In 1949 the first car phone service was
introduced. It was called "Mobile Telephone
Service" (MTS). But the beginning of wireless
communication started many years earlier,
in 1895, when an Italian physicist named
Guglielmo Marconi successfully sent wireless
signals a distance of one and one half
miles.
In 1896 Marconi was granted the world's
first patent for a wireless telegraphy
system. In 1897 he formed The Wireless
Telegraph and Signal Company. During that
same year he successfully sent wireless
signals a distance of twelve miles.
In 1901 Marconi proved the curve of the
earth did not affect the successful sending
of wireless waves. He proved it by transmitting
signals from Cornwall, England to St.
John's, Newfoundland, which was a distance
of over two thousand miles.
Marconi, along with other scientists
and researchers, continued to work and
do research on wireless transmissions.
In 1932 the world's first microwave radiotelephone
link was established between the Pope's
summer home in the small Italian town
of Caster Gandolfo and Vatican City, a
distance of approximately thirty miles.
The first ship-to-shore radio conversation
took place in 1922 from the ship S.S.
America, which was 400 miles at sea. Inter-continent
telephone communications between the United
States and England occurred in the mid
1930's.
As technology improved, interest in a
car phone service developed. The first
car phone service that was introduced
in 1949 was a mobile service, but the
equipment was big and heavy. The phone
required a large receiver (about the size
of a large piece of luggage). It was placed
in the trunk of the vehicle. To talk on
the phone, a button had to be pushed.
To listen to the other person, the button
had to be released. It was similar to
using a two-way radio. A person couldn't
talk and listen at the same time. That
technology came later.
Phone calls from the first mobile phone
service were not direct-dialed. Instead,
an operator working for the mobile phone
service company answered when the phone
was picked up. The operator connected
the caller to the phone company operator,
who then placed the call. By the early
1960's the technology had improved, but
only slightly. One step in the connection
process was eliminated. The phone was
able to connect directly to the phone
company, saving the caller the step of
having to connect to the mobile phone
service operator first. The improved service
was called "Improved Mobile Telephone
Service" or IMTS.
By the early part of the 1980's the phones
had full-duplex capability. This meant
a person could listen and talk at the
same time. The phones and receivers were
still heavy though. And, because the IMTS
phones were a type of scanner, it wasn't
unusual for a person to press a channel
button on the phone and hear parts of
someone else's conversation.
Technology continued to improve and continues
to improve today. Cell phones are very
popular. Today they are a truly mobile
device and are easy to transport. Some
of the cell phones available today only
weigh a few ounces. Some of the small
cell phones can be tricky to use though
because the buttons on them are very small.
Cellular technology continues to improve.
In the United States, carriers have been
moving from analog technology to digital
technology. One big reason the move to
digital technology has been made in recent
years is because it allows networks to
carry more callers at one time. Calls
are also more secure on digital networks,
but are still far from being totally secure.
Today, people experience fewer dropped
calls, and with the expansion of networks,
there are getting to be fewer areas where
there is no reception at all. And although
many younger people are choosing to have
cell phone over a land line phone, there
are still many people who are not yet
willing to give up their land line phones.
This article was posted on December
06, 2005
