A utility pole, telegraph pole, telephone pole, power (electricity) pole, or telegraph post is a post or pole upon which the utility's network equipment is situate. They originally prevented telegraph wires from being short circuited, and continue to protect surface traffic from being inconvenienced by cables and vice versa. They are often also used for electrical conductors (with pylons being used for only the higher voltage applications) and frequently a pole will share both power and communications lines. Telegraph poles first became commonplace in the middle 19th century, carrying at first one steel wire, then in urban areas many.