Final answer:
The telephone revolutionized communication, allowing for instant communication over long distances and leading to the rise of wireless technologies. It provided more choices, cheaper phone calls, and better-quality service.
Step-by-step explanation:
The telephone has been a transformative invention in the field of communication, greatly impacting businesses and customers. It allowed for instant communication over larger distances at any given time, making urban sprawl possible. By 1900, over 1.5 million telephones were in use in the United States, demonstrating its widespread adoption in society.
The growth of telephone networks replaced the telegraph as the preferred form of communication, and it eventually led to the decline of wired telephone systems and the rise of wireless technologies such as microwave transmission and communications satellites. These improvements in technology made phone calls cheaper, offered more consumer choice, and provided better-quality phone service.
While the basics of communication have remained the same, the telephone has revolutionized the way people connect and communicate with each other.