The Communications Network of the Future (1986) - AT&T Archives

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 1 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 164

  • @apl175
    @apl175 12 років тому +83

    It's interesting that this level of technical detail was made available to the general public. Much better than the "dumbed down" approach we take today.

  • @varikvalefor
    @varikvalefor 5 років тому +37

    I do not doubt that the Bell System employed some of the most brilliant people whom the world has ever encountered.

    • @macdaddybill
      @macdaddybill Рік тому

      They were the backbone of the modern communications and internet, The smartest people in the room.

    • @thewhitefalcon8539
      @thewhitefalcon8539 Рік тому

      Bell, CERN, and, strangely enough, Xerox.

  • @marcharter839
    @marcharter839 4 роки тому +14

    I've been binge watching the AT&T archives. Wow just awesome 👍

    • @Tb0ne212
      @Tb0ne212 2 роки тому +1

      2 years later - doing the same thing :)

    • @jvolstad
      @jvolstad Рік тому +1

      Me too, via AT&T Fiber.

  • @DanaTheInsane
    @DanaTheInsane 7 років тому +83

    Bell Labs, where we used to make the future. RIP

    • @blackicerhythms
      @blackicerhythms 6 років тому +3

      I think it's more OSPF

    • @bobmister250
      @bobmister250 6 років тому +12

      Bell Labs is still around. Just owned by Nokia now. On a somewhat unrelated note; I kind of wish AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, Nokia, Comcast, Charter and CenturyLink were to merge and reform the Bell System. The scale would allow for potentially lower prices, regulated of course, as monopolies should be. It would also allow for better service, as universal fiber to the home would now be standard for everyone even in rural areas.

    • @cjmillsnun
      @cjmillsnun 6 років тому +7

      @@bobmister250 It is far from the organisation it was. I doubt they will ever make a groundbreaking discovery like the transistor again, nor will they create anything like UNIX.

    • @kevinhoward9593
      @kevinhoward9593 5 років тому +6

      Technically the Bell System was ripped apart. Bell Atlantic is now Verizon for instance.

    • @Nash1a
      @Nash1a 5 років тому +1

      My condolences to your loved ones.

  • @prfo5554
    @prfo5554 6 років тому +22

    Many of the concepts mentioned in this video, although some referred to by different names, are still taught in computer networking courses.

  • @viperch25
    @viperch25 4 роки тому +11

    i love how it starts with the line. "A phone in every home", and now we are at the point that there is a phone in every pocket

  • @Touchgrassplz
    @Touchgrassplz 6 років тому +18

    this is so awesome to watch in 2018. How we take daily computing for granted

  • @Flightstar
    @Flightstar 5 років тому +20

    11:34 Those "decades" have now melted into the past.

  • @am74343
    @am74343 4 роки тому +5

    I think this video from 1986 might be the earliest reference I've ever heard in which the term "multimedia" is used.
    Also: "Delays of only 10 or 20 milliseconds?" We still can't even get that today in the year 2020! LOL!

  • @gary5831
    @gary5831 5 років тому +5

    Worked on some of those projects. Now just historic relics of a once great company that turn to dust.

    • @bayareanewman1566
      @bayareanewman1566 4 роки тому

      gary s That’s interesting Gary! We’re they developing the OSI 7 layer model? Was any of the packet switching the developed used today that you know of?

  • @RicardoBanffy
    @RicardoBanffy 6 років тому +7

    Extra points for the demo on the Symbolics Lisp machines and for the Unix PC

  • @TheArtyBartfast
    @TheArtyBartfast 3 роки тому +1

    Ironically, the talking head in this video sounds exactly like David Byrne in "True Stories"

  • @thornmountain8129
    @thornmountain8129 2 роки тому +1

    Pre cursor to ISDN-BRI but it was almost obsolete as soon as it was introduced in 1988. It was quickly phased out by emerging DSL technology. ISDN-PRI technology is still used but is being phased out in favor of lower cost SIP-VOIP technology; or in layman's terms voice over the internet.

