From private ventures to public service: Institutionalising the electric telegraph at the origins of telecommunications in Chile (1852–1872)

This article examines the development of the Chilean telegraph service during its first two decades of implementation as a dynamic process of institutional, entrepreneurial, and technical learning that shaped the country’s transition towards modern telecommunications. Following an initial failed attempt at private management, the State adopted a subsidiary role, investing in infrastructure while granting operational control to private companies, an approach that ultimately fell short of expectations. In 1866, the State took over direct management of the service, a decision driven by growing awareness of the telegraph’s value for commerce and public administration, as well as its strategic importance during the war against Spain. By 1872, the telegraph service had gained administrative autonomy, establishing itself as a public utility and laying the foundation for the modernisation of telecommunications in Chile.