The Telex Network: A Revolutionary Communication System of the Past

Telex was a teleprinter network used for sending written messages over a distance. It was invented in the 1920s and became widely used in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly for business communications. The telex network allowed users to send typed messages to other locations, often over long distances, using a series of teleprinter machines connected by dedicated phone lines.

Telexes were an important means of communication before the advent of electronic mail (email) and facsimile (fax) technology. They were used by businesses, governments, and other organizations to send urgent messages, such as contracts, invoices, and other documents, over long distances. The telex network was also used for news agencies to transmit news stories and other written material between locations.

Telexes were typically sent using a special type of printer called a teleprinter, which printed the message on a roll of paper. The message was transmitted over a dedicated phone line, and the recipient could receive the message by connecting their own teleprinter to the same line. The telex network was operated by specialized companies, such as Western Union and IBM, which provided the equipment and connections needed to send and receive telexes.

Telexes have largely been replaced by email and other electronic communication methods, but they remain an important part of the history of communication technology.