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Submarine Telegraph Cables: Business and Politics, 1838–1939

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  • Headrick, Daniel R.
  • Griset, Pascal

Abstract

International telecommunication is not only a business but also a political enterprise, the subject of great-power rivalries. In the late nineteenth century, British firms held a near monopoly, because Britain had more advanced industry, a wealthier capital market, and a merchant marine and colonial empire that provided customers for the new service. After the 1880s, they encountered increasing competition on the North Atlantic from American, German, and French firms. Elsewhere, the British conglomerate Eastern and Associated retained its hegemony until the 1920s. Following World War I, radiotelegraphy threatened the dominance of cables. In the 1930s, cable companies were almost bankrupted by the Depression and by competition from shortwave radio.

Suggested Citation

  • Headrick, Daniel R. & Griset, Pascal, 2001. "Submarine Telegraph Cables: Business and Politics, 1838–1939," Business History Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 75(3), pages 543-578, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:buhirw:v:75:y:2001:i:03:p:543-578_07
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    Cited by:

    1. Robert MILLWARD, 2010. "Public enterprise in the modern western world: an historical analysis," Departmental Working Papers 2010-26, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    2. Smaldino, Paul E. & Russell, Adam & Zefferman, Matthew & Donath, Judith & Foster, Jacob & Guilbeault, Douglas & Hilbert, Martin & Hobson, Elizabeth A. & Lerman, Kristina & Miton, Helena, 2024. "Information Architectures: A Framework for Understanding Socio-Technical Systems," SocArXiv c7vrw, Center for Open Science.
    3. Rammal, Hussain G. & Rose, Elizabeth L. & Ghauri, Pervez N. & Ørberg Jensen, Peter D. & Kipping, Matthias & Petersen, Bent & Scerri, Moira, 2022. "Economic nationalism and internationalization of services: Review and research agenda," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(3).

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