The patent battle
On the very day Bell's lawyer filed the patent application, Elisha Gray filed a preliminary notice (a caveat) at the patent office for a similar invention. The Italian Antonio Meucci claimed he had invented the telephone earlier but could not afford a patent. The disputes dragged on for years.
Exchanges
The first telephones were connected by operators who plugged in cables by hand. According to legend, the undertaker Almon Strowger invented the automatic exchange because an operator, the wife of a competitor, was sending his customers' calls elsewhere. Rotary dials and push buttons came later.
Today
Traditional landlines are disappearing. Voice travels over the internet (VoIP), and most people make calls on their mobile phones.