When making a traditional landline phone call, what happens when you pick up the receiver?

When you pick up the receiver of a traditional landline phone, an open connection to the local telephone switch is established. This is a vital first step in making a call. The act of lifting the receiver sends a signal to the central office (or local exchange) indicating that you want to initiate a call. This connection allows the telephone network to recognize that the line is in use and prepares to route the call to the desired number.

The local telephone switch plays a central role in managing calls, determining the path your call will take, and connecting your line to the line of the person you are calling. It handles the dialing process and connects you once you've entered the number. This process differs from the other options that suggest connections to satellites, automatic dialing, or immediate connections to the recipient, which do not accurately reflect the operation of traditional landline telephony.