  • @unbiased1
    @unbiased1 2 роки тому +3

    This video shows that the AT&T already had Gbit capabilities back in the 80's. They speak in terms we still use today. As I always say, there's hardly anything that we have nowadays that wasn't already thought of or done in the 80's. See computer learning at 10:10 on the screens behind the speaker.

  • @GodEmperorSuperStar
    @GodEmperorSuperStar Рік тому +1

    You can see an AT&T PC 7300 (doesn't have an Intel CPU), Eighth Edition UNIX (UNIX v8) and Datakit networking.

  • @andresz1606
    @andresz1606 2 роки тому +1

    03:20 that guy predicted Google Docs 30 years ahead of its time.

  • @markarca6360
    @markarca6360 3 роки тому +1

    8:49 - Siri and Alexa: Are we a joke to you?

  • @Raspredval1337
    @Raspredval1337 6 років тому +7

    its so nostalgic to see the their images of the future from our side. And kinda creepy

  • @shomonercy
    @shomonercy 8 років тому +13

    This was pretty much state of the art up until DSL became mainstream around 2000 or so, but with GUIs and browsers. Those guys basically already had access to VCS systems (or at least could share diffs over the net). Today we have all sorts of tools nobody knows how to use properly. Similar stuff with speech synth, pretty good for the day- I mean 1986!!!- and it's still pretty crappy today.
    Some things don't seem to evolve, instead everybody's just watching crap videos on Facebook and stuff.

  • @JerryDLTN
    @JerryDLTN 7 років тому +21

    1:25 "pictures also"...I want to see the person calling from "Windows Technical Support" that calls me to tell me that my computer has a virus and wants to help me.

    • @DataWaveTaGo
      @DataWaveTaGo 5 років тому

      Better yet, a punch_in_the_face feature ...

    • @markarca6360
      @markarca6360 3 роки тому +1

      From Mumbai and Bangalore, INDIA.

    • @julerobb1
      @julerobb1 3 роки тому

      Microsoft will not call you to tell you your computer has a virus. Its a scammer. Anyone with half a brain who can put 2 and 2 together would know this.

  • @Robinzano
    @Robinzano 4 роки тому +1

    What an amazing look back of where our technology started!

  • @kd1s
    @kd1s 12 років тому +4

    Love the snap of C code at 17 seconds.

  • @jkvelasquez84
    @jkvelasquez84 2 роки тому +1

    This stuff is interesting. Certainly a lot more interesting than a tiktok "celebrity" eating food.

  • @kevincaldwell4707
    @kevincaldwell4707 5 років тому +3

    Were these videos available to watch back in the 80's? it would have been cool to watch them in the day.

  • @calif1mc
    @calif1mc 10 років тому +2

    Thanks for this! I started my Freshman Year at Covina High in SoCal in September of 1986.

    • @Chris_at_Home
      @Chris_at_Home 3 роки тому

      Did you study electronics? I was an electronics tech for years and then went into doing communications in 1989. I retired from these guys doing satellite,microwave and fiber optics.

  • @tombrunila2695
    @tombrunila2695 4 роки тому

    I really like this channel! The fact that the concept was so far developed 35 years ago! Only the the hardware and the software is different, what these do is described in this video!

  • @zaner392
    @zaner392 9 років тому +11

    The ironic part about watching this video is that I am using a Verizon internet provider.

  • @clearjet
    @clearjet 9 років тому +13

    34 other Nerds and I liked this video.

  • @Dcook85
    @Dcook85 6 років тому +5

    1:17 fast forward to day where CoD kids are screeching at each other as they 360 no-scope each other.

  • @James_Knott
    @James_Knott 2 роки тому +1

    Years ago, I worked for the company that provided the Telnet X.25 network in Canada. This was years before the Internet became popular. Also, back then, ISDN was supposed to take over things like phones and FAX, as well as other data. For some reason, it didn't take off in North America, so while primary rate ISDN was used a lot, basic rate was rare. It was about 20 years after this video that I first saw voice over IP.

  • @Fredrovicius
    @Fredrovicius 5 років тому +5

    At the end of this video they were dreaming of a world where Siri and Amazon and Google assistants could understand our voice and give us the answers we needed.

