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The Early Years: Cell phones and the FCC

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The Early Years: Cell phones and the FCC
1977: Cell phones Go Public
1988: New Standards for Cell Phones

1947 was a big year for what was to become the cell phone industry. In that year researchers first developed ideas as to the possibility of creating mobile phones that used "cells" that would identify a user in whatever specific region he or she was initiating the call from. However, since technology was fairly limited at the time, more development was required.

Later that same year, the FCC (or, the Federal Communications Commission) decided to open up separate radio frequencies to be available for mobile calling. However, the commission only allowed twenty-three cell phone conversations in a given calling area. Thus, "we can partially blame the FCC for the gap between the initial concept of cellular service and its availability to the public" (Selling the Cell Phone: History of Cell Phones 1).

Finally, in 1968, companies such as AT&T and Bell Labs proposed new methods of incorporating the cellular phone system; in exchange, the FCC opened up more frequencies available to cell phone users. The companies' ideas were based on a concept of many small cellular towers that would handle phone calls for a certain region. When users moved from one region to another, service was transferred to a closer tower. With this development in place, AT&T and Bell Labs began testing the phones for public use.

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The Early Years: Cell phones and the FCC

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