In the early forties of the 20th century, Western Union has used the first time a commercial intercity microwave transmission system. In 1864, fearing the laying of long underwater lines, Western Union offered to carry out laying of telegraph lines to Europe through the Russian Alaska under the narrow Bering Strait and then to Siberia with branching in the major cities of Europe. The first offices of company were located in the Reynolds Arcade building in Rochester, New York. The sign above the main entrance to the building - Sibley, the founder of Western Union, did not build a new telegraph lines, and persuaded the other players to join. American Telegraph Company, however, still had to buy it.