What is telexe?

Telex was a worldwide network of teleprinters, operated by telecommunications companies for the transmission of text-based messages. Introduced in the early 20th century, telex became the standard method of sending commercial and diplomatic messages until the widespread adoption of email in the late 20th century. Telex had advantages over traditional telegraphy: messages could be sent directly between any two telex stations, and the system allowed for automatic routing of messages.

Telex was original based on the Western Union's telegraph network in the US, which connected teletypewriters (teleprinters) that produced text on a paper tape. The network was expanded internationally in the 1920s and 1930s, and during World War II, the Allied powers used it extensively for military communications.

Telex messages were typically sent in all capital letters, and had a maximum length of 1,000 characters. Each telex message was charged based on its length, and the charges were higher for international messages than for domestic messages. Telex transmissions were usually very reliable, with transmission errors being uncommon.

The popularity of telex declined in the 1980s, as fax machines and email became more widely used. However, telex networks are still used in some countries for certain applications, such as the transmission of stock quotes.