AT&T Marks 150 Years Since First Telephone Call
The company plans to spend $250 billion on its networks over the next 5 years.
WASHINGTON, March 11, 2026 – AT&T on Tuesday marked the 150th anniversary of the first telephone call, commemorating the invention by Alexander Graham Bell that helped launch the modern telecommunications industry.
Bell placed the first successful telephone call on March 10, 1876, summoning his assistant Thomas Watson with the now famous words, “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.” Bell later formed the Bell Telephone Company, which eventually evolved into American Telephone and Telegraph, now known as AT&T.
The company said the anniversary reflects the transformation of communications technology over the past century and a half. What began with copper telephone lines has developed into networks built on fiber-optic infrastructure and wireless technologies.
AT&T said its network now carries roughly an exabyte of data, about one billion gigabytes on an average day. Voice calls now represent a smaller portion of network traffic as text messaging, video streaming, and other data services dominate modern communications. The company said that in 2025, about three times more text messages than voice calls traveled across its network.
The company also unveiled a plan to spend $250 billion on network expansion and upgrades over the next five years. The carrier said in a release that tax and telecom regulations under the Trump administration were "the most conducive to such investment in decades."
AT&T said the money will go toward expanding its fiber and wireless coverage, plus its satellite partnership with AST SpaceMobile.
Spending $50 billion annually over the next five years would be an increase from the capex guidance AT&T gave investors during its last earnings call, which was up to $24 billion per year from 2026-2028. The company didn't specify it would break down the spending that way, and hasn't changed its guidance.
To mark the milestone, AT&T also said it donated $150,000 to the Alexander and Mabel Bell Legacy Foundation, which supports educational programs preserving Bell’s legacy.
Update: This story was updated to include additional context.
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