Independent Telephone Company

An independent telephone company in the United States was a telephone company offering a local service that was not part of the Bell System group of companies, "Ma Bell" before 1984 the sale of Bell system or system break Bell. They usually operate in rural or less densely populated than the Bell operating companies.

Bell's patent second essential element for cell had expired January 30, 1894, and the way is now open for independent companies, although some had been established before that date. Strowger Automatic Telephone society Exchange was incorporated October 30, 1891. The first Strowger switch was commissioned November 3, 1892 in LaPorte, Indiana, with 75 subscribers and capacity 99.

 Independent manufacturing companies were created in 1894 Stromberg-Carlson and Kellogg Switchboard & Supply Company in 1897.

In 1903, when the Bell system had 1,278,000 subscribers on major exchanges in 1514, independents (excluding non-profit rural cooperatives) is about 2 million subscribers on exchange 6150. Later (see Western Electric) was estimated in 1300 that there were "independent telephone companies."

The size varies up small "mom and pop" businesses run by a husband and wife team, with the husband to work outside the lines and wife using a standard manual. Later, these small businesses have a class 5 switch local telephone service providing automatic (sometimes called Community Dial Office), probably manufactured by the Automatic Electric, Stromberg-Carlson or Standard & Kellogg Supply Company.

Large independent companies as GTE, Theodore Gary & Company, United Telecom, Contel and Centel like the Bell System with vertical integration. GTE was the largest non-RBOC National Telecommunications and included local operating companies, long line (without) companies and manufacturing companies.

In 1949 the Rural Electrification Authority (REA), now Rural Utilities Service, could provide assistance by telephone cooperatives to extend telephone service in rural areas.

The voice of smaller independent are the two magazines, and telephone Telephony Engineer and Management (M & TE), both of Chicago. The United States Independent Telephone Association (USITA), their association became the United States Telecom Association

Bryant Pond, Woodstock, Maine was known as having the last manual magneto (crank) PBX in America. The family company Bryant Pond Telephone is operated from a table with two magneto positions in the lounge owners, Barbara and Elden Hathaway. In 1981, the company was purchased by the Oxford County Telephone & Telegraph Company, proximity and largest independent auto service was provided in 1983.

In Canada, Bell Canada has a dominant position as a local service provider, particularly in eastern Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, and most of the independent telephone companies are British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.