Final answer:
The word telephone in the sentence refers to a device that transformed communication by enabling instant communication over larger distances at any given time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The word telephone in the sentence means a device that allows communication over long distances. In the context of the sentence, it refers to the invention of the telephone in 1876, which greatly transformed communication both regionally and nationally. It replaced the telegraph and enabled instant communication over larger distances at any given time.