Editing Swisscom (section)

===Pioneers (1852–1911)===
[[Switzerland]]'s entry into the [[telecommunication]]s era came in 1851, with the passage of legislation giving the [[Swiss government]] control over the development of a [[telegraph]] network throughout the country. The government's initial plans called for the creation of three primary [[Telegraphy|telegraph]] lines, as well as a number of secondary networks. In order to lay the infrastructural groundwork for the system, the government established the Atelier Fédéral de Construction des Télégraphes (Federal Workshop for the Construction of Telegraphs).

In July 1852, the first leg of the country's [[Telegraphy|telegraph]] system — between [[St. Gallen]] and [[Zürich]] — was operational. By the end of that year, most of the country's main cities had been connected to the telegraph system. In 1855, the network was extended with the first underwater cable, connecting [[Winkel, Switzerland|Winkel]]-[[Stansstad]] and [[Bauen]]-[[Flüelen]]. Night service was also launched that year, starting in [[Basel]], [[St. Gallen]] and [[Bellinzona]].

Telegraph traffic continued to rise in the following decade, but was nevertheless overtaken by the [[telephone]].

Switzerland's entry into the telephone age came in 1877, when the first experimental [[telephone line]]s appeared, starting with a line linking the post office building with the [[Federal Palace of Switzerland|Federal Palace]] and then with a link, using the existing [[Telegraphy|telegraph]] line, between [[Bern]] and [[Thun]]. The following year, the government passed legislation establishing a [[monopoly]] on the country's telephone network. By 1880, Switzerland's first private network had been created in Zürich. This was a central system with the capacity for 200 lines.

Basel, Bern and [[Geneva]] all launched their own local networks between 1881 and 1882. One year later, the first intercity telephone line was established, linking Zürich's private exchange with [[Winterthur]]'s public system. [[Telephone number]]s were introduced in 1890, replacing the initial system whereby callers had been able to ask for their party by name.

Switzerland began testing its first public [[Telephone booth|phone booths]] in 1904. Initially restricted to local calls, the public telephones allowed national calling for the first time in 1907.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/swisscom-ag-history/|title=History of Swisscom AG – FundingUniverse|website=www.fundinguniverse.com|language=en|access-date=2017-07-26}}</ref>