What fundamental conductive material was the immediate selection for early telephony infrastructure?
Answer
copper wire
The physical infrastructure required for early telephone lines was fundamentally dependent on copper wire. Because copper was already the established material of choice for the existing telegraph systems, it became the immediate and logical selection for the new telephone lines, as it provided the necessary conductive medium for transmitting the electrical impulses representing vocal sound waves. This reliance on physical metal lines dictated the speed and geographical limitations of the early network expansion, as building the system meant physically stringing this material across distances, often requiring significant civil engineering efforts and capital investment.
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