The Traffic Service Position System (TSPS) was developed by Bell Labs in Columbus, Ohio to replace traditional cord switchboards. The first TSPS was deployed in Morristown, New Jersey in 1969 and used the Stored Program Control-1A CPU, "Piggyback" twistor memory (a proprietary technology developed by Bell Labs similar to core memory) and Insulated Gate Field Effect Transistor solid state memory devices similar to dynamic random access memory.
The TSPS system utilized special analog trunks that originated at Class 5 end office circuit switch systems and Class 4 toll access circuit switch systems that were connected to Class 3 primary toll circuit switch systems such as the 4A-ETS/PBC and 4ESS switch systems. The TSPS system did not perform switching between the originating end office switch and the toll switch for the subscriber voice path.
The TSPS system included the "Remote Trunking Arrangement" (RTA) feature that consolidated the trunk connection at the originating switch and provided a switched connection to a telephone operator only as required for a short duration at the beginning of a call to obtain billing information or at the end of a call in which the caller requested "time and charges".
The TSPS system provided a temporary switched connection to a toll operator who helped facilitate calls requiring human assistance such as person-to-person, collect, third-party-billed, and hotel billing. The TSPS system supported up to seven "Chief Operator Groups" (COGs) with each COG supporting up to 31 operator consoles, with two operator positions per console, for a total of 62 operators per COG. Operator consoles initially used nixie tubes to display phone numbers, that were quickly replaced by light-emitting diode displays due to reliability issues.
The TSPS system was replaced by the Operator Service Position System (OSPS) feature package developed for the 5ESS switching system. During the era of TSPS systems, calls to mobile and marine radiotelephone customers were initially handled by operators at a Special Operator Service Treatment cord switchboard. Operator assisted calls to international destinations were handled by "Code 10" and "Code 11" operators generally co-located at special gateway international switching systems.
The Traffic Service Position keyshelf was organized into functional groups of keys and lamps covering all aspects of call handling. Major sections included AMA (Automatic Message Accounting) timing controls, coin collection and return keys, class-charge keys (Station Paid, Person Paid, Collect, No AMA, Special Number/Credit Card, Hotel), and release and forward keys. A four-compartment ticket box on the console held mark sense billing cards in designated slots (New, Cancel, Scratch, and Completed).
Operators managed up to three simultaneous call connections, referred to as "loops," each of which contained its own card slot and presented in one of three recognized states:
Each TSPS operator position included an underglass bulletin — a printed reference sheet mounted beneath the glass surface of the console work area, kept continuously accessible without the operator leaving the position. It served as the primary quick-reference source for information needed during live calls. Contents included: Bell System telephone credit card validity check lists (letter–digit correspondence tables, invalid Revenue Accounting Office (RAO) codes, and invalid card number lists); authorized special billing numbers; a zone map for determining Message unit (MU) rate steps for metropolitan area calls; and miscellaneous emergency numbers. The layout of the underglass bulletin was periodically revised by management as procedures changed.
Supplementing the underglass bulletin, each TSPS position maintained a multi-leaf bulletin, also known as a cardex, multi-card, or flip cards, a card-file reference system containing rate and routing information organized by NPA and NXX. Pages typically covered rate steps and call routing for all points in the operator's serving area, overseas call procedures (with International Direct Distance Dialing points marked with asterisks), and a dedicated number-test page. Pages were updated by management staff as rate changes, new exchanges, or routing changes occurred. Operators were expected to consult the cards rather than rely on memory for rates, routing, or number-test procedures.
For calls handled automatically by the Automatic Message Accounting (AMA) system, billing data was captured electronically by the TSPS equipment. For calls requiring manual operator involvement — including credit card, third-number, collect, and hotel calls — operators recorded billing data on IBM Mark sense cards. These paper cards contained pre-printed digit columns that operators completed using a mechanical pencil; the marked cards were subsequently processed by optical scanning equipment, bridging manual and automated billing workflows.
Key fields on the front of the card included originating area code and number, destination NPA and NXX, dial rate, charge class, connect and disconnect times, elapsed minutes, and a "Bill To" section for third-number and credit card calls. The reverse of the card recorded charge amount, elapsed minutes, credit information, and special conditions such as Notify, Charge Due, or Delayed Call Trunk.
