Corded circuits were used in telephone exchanges to manually complete calls until computerized switching replaced it. Operators would plug cords into jacks to connect calls and could monitor conversations. Large companies also used private exchanges. The circuit had limitations, including a lack of privacy and the ability to handle only a limited number of calls at once.
A corded circuit is a telephone exchange in which connections are completed manually, with the wires plugged into the appropriate sockets. This approach to telecommunications was historically used in switchboards and interchanges to complete calls until the number of telephone subscribers and advances in technology made it obsolete. Today, computerized switching has replaced this mechanical approach in most regions of the world. Some examples of wired switchboards can be seen in settings such as movies and television shows set in a time when this technique was still in use.
An operator sitting at a switchboard has a number of outlets connected to local customers along with access to a trunk line for forwarding long distance calls. When a customer picks up the phone, a light comes on, letting the operator know that someone wants to complete a call. The operator plugs a cord into the customer’s jack and presses a talk key to speak directly to the customer and determine how to route the call. For local calls, the other end of the cable can be connected to the right jack. Long distance calls would require a connection to the trunk line and the major telecommunications system.
The cord circuit, in addition to being used by the telephone company at local exchanges and junctions, was also used by large companies with their own private exchanges. Such connections allowed companies to maintain a number of lines for workers, using them for both internal and external communication. At the telephone switchboard, operators were available to connect people in the office with each other, make outgoing calls, and process incoming calls.
These circuits provided a means of routing calls to a variety of locations, but there were some limitations. Operators could only handle so many calls at once and could be held back by available jacks or cables. As telecommunications subscribers grew in number, the cable circuit presented a number of obstacles. Customers might wait an unacceptably long time to make calls or they might not be able to place an order for telephone service because their local switchboard could not support them. Changes in technology have led to the adoption of other switching techniques to complete telephone calls.
A known drawback of the cable circuit, for customers, was the operator’s ability to monitor calls. Sometimes this was necessary to determine when to terminate the connection or to intervene in case of problems. It also resulted in a lack of privacy, as telephone operators could hear conversations over the cable loop.
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