  • @prfo5554
    @prfo5554 6 років тому +8

    7:23 Symbolics Lisp Machine spotted.

  • @jvolstad
    @jvolstad Рік тому

    I am watching this video over AT&T Fiber. Nice.

  • @keirthomas-bryant6116
    @keirthomas-bryant6116 6 місяців тому

    Grateful Dead song "Ripple" on the screen at 3:22.

  • @Nico93
    @Nico93 11 років тому +5

    the early days of Skype conversations basicly.

  • @Minalkra
    @Minalkra 2 роки тому +1

    Sooo ... how much of this actually made it out of the lab? Concurrent question, how much of this formed some sort of basis for modern technology? Lastly, if any of this formed the beginnings of modern packet transmission, how much of it was utilized in the standards that were adopted later (or the descendant technology perhaps is a better question)?

    • @macdaddybill
      @macdaddybill Рік тому

      Actually all their work was the genesis of todays modern communications

  • @georgef551
    @georgef551 6 років тому +8

    Phones that can send voice, and receive data, and pictures, the size of a 12-inch by 8-inch PC board? Wow, so small!
    Imagine being able to do all that with something that can fit in your pocket! I know, Witchcraft.

  • @metalicana5894
    @metalicana5894 2 роки тому

    That last guy nailed it

  • @switchjim
    @switchjim 3 роки тому +1

    6:40 Watch this and remember it when later, you hear the new Cortana, Alexa, Siri, Google whatever personal assistant AI speak like a person who gets to personally know all about you, personally, as you live together and bond over the years, until you leave her for a future, younger, totally cool and positively upbeat, cheerful T-mobile personal assistant

  • @Gaeadragon
    @Gaeadragon 2 роки тому

    Bob sure is lucky to be working at AT&T. Real Lucky! As a side note he just recently died in March 2022.

  • @GeekBoy03
    @GeekBoy03 8 років тому

    Ol' Bob has his own web site (his name .com) shows he retired from AT&T in 2002. Though the site looks a bit dated from around 2000. He did update some info in 2013.Looking at his CV, he has done a lot , than just appear in the Bell Labs video.

  • @Hubjeep
    @Hubjeep 2 роки тому

    10:10 Speaking of speech recognition, in the early 2000's when I typed with two fingers, I picked up IBM Via Voice software complete with headset to write a long term paper. Worked great! Basically read the text book in my own words, lol. Back then professors were threatening to enter term papers into a program to detect plagiarism. I don't think that ever happened. Not that I cut and pasted anything.

  • @capsitan
    @capsitan 5 років тому

    Does anyone know which protocols and or codecs these phones and old switches used?

  • @ema9027
    @ema9027 Рік тому +1

    The beginning of voip telephone

  • @DuplicatedOnce
    @DuplicatedOnce 12 років тому +2

    More InfoQuest Center Stuff Please!

  • @Kurzula5150
    @Kurzula5150 3 роки тому

    Computer speech recognition in the real word:
    "Open the pod bay doors, Hal."
    "I'm sorry, I didn't understand. Could you please repeat the phrase."
    "Open the pod bay doors, Hal."
    "I'm sorry, I didn't understand. Could you please repeat the phrase."
    "Nuts to you."
    "Which type and size of nuts do you require?"

  • @BigEightiesNewWave
    @BigEightiesNewWave 4 роки тому +3

    When you needed a suit to use a PC.

  • @jonascameron
    @jonascameron 5 років тому

    They looked at our boy @ 2:20 and said - YES! This is the guy that is going to deliver the message.

  • @aderek79
    @aderek79 3 роки тому

    Whenever you are watching this video it will only be a relatively short matter of time before your cutting-edge, modern technology is just as antiquated as this tech.

  • @ChristopherUSSmith
    @ChristopherUSSmith 7 років тому +11

    2:13 Wow, a VoIP phone in 1986! :O

    • @jonathanjensen189
      @jonathanjensen189 6 років тому +5

      Did you see all the processor chips on the bottom of that thing when he flipped it over? lol...

