TAT-1 and Deregulation

Abstract

TAT-1, the first transatlantic telephone system, came into service in 1956. Its design was dominated by the need for reliability. Coincidentally, the process of the deregulation of the telephone industry began the very same year. This process has led to the current competitive environment. We speculate on the effect that competition would have had on design decisions. Our focus is upon a particular component, the flexible repeater.