The internet isn't as fast as it used to be

Summary

This script narrates the history and rebirth of AT&T's Long Lines, a Cold War-era microwave relay network that revolutionized communication by enabling transcontinental calls and live streams. Initially abandoned, the network's strategic towers were repurposed for various uses, including high-speed trading, where a latency reduction from 7ms to 4.2ms translated to significant profits. The script also touches on the impact of mass communication on society and promotes Ground News for unbiased news access.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The 'finance bros' of Wall Street repurposed Cold War microwave relay technology to achieve high-speed trading, effectively doubling the speed of fiber optic internet and making substantial profits.
• 📡 Long Lines, developed by AT&T, was an extensive network of microwave towers that carried transcontinental phone calls, live streams of the Moon landings, and early dial-up internet before being abandoned.
• 🔍 The script delves into the technical aspects of microwave communication, including the use of parabolic antennas to focus signals into a narrow beam for long-distance transmission.
• 🔄 Multiplexing technology was crucial for the Long Lines network, allowing it to support thousands of simultaneous calls by combining multiple signals onto a single carrier frequency.
• 🏭 The construction of the Long Lines network began with concrete towers post-World War II and evolved to include metal towers as steel manufacturing improved.
• 🛰️ The Cold War prompted the government to demand more advanced, secure, and nuclear-proof communication stations from AT&T, leading to further development of the network.
• 📈 By the 1970s, the Long Lines network was handling over a million long-distance calls daily, significantly reducing call costs and expanding access beyond major cities.
• 📊 The network's success led to its eventual obsolescence as new technologies like TV satellites and fiber optics emerged, offering even greater capacity and efficiency.
• 🚀 Dan Mannisto, a former aerospace engineer turned financier, utilized the Long Lines infrastructure for high-speed trading by setting up a faster microwave link between financial centers, achieving a significant reduction in latency.
• 💡 The script highlights the repurposing of the Long Lines towers for various modern uses, such as cell phone equipment and fiber optic relay stations, demonstrating the enduring legacy of the network.
• 🌐 The story concludes with a reflection on the impact of Long Lines on communication infrastructure and a call to keep exploring and understanding the technological advancements that shape our world.

Q & A

What was the key discovery made by the finance professionals on Wall Street in March 2011?

They found a way of transferring information at twice the velocity of fiber optic internet, repurposing a Cold War microwave relay network called Long Lines, originally developed by AT&T.

What was the original purpose of the Long Lines network developed by AT&T?

The Long Lines network was initially developed to carry transcontinental phone calls, live stream events like the Moon landings, and provide dial-up internet service.

How did early telephone communication work between cities, and what were its limitations?

Early telephone communication relied on copper cables and switchboard operators to manually connect calls. This method faced limitations, including difficulty in laying cables over long distances and limited capacity, leading to congestion between cities.

What technological advancement did Bell Systems engineers develop to improve long-distance communication after World War II?

Bell Systems engineers developed a network of towers and antennae that used microwave relay technology, creating an information superhighway that could transmit signals over long distances more efficiently.

What is multiplexing and how did it benefit the Long Lines network?

Multiplexing is the process of combining multiple signals into one to be transmitted over a single medium, then separating them at the receiving end. This allowed the Long Lines network to support thousands of simultaneous calls using fewer antennas.

What role did microwave technology play in the Long Lines network, and what was one of its drawbacks?

Microwave technology allowed the Long Lines network to carry about 7,000 simultaneous calls. However, a drawback was that the microwaves occasionally fried unsuspecting pigeons.

How did the development of fiber optic technology impact the Long Lines network?

Fiber optic technology, which could carry significantly more data at higher speeds, eventually replaced the Long Lines network for major use cases, leading to its gradual abandonment.

What motivated Dan Mannisto to transition from aerospace engineering to finance, and what problem did he solve?

Dan Mannisto switched to finance for better pay and solved the problem of high latency in long-distance trading by developing a microwave relay network that significantly reduced transmission times between New York and Chicago.

How did Dan Mannisto's microwave relay network improve trading latency, and what was the financial outcome for his company?

Dan Mannisto's network reduced trading latency from seven milliseconds to 4.2 milliseconds, allowing his company to make a significant profit, earning about half a million dollars a week.

What does the legacy of the Long Lines network represent in today's digital world?

The legacy of the Long Lines network represents the early efforts to create long-distance communication infrastructure, which has evolved but still influences modern technologies like microwave links used for high-speed trading.