Remember when kids used to tie a string between two cans and use the device to try to talk to each other? According to my recollection, the process seldom worked well (if at all). Perhaps you can also recall when people had to almost shout on long-distance telephone calls so that the person on the other end of the line could hear them.
Well, those kinds of things don’t happen very much nowadays, but they are good reminders that people will go to almost any extreme to stay in touch. And today, it’s quicker, easier, and more economical than ever, thanks to continuing advancements in cell phone technologies.
Dr. Martin Cooper, the inventor of the modern portable telephone, made his first call in 1973. Of course, cellular communications had been introduced in 1947 in police cars, but Cooper and his associates at Motorola took the first steps in broadening the concept and expanding the possibilities of mobile telephones.
Today, virtually every aspect of our lives and our economy is impacted daily by cell phone usage and other telecommunications avenues. In my business, a cell phone is a necessity as I need to stay in almost constant contact with my associates, clients, and others with whom I am involved in projects and various other endeavors.
Practically anywhere in the world you go, you see people staying in touch with others via a cell phone; sometimes talking, other times text messaging. Years ago, one of the first things people did when they left a long meeting or class was to go outside and light up a cigarette (at least according to old movies and very old television commercials). Now they turn on their phones to catch any messages they may have missed. For some people, cell phones have become a standard accessory, regardless of where they are or what they are doing.
Cell phones, which started out as portable or mobile telephones, have, through the years, experienced a significant evolution, indeed, a revolution. Filled with unique options, they have become so much more than just voice communication tools. The most popular options, of course, relate to music downloads, picture taking, and television reception, as well as games and Internet access. In addition, cell phones with certain kinds of chips can even be used to pay for purchases, check in at airports, monitor locations, or serve as electronic tickets to live concerts.
In the 1990s, mobile commerce was a popular buzzword, but the reality failed to grab hold. Since that time, significant progress has been made in standardizing devices, establishing operating protocols, and creating efficient and effective infrastructure. As a result, the formerly visionary use of cell phones for business and personal needs is now commonplace.
Almost every day, new advanced functions are being added to the growing proliferation of cell phones. The innovation and versatility of cellular telephones is only limited by imagination, demand, and technology, and those appear to be almost limitless. Since its widespread introduction at the commercial level in 1983, wireless phone utilization has expanded in the US upwards of 35% annually. The number of these devices in operation in America topped 180 million a couple of years ago and continues to rise dramatically. They are used by people of all ages and demographic characteristics.
Not only is the popularity of mobile phones growing exponentially in the US, but in India, China, and many European and African nations, cellular-led communications services, along with their many extra features, are fast becoming essential. In developing countries where roads, postal systems, and landline telephones are sometimes unavailable or unreliable, they are becoming indispensable for both personal and business purposes.
As a result of the work of Dr. Cooper and the many who have followed in his footsteps, staying in touch has never been easier. Rather than pushing through crowded cities or traveling over great distances in order to conduct business, today, practically any communication can be accomplished while walking, jogging, driving, eating, fishing, or just rocking on the front porch.
Although it would be difficult to calculate the value of the contributions cell phones have made to our economy over the past three decades, it is certain that without them, the level of success we currently enjoy would have been much more difficult to achieve.