The History of the Cell Phone

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the desire for instant communication without being tied to a particular machine can be dated as far back as 1843 when Michael Faraday, an analytical chemist, began exhaustive research into whether space could conduct electricity. The author points out that the cell phones, which were introduced commercially in the 1980s, were expensive and often difficult to carry; moreover, service provided by the cell phone carriers of the day was extremely poor in comparison to "land lines". The paper relates that, although early use of cell phones elicited embarrassment and laughter, usage advanced when, in addition to their professional connections, consumers demanded the ability to stay connected with children, spouses, friends, and other individuals on a more consistent basis than allowed by a land phone.

From the Paper:

"Cell phones have existed longer in modern history and memory than might be commonly thought. Communicating in a wireless fashion, in fact, has existed almost as long as what are now termed "land lines" or ordinary phones. But it was not until 1977 that cell phones, along the lines of today's technology, first "went public." The state of Chicago began the first trials of cell phones with 2000 customers. Eventually other cell phone trials appeared in the Washington D.C. and Baltimore area. The next nation to make use of the technology after the United States was Japan, which began testing cellular phone service in 1979."

More papers on The History of the Cell Phone:

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• Analytical Essay # 142209 : "Case Study: The 3G Cell Phone"

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