    • @ChristopherUSSmith
      @ChristopherUSSmith 6 років тому +3

      Jonathan Jensen At least it wasn't vacuum tubes. LOL :)

    • @bayareanewman1566
      @bayareanewman1566 4 роки тому +2

      Accept I don’t think it was “IP” it was data yes, but not the IP protocol they were using

  • @jacobdunn82
    @jacobdunn82 4 роки тому

    Whilst I came here because I have a great interest in the history and development of communications networks I have to say, Bob Lucky has awesome hair.

  • @dogmakarma
    @dogmakarma 9 років тому +14

    Prior comments on this video seem to completely miss the point that they are talking about is now called "IP" technology, which is the backbone of the Internet and ALL communications today! THIS WAS REALLY ADVANCED STUFF IN 1986!! Very forward-thinking but, like all other U.S. companies in the era, it was initially ignored as a technical novelty.

    • @Frisenette
      @Frisenette 9 років тому +3

      No it was not very advanced. Packet networks had been thought up and done for some twenty years at the time.

    • @ChristopherUSSmith
      @ChristopherUSSmith 7 років тому +4

      Dogmakarma Store ARPAnet had been operating for 17 years when this video was recorded, and was about to form the backbone of the internet.

    • @davidmichelson6828
      @davidmichelson6828 6 років тому +2

      Actually, Bob seems to be talking about ATM or Asynchronous Transfer Mode technology.

    • @thejoelpatrol
      @thejoelpatrol 5 років тому +1

      Not really. Bell Labs was doing research on TCP/IP in the 80s, like a lot of people, and maybe the switching fabric they designed could be repurposed for that, but that is not what they're describing here. When SIP/RTP and other VOIP technology was developed in the 90s, it wasn't immediately obvious that it would take over. IP wasn't originally envisioned to be good for that.

  • @markarca6360
    @markarca6360 3 роки тому

    Google Assistant, Apple Siri and Amazon Alexa are the modern-day realization of these researches.

  • @oprahwinfrey878
    @oprahwinfrey878 8 років тому +2

    These systems communication rate fluctuated at roughly 4 - 300 (and maybe 800) BAUD. To give you an idea of how painstakingly slow these modems were, A modern day dial-up modem -- connected to POTS -- can generate speeds up to 56,000 BAUD (56K). And we all know go delayed these speeds were/are. If you want to relive this utterly mind blowing connection speed, you could pick up a 300 BAUD modem on eBay or you purchase a satellite phone connected to Iridiums network. This satellite network -- which took off in 1997 -- supported data speeds up to 2.4 Kbps (2,400 BAUD) and is still currently used to this very day.

    • @MaximRecoil
      @MaximRecoil 6 років тому +3

      "A modern day dial-up modem -- connected to POTS -- can generate speeds up to 56,000 BAUD (56K)"
      No. A 56 kbps modem is typically 8,000 baud. It sends 7 bits per signal transition, which equals 56,000 bits per second.

    • @thewhitefalcon8539
      @thewhitefalcon8539 Рік тому

      The internet has a lot more bloat nowadays

    • @jvolstad
      @jvolstad Рік тому +1

      I remember my first Hayes Smartmodem. 2400 baud! 👍

  • @jeremychildrey6357
    @jeremychildrey6357 4 роки тому

    Glad how technology is now compared to then

  • @jmp01a24
    @jmp01a24 7 місяців тому

    "...it's decades away" - well, he was proven right on that one.

  • @rezn66
    @rezn66 6 років тому +3

    ALGORITHMS?! Wait, did he just say algorithms?! For 10 years?!

  • @BrokebackBob
    @BrokebackBob 8 років тому +24

    So much of this was wasted because it does not conform in any way to the DARPA produced TCP/IP standard. Bell lost the game because they would not think of voice and data and television etc as just data. Sad.

    • @cjmillsnun
      @cjmillsnun 6 років тому +3

      It was used in Lucent and Avaya phones for years.

    • @MrPDTaylor
      @MrPDTaylor 5 років тому +1

      Exactly what I was about to type before I saw your comment.

