One Northern Telecom telephone was used on campus during the Ryerson Polytechnical Institute years. Known as a push-button or a Touch-Tone, this type of telephone was first introduced in Canada in 1964, but not widely used until the 1980s. This telephone is a desk, single-line phone with a paper faceplate that doubles as a telephone use guide. Functions, such as placing a call on hold, transferring an incoming call, conference calls, forwarding the phone line to another telephone, and other functions were performed by briefly pressing the switch hook, waiting for a tone, then using the guide to utilize the '*' or '#' keys in combination with the numeric keys. "Ryerson" appears on the paper faceplate and an emergency Security extension number 5040. An extension number for the phone is written on a separately applied label above the faceplate that also gives emergency information (dial "80") and additional Security extension numbers.
Manufactured in Canada and factory wired (cable is not removable), the telephone is identified by its telephone set number, QSQE2500, and as electronic by "ePhone" both on its base. It comes with a 'DIGITONE' network/dial (number QDM25 BX 6-82 or simply QDM25B), which consists of the push-button keypad and its workings connecting the telephone to a network. The handset is identified as a G-type referring to its shape. Patent dates on the telephone are 1968 1970 ; RPI inventory # 35810 label was applied to its base.
