COMPANYHISTORIES
SIC 4812

Radio Telephone Communications

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

16companies1880–1995founding years14still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedOhio Bell Telephone Company
1880
FoundedFrance Telecom Group
1889
FoundedFrontier Corp.
1899
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1925
EconomyThe Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting from Nashville.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedGray Communications Systems, Inc.
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedBouygues S.A.
1952
1956
TechnologyThe first transatlantic telephone cable opens.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedComcast CorporationFoundedTelephone and Data Systems, Inc.
1969
TechnologyARPANET, the internet's precursor, goes live.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedPaging Network Inc.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedAmeritech CorporationFoundedBell Atlantic Corporation
1983
FoundedAirTouch Communications
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedGeotek Communications Inc.
1985
FoundedNextel Communications, Inc.
1987
FoundedMobile Telecommunications Technologies Corp.
1988
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedU S West, Inc.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
TechnologyGPS opens to civilian use, turning location into a utility.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Metromedia Company →
Active
Metromedia Company has emerged over the past decade as one of the largest private concerns in the United States, with…
Ohio Bell Telephone Company →
Active · founded 1880
Ohio Bell Telephone Company, as a part of the Ameritech Corporation, provides local-exchange and limited long-distance…
France Telecom Group →
Defunct · founded 1889 · France
The fourth largest telecommunications corporation in the world, France Telecom Group is also one of the last remaining…
Frontier Corp. →
Active · founded 1899
Confined to upstate New York for most of the century, Rochester Telephone became Frontier Corp.
Gray Communications Systems, Inc. →
Active · founded 1946
Established in 1946 by James H.
Bouygues S.A. →
Active · founded 1952 · France
Bouygues S.A.
Comcast Corporation →
Active · founded 1969
Comcast Corporation is a leading cable, telecommunications, and entertainment firm.
Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., or TDS, is one of the most highly praised telecommunications enterprises in the…
Paging Network Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
Paging Network Inc., known as PageNet, is the largest provider of wireless digital messaging services in the United…
Ameritech Corporation →
Active · founded 1983
Ameritech Corporation is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the United States.
Bell Atlantic Corporation →
Active · founded 1983
Bell Atlantic Corporation is growing ever-more prominent in U.S.
AirTouch Communications →
Active · founded 1984
AirTouch Communications, one of the world's leading wireless telecommunications organizations, serves the needs of over…
Geotek Communications Inc. →
Active · founded 1985
Geotek Communications Inc.
Nextel Communications, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1987
Founded originally to develop mobile telephone service on existing radio bands, Nextel Communications, Inc.
Mobile Telecommunications Technologies Corp. →
Active · founded 1988
A pioneer in wireless communications, Mobile Telecommunications Technologies Corp.
U S West, Inc. →
Active · founded 1995
The "new" U S West, Inc.
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