    • @gregorymalchuk272
      @gregorymalchuk272 5 років тому +5

      Yeah, it's kind of funny how all of these videos celebrated the latest semiconductor technology and then used it to push some fairly dumb voice telephone product. They did not seem grasp what the internet would bring.

    • @bayareanewman1566
      @bayareanewman1566 4 роки тому

      Did they not use the OSI model (the 7 layers) ?

  • @IsItEarthYet
    @IsItEarthYet 10 років тому +27

    How did they go from this to porn so quickly?

    • @IsItEarthYet
      @IsItEarthYet 10 років тому +7

      so you enjoyed your 16 low-res smut back in the day did you....

    • @jamesb8305
      @jamesb8305 9 років тому +10

      Hell, even the Atari 2600 had X-rated games.

    • @allmc2008
      @allmc2008 8 років тому

      +James Babaniotis LOL

    • @GeekBoy03
      @GeekBoy03 8 років тому +2

      Leisure Suite Larry!

    • @JimInTally
      @JimInTally 8 років тому +5

      Every new technology that involves use of graphic images has quickly been adopted by porn. Porn sells. It's just the way of the world. If one is tempted to think it is something new, unique to the West, you should view the movie A Passage to India, in its full, uncensored version.

  • @jmp01a24
    @jmp01a24 7 місяців тому

    14:47 well it took 30 years before Amazon & Google managed to implement this into one system.

  • @AgentOffice
    @AgentOffice 3 роки тому

    Add more packets

  • @ForbiddenMagic
    @ForbiddenMagic 2 роки тому

    i laughted so hard hen the computer spoke and she said "that is state of the art speach synthesis" xD Also thought i recognize all that hardware from DEC - it was partly buying such things at thrift stores in the 90s that led to me to become a self taught embedded systems engineer creating demos and reference and research systems - a field i've been absent from but hope to return to soon ... i miss having white boards full of concepts and ideas and working with emerging technologies which later become commonplace.. it is a really satisfying feeling and experience i am greatful to have and hopefully soon will have again...

  • @Chrissy4605
    @Chrissy4605 3 роки тому

    Cellular has changed the world!!! But without the research and designs bu AT&T and Western Electric the cellular networks couldn't work!!!

  • @macicana64
    @macicana64 5 років тому +1

    Bell Labs is the real Skynet!

  • @DataWaveTaGo
    @DataWaveTaGo 5 років тому +2

    at 0:32, when men started the puffed_up_hair_look.

  • @vzwopx
    @vzwopx 3 роки тому

    Too bad this never took off :(

  • @phasorsystems6873
    @phasorsystems6873 4 роки тому

    Hello could you test this software? Search for androidcircuitsolver on google!

  • @Jonathan_O
    @Jonathan_O 5 років тому +1

    That hair!

  • @stanpatterson5033
    @stanpatterson5033 5 років тому

    It doesn't have to be like this. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.

  • @gooddayhuman
    @gooddayhuman 4 роки тому

    I am SAM. The software automated mouth for your Commodore 64 compyooooooter.

  • @oprahwinfrey878
    @oprahwinfrey878 8 років тому +1

    And the end products are automated systems and Siri haha

  • @christianitis
    @christianitis 4 роки тому +1

    12:27 "very basic research"

  • @erin19030
    @erin19030 6 років тому +7

    What hath God wrought?

    • @Dan-tv1sm
      @Dan-tv1sm 5 років тому +1

      I think that was applied to the 19th century telegraph. Not the phone.

  • @DelilahThePig
    @DelilahThePig 6 років тому

    Sounds like VoIP over dry loop DSL.

  • @JerryDLTN
    @JerryDLTN 7 років тому +1

    1:05 81 y/o now

  • @TestTubeBabySpy
    @TestTubeBabySpy 9 років тому +2

    even today with things like siri, i cant get it to understand me, the early siri just cold not understand the word pyramid or excel, mabe its my midwest accent,,,eyaxent lol

  • @JimInTally
    @JimInTally 8 років тому +2

    Watching that in 2016, one is amazed at how ancient it seems. It's practically the stone age of computers. Tempus fugit!

