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Telecommunications

KC is well-known for our telecom infrastructure and industry leadership. Ever heard of a little company called Sprint?

34,000 people are employed by telecom companies and related operations in the KC area.

Made in KC

• First automatic telephone exchange
• First fiber-optic network
• First completely digital PCS cellular network

Professional Organizations

• Kansas Telecommunications Industry Association
• Missouri Telecommunications Industry Association
• Association of Information Technology Professionals
• Mid-America Telecommunications Association
• AFCOM Greater Kansas City

MBA programs are offered at most colleges in the KC area. Visit Higher Education for a list of schools.

History

In the early days of telephone use, calls were connected by an operator.  Almon Strowger, a Kansas City undertaker, suspected his local operator was directing his calls to a competing undertaker.  Strowger’s annoyance with the operator system inspired him to create the first automatic telephone exchange.  On March 11, 1891, the patent arrived and became known as the “Strowger Switch.”  The Strowger Switch consisted of an automatic switchboard capable of bypassing human operators.

Strowger later founded the Strowger Automatic Telephone Exchange Company.  For years, the company held many patents that competed with telecommunications industry leaders.  In 1980, Automatic Telephone Exchange Company was bought by independent competitor General Telephone.  In 1989, the assets from the company were sold in a joint venture with AT&T and AG Communication Systems.   

One of Automatic Telephone Exchange’s competitors was Brown Telephone Company, formed in Kansas City by Cleysen Brown in 1899.  In November 1938, the company incorporated in Kansas as United Utilities, Inc., along with seven other telephone companies and Central Kansas Power.  United Utilities became the first major telephone system to offer state of the art dial service to all its customers. 

For the next few decades, the company underwent many integrations and mergers.  In June 1972, United Utilities became United Telecommunications.  In 1984, United Telecom teamed up with Consolidated Rail Corporation to begin installation of the first fiber-optic network.  United Telecom’s $2 billion investment was part of its plan to become a major industry name in long-distance service. 
Soon, GTE Corporation, a long time competitor, joined forces with United Telecom by contributing US Sprint to United Telecom’s fiber optic network and data communications arm.  The new long distance company, US Sprint, doubled its market by adding three million customers in nine months.  By 1990, United Telecom had been consolidated into the parent companies and to form Sprint Corporation.

During the 1990s, Sprint prided itself on “pin drop clarity,” which it boasted with the famous pin drop advertisements.  By 1996, Sprint implemented the first completely digital PCS cellular network.  By 2000, the network connected the United States to 70 countries worldwide.