20 Years Ago First Mobile Phone Call Made In The UK
Published December 2004
Here's The Scoop
(Source: The Scotsman) - 20 years ago tomorrow (1 Jan 1985) that Ernie Wise started a revolution. He made the first mobile phone call in the UK, from London’s Docklands to Newbury in Berkshire. The company was Vodafone - then a small part of Racal Telecom - and within a year it had attracted 19,000 subscribers. Now mobiles impinge on every aspect of our lives, even the Hogmanay celebrations. Most revellers seem unlikely to wait more than five minutes from the bells before they start texting or talking.
The difference tomorrow, compared with last New Year, is that a large number of revellers will have a pictorial record of their night out. That is thanks to the increasing number of camera phones in people’s pockets. Soon it will be hard to find a new phone without a camera and the quality is constantly improving. This is probably a good thing, although some people may disagree when they receive photographic evidence of the cause of their hangovers - just wait until mobiles all have video as well.
Network operators are certainly hoping users will take advantage of the opportunities to share both embarrassment and good times. While 2005 may not exactly be "make or break" for 3G services, it will be the year of the big push. Having paid billions for their licences, and nearly bankrupted themselves in the process, they have to show there is a real demand for the data on the move that third generation (3G) mobile telephony can provide.
The market is split between businesses, which may be persuaded to pay premium rates to keep in touch with mobile workers, and consumers who tend to be more price-sensitive. What the networks really want is something to match the texting phenomenon. So far it has not been too straightforward. People buy camera phones, but have not been so enthusiastic about sending snaps to each other. But, perhaps, as users grow to expect their friends to have phones capable of receiving pictures, it will catch on.
All the UK networks will have 3G services by the middle of 2005. The competition should be good for consumers. Each will be trying out different services to take advantage of 3G’s capabilities. Video dating, football clips and mini soap operas will all be available. Motorola and Apple are even working together on an "iPod phone". Although it seems likely, to begin with at least, that this will be linked to a computer rather than downloading tunes over the air.
At the same time all this is taking place on the ground, aeroplanes are being fitted with broadband. That means internet telephony will soon be available in the air. Seven hours of drivel across the Atlantic, what greater fun could there be?.
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