6. Switchboard Operations
Telephonists manually connecting calls—a familiar sight for much of the 20th century—vanished with the automation of telecommunications. Operator-assisted local calls and switchboard rooms are now part of telephone history. The introduction of automatic telephone exchanges, such as the Strowger switch in 1891, significantly reduced the need for manual switchboard operations. By the mid-20th century, electronic switching systems further automated the process, leading to the obsolescence of manual switchboard operations (history.com).
