Here are some of the telecommunications innovations of sixty years ago: 1957.
1) Community Dial Offices: An economical small size step-by-step unattended office for very small communities was developed in 1939 (type 355A). In 1957, upgrades continued, and there were 3,500 offices serving four million lines.2) Direct Distance Dialing: Upgrades for Panel and No. 1 Crossbar were developed with axuillary senders to allow those subscribers to dial long distance calls.
3) Centrex: A Bell committee determined that direct inward dialing, coupled with identified outward dialing, would be a powerful tool for business. 4) At Western Union, fax transmission and private teletype networks continued to expand. Local offices were modernized with fluorescent lighting, air conditioning, and a more customer- friendly appearance. A national advertising campaign, "It's Wise to Wire" was initiated.5) Research on transistors continued in many industries. Engineers studied different types, (i.e. "point contact", "junction"), and worked to develop ways to manufacture reliable transistors in quantity economically.