As usual, searching across the Internet about a simple enough subject results in having to navigate an assault course of AI answers, absolutely none of which relate to the question.

Question being "When did domestic telephones become commonplace in Western homes?"

As far as I can fathom through the chaff and untruths the answer is middle 1920s. Sounds about right. So a hundred years or so, give or take. From around one in two to one in four homes, depending upon location and local affluence or otherwise, more urban, fewer in rural areas were connected to a telephone system.
                arrow_up_icon.gif Favourite telephone Answerphone messages Click and suffer. Don't say we didn't warn you!

Seems strange to me then that although being obliged, for business reasons where Internet Service providers, Microsoft 'Code Signers', Chamber of Commerce, Dunn and Bradstreet, le bureau des impôts and others insist we have a telephone landline, we never actually use our business 'phone line, other than for picking up to answer displayed known numbers. I couldn't even tell you our own 'phone numbers, home or business. 99.9% of our customers across 140 countries do not know our telephone number either. Nor do they ask or seem to search for it. More than happy to accept our business policy of having a written Email record of all communications. We also have no need for high pressure phone selling tactics.

I have a mobile, for essential Emails. Other than my wife no one knows its number. Not even me. I could discover it if ever I can be bothered navigating the plethora of obstacles Samsung, along with the device's attrociously badly designed, poorly written Android operating system put in the way of doing so. I guess the number appears on the monthly bill but I haven't read one in 25 years. Payments are made by Direct Debit.

We don't use any Anti-social media either. Not interested in fake news, Global Warming myths, AI generated nudification or gossip.

The reason we don't 'use' the landline, as such, is due to nuisance calls. The never ending stream of insurance and double glazing sales calls. So, so, technically easy for service providers to block. So, so simple for governments to outlaw, but they either don't or won't. A cent or a penny per call dialled, whether answered or not, would put an end to digitalised machine serial dialling once and for all. Good idea or what?

Mistral's commitment:
Bringing benefits of computerisation to our RAC industry - without the commonly associated problems.

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