Until Bill McGowan came on the scene in 1974, American Telephone and Telegraph had controlled all aspects of telephony in the United States through its monopoly position.

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Adults 18 years of age and older residing in the continental United States were interviewed by telephone.

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Now overseas, in places where there are no telephone lines, mobile broadband technology pioneered in wealthy countries like the United States and Japan is pulling entire areas into the 21st century.

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In 1960 a metal-coated plastic balloon 100ft across sent up by America's space agency was used by Bell to bounce telephone calls to distant destinations in the United States.

ECONOMIST: John Pierce

Many Peruvians have relatives in the United States, and can call them over the internet for less than half the normal telephone tariff.

BBC: Internet in the Amazon

Mrs Albright, in a stern telephone remonstration with American Jewish leaders last week, warned them that the United States might decide, out of frustration, to disengage from the peace process altogether.

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