In the news 40 years ago: the birth of the cellular network

This text is part of the tip of the hat for the 40th anniversary
From Les Débrouillards – Born at the Science Press Agency in 1982!

This system, as we read, was not at that time available to consumers: we were talking about $5,000 to $6,000 for a device! but already, Telecom companies dream of being able to reach “unlimited potential” for users and offer them a faster system. We even allowed ourselves to dream of a combination of cell phones and personal computers: “Cell phones, added to pocket computers, open up new horizons, including access to databases.” A dream that might seem far-fetched, considering that the most popular PC at the time, the Commodore 64, had… 64K memory.

It will be necessary to wait six years, that is, 1991, for the Finnish network Radiolinga It launches the second generation (2G) of the cellular network. Thanks to her, it is now possible to surf the Internet – but without pictures. All the same PC provided, and a lot of patience, by our standards today. at 20013G network will provide faster connection and ability to download audio and video files. Grid will follow 4G Which makes it possible to listen to TV series or play games online, and finally, a file 5G networkCurrently, it is implemented, 100 times faster. The 1985 article did not allow itself to see yet…

He also did not speculate on prices. From $6,000 in 1985, we’ve moved on to devices that can cost as little as $250 according to the magazine’s latest assessment. Consumer Reports. And much smaller: In 1985, a described cell phone was “barely larger than a Walkman”—another word that didn’t age very well—about the size and thickness of a large paperback.

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Frank Mccarthy

<p class="sign">"Certified gamer. Problem solver. Internet enthusiast. Twitter scholar. Infuriatingly humble alcohol geek. Tv guru."</p>

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