List of historical British telcos explained
This list of historical British telcos is a list of telecommunications companies that either existed prior to British Telecom's (BT) privatisation, or, if created subsequently to BT's privatisation, took over telecoms networks that existed prior to the privatisation.
BT and predecessors
These are the early British telecommunications companies that were nationalised by the British government, the nationalised government organisations that succeeded them, and the privatisation entity that in turn succeeded those.
Telegraph companies
Between 1846 and 1868, that is, from the formation of the first company until the announcement of nationalisation, 64 telegraph companies were formed. However, 68% of them failed, and only a handful of them grew to any significant size.[1]
Telephone companies
- Corporation of Glasgow Telephone Department
- Edison Telephone Company of London Limited
- Lancashire and Cheshire Telephonic Exchange Company Limited
- London and Globe Telephone Maintenance Company
- National Telephone Company
- Northern District Telephone Company
- Telephone Company Limited (Bell's Patents)
- United Telephone Company
- Western Counties and South Wales Telephone Company
Nationalised successors
Post-privatisation
Early BT competitors
See also
External links
- Distant Writing - The History of the Telegraph Companies in Britain between 1838 and 1868
- https://web.Archive.org/web/20100527143141/http://www.BTplc.com/Thegroup/BTsHistory/History.htm
Notes and References
- Kieve, Jeffrey L., The Electric Telegraph: A Social and Economic History, p. 96, David and Charles, 1973 .
