[PW] A telephone question

[John Franklin]

My great aunt asked me today, in passing, what the # and * keys on  
the telephone were originally "for". I know they are used in  
voicemail systems -- "At the tone, please leave a message for Mr.  
Nothere. Press pound when you are finished." -- but touch-tone phones  
were around before voicemail, so that can't be it. I did a little  
searching online, but searching for technical information on the  
Internet brings to mind a certain saying about needles and haystacks.  
(Although it did tell me when touch-tone phones were introduced, and  
when the first voicemail system was patented.)

Please don't tell me they exist only to round out a 3 by 4 keypad!

(Although from what I've read there are some pretty unlikely things  
connected with telecommunications...)

-John Franklin
"At the twelfth ring, someone answers. And in that instant, I'm in  
that room."
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That was a long one, wasn't it? Click, beeeeeeeeeep.