses, connect to greater possibility. From the first phone call 150 years ago to our 5G wireless and multi-gig internet offerings today, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. For more information about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), please visit us at about.att.com. Investors can learn more at investors.att.com.
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