Cell phones have become an integral part of everyday life for many Americans, and many other citizens around the globe for that matter; it is to the point where we are now seeing them in nearly every single household. But there was a time, in fact not too long ago, when cell phones were not quite so commonplace and in fact, even completely unheard of.
The First Cell Phone
The first actual mobile phone to be developed and released in the United States hit the market in 1973, thanks in large part to Martin Cooper of a company called Motorola; and today this company is one of the leaders in the cell phone industry. But what many people don’t realize is the fact that mobile phone technology has actually been around for quite some time prior to this.
Believe it or not, the origin of today’s modern cell phone can be traced all the way back as early as the 1920’s. In fact, American Telephone & Telegraph (better known today as AT&T) has documented discussion of cellular technology dating all the way back to 1915 – though they were afraid such a product would jeopardize their already well-established landline telecommunications service, in which they were and still are one of the industry frontrunners.
Network Connectivity
But it wasn’t until 1947 that Bell Labs would introduce the first proposed cellular network. This network consisted of small cell sites that were connected through a sophisticated call switching system. As innovative as this design was, it would take nearly 30 years until the technology was finally introduced to the mainstream in 1970’s Chicago. Recognizing both the popularity and potential of this new mobile phone, Japan quickly followed suit. Their first commercial mobile phone service was in place by 1978, and soon networks were in place all throughout the world. In fact, by the end of 2007 there were almost 3.3 billion mobile phone subscriptions throughout the entire world; nearly half of the entire human population.
The 21st Century And Beyond
Despite the concerns that some users may have about radiation exposure from regular mobile phone use, cell phones have already made their mark on today’s culture – and there’s no doubt that their full capabilities have yet to be reached. What exactly the future does have in store for cell phones and cell phone technology is truly anybody’s guess, though it should be rather interesting to find out.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone
