Spark-gap transmitter capacitance and couldn't store much charge, limiting their power output. Therefore these devices were not capable of long distance transmission; their reception range with the primitive receivers employed was typically limited to roughly 100 yards (100 meters). Italian radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi was one of the first people to believe that radio waves could be used for long distance communication, and singlehandedly developed the first practical radiotelegraphy transmitters and receivers, mainly by combining and tinkering with the inventions of others. Starting at age 21 on his family's estate in Italy, between 1894 and 1901 he conducted a long series of
SBC Long Distance to compete for telephone service. In 2002, SWB Long Distance was renamed SBC Long Distance, as part of SBC's brand unification among its companies. In 2005, SBC purchased AT&T, and changed its name to AT&T. On April 1, 2006, SBC Long Distance began doing business as AT&T Long Distance. SBC Long Distance provides competitive long distance service within the Bell Operating Company regions of Illinois Bell, Indiana Bell, Michigan Bell, Nevada Bell, Ohio Bell, Pacific Bell, Southwestern Bell, and Wisconsin Bell. SBC Long Distance does not provide service for BellSouth Telecommunications customers, who are served by BellSouth Long Distance, nor