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Still a niche communications medium: The diffusion and uses of the telephone system in interwar Britain

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  • Peter Scott

Abstract

This article examines the socio-economic diffusion of the telephone in interwar Britain and its dominant uses. Even in the late 1930s the top 5% of the income distribution still constituted the majority of residential subscribers. Meanwhile, in contrast to the United States and Canada, British telephone use remained largely restricted to brief, informational, and relatively urgent calls. This can be partially explained in terms of Britain's high telephone charges. However, cultural factors also appear significant, particularly the impact of previous slow diffusion and high charges in inhibiting ‘social learning’ regarding using the phone for in-depth conversations.

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  • Peter Scott, 2011. "Still a niche communications medium: The diffusion and uses of the telephone system in interwar Britain," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(6), pages 801-820, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:bushst:v:53:y:2011:i:6:p:801-820
    DOI: 10.1080/00076791.2011.578131
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    Cited by:

    1. Thanos Fragkandreas, 2022. "Three Decades of Research on Innovation and Inequality: Causal Scenarios, Explanatory Factors, and Suggestions," Working Papers 60, Birkbeck Centre for Innovation Management Research, revised Feb 2022.

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