  • @sheiladikshit5110
    @sheiladikshit5110 3 роки тому

    the network of the future:
    63% porn
    28% abusing strangers online
    9% trolling

  • @Chris_at_Home
    @Chris_at_Home 3 роки тому

    This is funny. I worked for them and they used your voice for security purposes. My voice is real deep and it hardly ever worked.

  • @markarca6360
    @markarca6360 3 роки тому

    14:35 - Google: Am I a joke to you?

  • @csegura26
    @csegura26 6 років тому +1

    Bob is lucky

  • @svensubunitnillson1568
    @svensubunitnillson1568 5 років тому

    let's tunnel it over a tunnel over a tunnel over another tunnel.

  • @anthonym612
    @anthonym612 4 роки тому

    @15:00 - The basic premise of Siri

  • @Eddiecurrent2000
    @Eddiecurrent2000 8 років тому +6

    And Crapple would have us believe that they're solely responsible for speech recognition (well they'd like to).....

    • @DanaTheInsane
      @DanaTheInsane 7 років тому

      Apple NEVER claimed to INVENT speech recognition. But they have made serious strides in development.

    • @Maskddingo
      @Maskddingo 6 років тому

      I personally have never heard anyone attribute speech recognition to Apple at all, let alone give them "sole credit". Obviously, speech recognition was around long before Apple started using it in their phones. I don't know how anyone could make that mistake.

  • @scotty3034
    @scotty3034 4 роки тому

    This looks like it was made by Tim and Eric.

  • @jeremychildrey6357
    @jeremychildrey6357 4 роки тому

    All while watching this on a Samsung Galaxy S10E that has way more computing power than anything imaginable in 1986🤣

  • @mrbrent62
    @mrbrent62 7 років тому +2

    We use Skype at work. so VoIP

  • @ezraepirus2308
    @ezraepirus2308 8 років тому

    I understand that it was the 80s but that hair style looks like a helmet. Anyway, I really enjoy watching these older AT&T videos. I wish that I could find some for companies like Data General and Texas Instruments.

  • @ianirvingthorsonc
    @ianirvingthorsonc Рік тому

    Does anyone think these guys are revolting in their graves, seeing what their creativity and technology is being used for today? Like spying in customers , pure company profit etc etc😢

  • @NortelGeek
    @NortelGeek 6 років тому +1

    Now we have SIP :)

    • @Steveos312
      @Steveos312 5 років тому

      POTS over IP? meh...

  • @absolutely1337
    @absolutely1337 19 днів тому

    chat gpt is now neutered so it doesn't become sentient.

  • @ChlyDoris
    @ChlyDoris 6 років тому +2

    Hey Siri

    • @Rosarium2007
      @Rosarium2007 5 років тому

      15:10 - prediction of Siri's existence
      Edited to add that Siri launched on 4 October 2011, a quarter of a century after this video was made.

  • @bmcutright
    @bmcutright 10 місяців тому

    All these people trying to develop speech recognition, just for us to yell "Representative!" at it

  • @sallyvillarreal4294
    @sallyvillarreal4294 6 років тому

    Everyone is talking science, I’m still not over this guy’s toupee. Am I the crazy, or does that look like a rug?

    • @ModMokkaMatti
      @ModMokkaMatti 5 років тому

      It's like a bunny in a field of muskrats having a surprise party for the woolly mammoth.

  • @l27tester
    @l27tester 2 роки тому

    I can't even spell SIP, lol

  • @johneygd
    @johneygd 8 років тому +2

    Network of the future or voice & speech recognition of the future?? anyway hanks at&t, we now have sirl etc,,,,

  • @cobaltblue1975
    @cobaltblue1975 6 років тому

    They were right about the speech recognition taking decades. And its still not perfect. They key turned out out to be Machine learning, and millions of input samples.

  • @briandecker8403
    @briandecker8403 8 років тому +3

    "Speech Independent Recognition" = SIRi for all you millennials out there:)

  • @greensombrero3641
    @greensombrero3641 6 років тому

    Taco Bell Labs does more these days.

  • @ianirvingthorsonc
    @ianirvingthorsonc Рік тому

    Seems like before, people created new technology. NOW, people only create new crap that uses old technology 😕