Where and when was the first official telephone exchange established for dynamic multi-party connections?
Answer
New Haven, Connecticut, in January 1878
The transition from a simple point-to-point connection to a functioning network required the development of an exchange system. The first official telephone exchange, which enabled multiple subscribers to connect dynamically rather than requiring only a dedicated two-wire link between two fixed locations, was established in New Haven, Connecticut. This significant infrastructural milestone occurred in January 1878, nearly two years after the initial successful voice transmission, indicating the substantial engineering challenge involved in moving beyond experimental proof of concept to public service capability.
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