Amid the shareholder revolution following the introduction of the STC and the Government’s response through SEPI, Telefónica recently celebrated its Centenary. Centenary of the founding date of April 19, 1924 Spanish National Telephone Company (CTNE) became “la Telefónica” in the 60s.

A century filled not only with historical milestones in the telecommunications industry, but also with many interesting facts. For example, did you know that during the Civil War, the Telefónica building on Gran Vía was the headquarters of the press office of foreign correspondents, hosting and receiving more than 2,000 refugees?
120 bullet hits?

This building is the protagonist of the story we want to save today: First transoceanic call from Spain. It was in 1928 and was made by King Alfonso XIII, the great-grandfather of King Felipe VI, to speak with Calvin Coolidge, then president of the United States.

Historic call from Madrid to Washington

On 19 April 1924, the Spanish National Telephone Company (CTNE) was founded with a capital of one million pesetas divided into 2,000 shares of 500 pesetas each. With the Marquis of Urquijo as president, new companies began to distribute networks Transportation is possible not only by land, but also by sea, thanks to the first submarine cables.

Construction of the CTNE building in Gran Vía (Image: Telefónica)

CTNE’s first headquarters was on Avenida del Conde de Peñalver in Madrid until it moved there in 1929. The iconic skyscraper of Gran Vía, the work of architect Ignacio de Cárdenas. Before this building was completed, the first transoceanic telephone call between Spain and the United States was made in 1928.

The first true transatlantic telephone call was made using radiotelephony between New York and London on January 7, 1927. Behind this phone call was the American company America’s Bell Labs., it was now known as AT&T and operated from Rugby City radio station.

But let’s go back to Spain and 1928. By then, quality communications had been established with Portugal, Belgium, England, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy. The challenge was: leap to america While crossing the ocean, this incident occurred on October 13, 1928, during the king’s visit to the Gran Vía power plant in Madrid, which was still under construction.

On the left is the president of the United States; Right, King Alfonso XIII (Image: Telefónica)

That day, King Alfonso XIII and United States President Calvin Coolidge performed the inauguration ceremony. service between two countries With a phone call between Madrid and the Washington Chamber of Commerce. This was the first transatlantic telephone communication from Spain and used all transmission techniques possible at the time.

Parchment signed by King Alfonso XIII after the first meeting with the USA (Image: Telefónica)

It all started with copper wires between Madrid and Zaragoza, using the usual frequency of the human voice. It was then sent to Versailles via high frequency, then to Boulogne via terrestrial cable, then crossed the English Channel and was connected to London via submarine cable.

From Rugby in the United Kingdom, the sound was broadcast by radio across the AtlanticIt was received off the coast of Canada and then transported by cable to Washington. Come on, all available transmission technologies were used.

Just a few minutes of conversation required the CTNE-operated long-distance line between Spain and France, the French grid, a submarine cable in the English Channel, and long-wave radio equipment connecting Great Britain and the United States.

It was published in the same year, 1928. Telephone connection with Cuba. The connection was even longer than reaching Washington, as calling from Madrid to Havana required almost 10,500 kilometers of cable and 39 repeaters to amplify sound along the route.

A year later, at the Ibero-American Exposition in Seville,
first phone connection between Spain, Argentina and Uruguay this time using only CTNE broadcast and radio media.

It should be noted that a very effective staging was carried out as an advertising method for CTNE in the three calls. And the company was celebrating some kind of official and public ceremony with the king or the head of Government to bring interest to such actions.

Cover image | Telefonica, Bing

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