What technology for communication was used before optical fibers, besides copper cables?

I am doing an assignment for this and I would like to compare Optical Fibers to a past technology but all I can find is copper cables.What technology for communication was used before optical fibers, besides copper cables?
Usually people divide communication technologies by the means signal is transported.

1) Optic fibers use LIGHT. (usually infrared one). It is the most modern technology since it can operate at high frequencies of data transfer (i.e. tens Gigabit per second).

2) Any wires (not only copper ones, also aluminum, gold and others) use ELECTRON CURRENT. The speed of data transfer is limited because of imperfect electronics in devices. This technology is used in local networking as well as in telephone and telegraph.

3) Radio, TV, cell phones, wireless systems use ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES (which is sort of light too, with much longer wavelength. E.g. optic fibers operate at wavelength of 1.55 micrometer while FM radio operates at meters). Anyway, when a device caches an electromagnetic wave from air it converts it to electric signal in wires so these technologies are interconnected,

4) Earlier ways of communication were less "physical" and not automated -- like messengers, mail and so on.What technology for communication was used before optical fibers, besides copper cables?
Tin cans on a string, heliograph, smoke signals, pneumatic tube delivery systems, message in a bottle, tapping on a water pipe, bullets, hand grenades....What technology for communication was used before optical fibers, besides copper cables?
The list is almost endless:



Radio, smoke signals, drums, notes, messengers, etc.
Morse Code ( telegraph )

Light signals using Morse Code.

Signal flags ( Naval )

Smoke signals

Hand signals

Sounds ( grunts, etc. )

tucson

auto salvage