News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

First modular telephone jacks?

Started by Cole, August 08, 2019, 05:50:32 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Cole

I was just wondering, when were the first modular telephone jacks installed in homes? I've seen some telephones with those four prong plugs, but have never seen the jacks that match these.

My parent's home was built in 1976, and as far as I know it always had the modular jacks installed since it was built.

From what I can tell sometime in the 1970s is when telephones started having modular handset and line cords.

Key2871

Today's modular jacks were installed in various areas at different times. I think the modular jacks of today came out in 1974,75. But in my area of the North East, it wasn't the norm until 77, or so. I'm not sure why they were late, except maybe they wanted to get rid of the four pin stock remaining before full modular ?.
KEN

RotarDad

Great question Cole.  I'm always wondering about the history details as well...  I'm guessing the transition took time since there would have been a huge number of existing buildings to upgrade to the RJ11 jacks, and there would have been thousands of phones going through refurb shops that would get upgraded to modular, along with the new production.  It must have been mid-70s or so.  My only datapoint is a WE 2500 I have, all original, from April '81.  It is modular, and I'm pretty sure all new production was modular by that point.  Others here will know with more certainty, I'm sure.....
Paul

Stormcrash

There's a fun video from post breakup AT&T in 1984 extolling the virtues of upgrading your home to modular an Do-It-Yourself installation of your new telephone and accessories.  Shows that this was an ongoing transition right through the breakup. I suspect that switching to modular became a bigger deal after divestiture, as before then the phone company handled all of your jacks and wiring, so jacks were probably upgraded during service calls for phones that needed it, but after if you wanted to connect one of those new phones you could buy you would need to get jacks installed or, as AT&T was pushing, do it yourself

https://youtu.be/IphPS58ZUc8

Jack Ryan

I doubt that any building was upgraded to modular unless there was other work happening at the time. The adaptor market existed for decades while the jacks co-existed.
There are probably still hard wired telephones in use. The 4 pin jack was for a portable service - it was not the standard.

Modular line jacks were developed by Bell Labs and were introduced from (I think) 1972. Operating companies chose when they introduced them - there was no country wide introduction.

Modular jacks were used on handsets in the 1960s.

Jack
(the person)