The mark-sense card included a set of pre-printed bubble fields that operators marked with a stylus to indicate the class of service for each call. In addition to the primary charge classes (Station Paid, Person Paid, Collect, Credit Card, Third Number, Hotel), specific situations called for supplementary bubble markings:
TSPS operators underwent structured Phase training using a series of numbered Practice Tapes — audio simulations of live operator calls against which trainees drilled console procedures in real time. Each tape covered a specific call type or condition:
| Tape | Call Type |
|---|---|
| PT5001 | Person Paid (Coin and Non-Coin) |
| PT5002 | Station Paid and Steady Recalls (Coin) |
| PT5003 | Notification Calls and Recalls (Non-Coin) |
| PT5004 | Collect Calls — Charges Accepted |
| PT5005 | Collect Calls — Charges Not Accepted |
| PT5006 | Credit Card and Special Number Calls |
| PT5007 | Third Number Calls (Non-Coin) |
| PT5009 | Person Delay Calls, Completed or Canceled |
| PT5010 | Person Delay Calls, Leaving Word (Non-Coin) |
| PT5011 | Person Delays, Another Telephone (Non-Coin) |
| PT5012 | Person Delays, Another Telephone (Coin) |
| PT5013 | DA Procedures Canceled |
| PT5014 | Calls with Busys or Reorders, Completed or Canceled |
| PT5015 | Calls with Station Delays, Recorded (Non-Coin) |
| PT5016 | Completing Subsequent Attempts |
| PT5019 | Flashing Recalls, New Calls, and Wrong Numbers |
| PT5020 | Flashing Recalls |
| PT5021 | Dial "0" Calls |
| PT5022 | Calls with Station Paid (Non-Coin) |
| PT5023 | Calls Requiring Routes and Numbers |
| PT5024 | Third Number Calls (Coin) |
| PT5225 | T&C Calls and Recalls, Non-Coin, Including Dial Zero |
| PT5227 | Hotel Station and Zero Plus AMA Timing, Including Dial Zero |
| PT5261 | Single Digit Call Back Calls (6 and 7) |
The training framework was organized around three core service principles designated ACS, Accuracy, Courtesy, and Speed, which operators were trained to recall each time the ACS key illuminated on their console. Bell System training materials described ACS as the key to customer satisfaction: accuracy was essential both for correct call handling and for proper automated billing; courtesy was required on every call, particularly as the TSPS console interface was new to customers accustomed to cord-board operators; and speed was critical both for the customer being served and for minimizing wait times for other callers queued at the position.
Each call type was taught using a standard three-step framework: Set-up (class-charge the call and prepare the console), Complete (announce, listen for ring, or secure acceptance as appropriate), and Follow-through (start timing, release position). Standardized scripted phrases were provided for each scenario, such as the collect call acceptance phrase: "I have a collect call for (Called Party), from (Calling Party). Will you accept the charge?"
Operators were also trained in overlapping, performing follow-through tasks on one call during natural pauses in another, and in the handling of unfamiliar conditions, with instructions to note as much information as possible without interrupting the customer, then consult the service assistant at the earliest opportunity.
The TSPS system included the Hotel Billing Information System (HoBIS) special feature to provide automated billing of long-distance calls from hotel front desks so guests could be charged for calls made almost immediately prior to their departure. Private Teletype data links were provisioned to large hotels that subscribed to this service.
Debuted in Phoenix, Arizona in 1977, the Automated Coin Toll System (ACTS) was an addition to TSPS which provided an automated way to perform charge advisory and toll collection of coin paid calls, reducing the need for operator involvement. The ACTS sub-system handled the automated voice announcements, e.g. "Please deposit five cents for the next three minutes" (initially voiced by Jane Barbe, and later Pat Fleet), and worked with TSPS for coin deposit (start of call) and coin collection/coin return (at end of call).
Introduced in 1986, the Computerized Position Information System (COMPIS) augmented existing TSPS hardware with a video display terminal (VDT) and a movable keyboard on an extended cord. Originally intended for tasks occupying approximately 10% of an operator's shift, COMPIS usage climbed rapidly to around 50% of working time, well beyond the ergonomic parameters of the add-on design. COMPIS was therefore treated as a transitional system to the next generation of equipment.
With full deployment planned for late 1990, the Operator Services Position System (OSPS) was developed as a feature package for the 5ESS switch to replace the aging TSPS infrastructure. Where TSPS had itself represented a significant advance over manual corded switchboards, the OSPS design incorporated four decades of accumulated ergonomics research that had not been available to TSPS engineers.
AT&T's stated ergonomic goals for OSPS included standardized procedures for call keying and system feedback, and a console and screen display layout designed to support human factors principles across the full range of operator duties.
