| is no better symbol of the modern era of | | | | invention for casual, every day use. |
| telecommunication than the cellular phone. They are | | | | But the underlying technology for cell phones was |
| small, lightweight, and capable of instantly transmitting | | | | invented back in 1947. It wasn’t only the |
| your voice across the globe. Despite the importance | | | | phone itself that needed to undergo evolution but |
| of his invention, the inventor of the cell phone | | | | the network required to connect each phone to its |
| isn’t a household name. This article will | | | | mobile base. This was accomplished in what’s |
| address this injustice and take a brief look at the | | | | known as “hexagonal cells,” a |
| history that led to the modern invention. | | | | technology that was only used until a few years later |
| The man recognized for developing the modern | | | | in the 50s, but is still being used today. It was |
| cellular phone is Dr. Martin Cooper. At the time, he | | | | invented by the combined effort of Bell Labs and AT |
| was the head of research and development at | | | | & T. In conjunction with this piece of technology |
| Motorola. Fittingly, he is also credited with making the | | | | was the final ingredient, a technology known as |
| first call on a cell phone which took place in New | | | | “handover” which allowed for cellular |
| York in the year 1973. Prior to this, “mobile | | | | phones to move seamlessly in and out of hexagonal |
| phones” required a backpack type of support | | | | cells. Hexagonal cells and handover technology put Dr. |
| to power the phone, and wasn’t really mobile | | | | Cooper in a position where inventing the cell phone |
| in the true sense. They were mostly designed for | | | | meant simply making it smaller and portable (without |
| wealthy individuals, businesses and the military, which | | | | being powered by a cumbersome backpack charger). |
| had an obvious need for instant communication. Even | | | | Of course this was a great accomplishment, and his |
| though Dr. Martin’s invention was still large | | | | praise and recognition should in no way be diminished, |
| and expensive it was the first real phone that was | | | | but it serves justice to history to recognize precisely |
| truly portable. Still, because of the size and expense | | | | what aspect of the phone he invented, IE, the phone |
| the industry took its time in expanding. Most | | | | itself and not the network behind it. Still, all phones |
| importantly, the invention had to wait until the | | | | that came out after Dr. Cooper’s were |
| networks could sufficiently grow. In the mid 80s this | | | | considered to be evolutions of his invention, not a |
| was beginning to happen, and the cost of cell phones | | | | different product in and of itself. His was the first of |
| diminished a bit, but it wasn’t until the early | | | | the ever shrinking cellular phone, and he deserves to |
| to mid 90s that cell phones became affordable for | | | | be celebrated for bringing society into |
| the average consumer. Millions of people in countries | | | | today’s modern era of telecommunications. |
| around the world were using Dr. Martin’s | | | | |