I'm not sure whether "videophones" is a comprehensive enough term but I'll go with it. I'm referring to the idea of being able to see the person with whom you are talking over long distance. ("Long distance" for the young means the rest of the US beyond roughly 20-40 miles from your position which incurred a charge per minute,)
I vaguely remember participating in a test in ASCS in the 1970's--I think an innovative deputy administrator for management sprang for it. It didn't work--too expensive, too little advantage. Again in the 1980's I think there was a trial, maybe five or six managers in DC and Kansas City had special phones with the idea it would replace our trips back and forth. It didn't work--too new, too much of a change, too awkward. Again the 1990's there was a trial, but this time it was televised conference calls, with a TV camera covering a conference table with maybe 10-12 seats. Again this was for DC-KCMO conferencing. It worked better, although the facility had to be reserved at each end. It was competing against email by this time, not something that the 1970's trial had to face. I don't remember whether it was still in operation at the time I left.
Up to this point the process was using special phone/camera equipment--really "videophones". I don't know for sure whether the 1990s were using the internet to communicate, likely not. Fast forward through the 2000's and the development of Skype until you reach 2020 and the wide use of Zoom, and competing services.
Apparently it works now because almost everyone has the equipment--computer/smartphone with camera and broadband access--to participate. So there's not much hassle to setting up a call. And with the pandemic video conferencing becomes the only way to go. Email with cc's to everyone works in some situations, but when you want back and forth conversations among a group, conferencing is the only way.
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