Remove ads
Speed dial was a function available on many telephone systems allowing the user to place a call by pressing a reduced number of keys. This function is particularly useful for phone users who dial certain numbers on a regular basis.
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2017) |
In most cases, the user stores these numbers in the phone's memory for future use. The speed dial numbers were usually accessed by pressing a predetermined key or keys on the phone, followed by a one or two-digit code which the user assigned to each number; however for ease of use, on many systems a call may be placed by pressing and holding one key on the numeric keypad.
Speed dialing was also available via Custom Calling features from the Telephone Company's Central Office. The numbers were programmed by the subscriber through the standard telephone dial, and speed dial calls were placed by dialing simply the digit and waiting a few seconds on a standard rotary dial phone and an older 10 key Touch Tone phone, or by dialing the number and the # key to instantly connect the call on a modern 12 key Touch Tone phone.
Most mobile phones used to have a contact list feature which provides similar abilities although most have an instant call button which only requires one click.
Remove ads
The capability for speed dial historically dates at least as far back as the Number One Electronic Switching System (1ESS) in 1965.[1][2] Other early "instant dialers" dating back to 1972 also included punched card machines[3] and magnetic tape machines.[4]
Metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) integrated circuit (IC) telephone technology enabled speed dialing on push-button telephones in the early 1970s. MOS memory chips were used to store phone numbers, which could then be used for speed dialing at the push of a button.[5][6][7] This was demonstrated by the British companies Pye TMC, Marconi-Elliott and GEC in 1970.[5][6] Between 1971 and 1973, the American company Bell Laboratories develop a push-button MOS telephone called the "Touch-O-Matic" phone, which could store up to 32 phone numbers. This was made possible by the low cost, low power requirements, small size and high reliability of MOS transistors, over 15,000 of which were contained on ten IC chips, including one chip for logic, one for the dial interface, and eight for memory.[8]
Remove ads
Remove ads
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
Remove ads