Mobile telephones today have become one of the most popular devices to own in recent times. With a penetration rate of over 60% in Australia, and over 75% in another dozen major countries, mobile phones have become an ever increasingly popular product. Two years ago Australia had approximately 5 million mobile accounts, now the number is closer to 12 million. The popularity of mobile phones has sky rocketed not only allowing a user the simple task of calling some one, but numerous other tasks including SMS (Short message service), games, memos and even data storage including MP3's. The sheer penetration rate of mobile phones has coaxed me into choosing this topic as my present tech.
The first ever generation of mobile phones were developed on the thought of making a "car phone" in 1947. The idea didn't really take off due to the lack of technology and the idea was scrapped. The FCC (Federal communications committee) in the United States was blamed for the gap between the concept of the mobile phone and the availability of the service to the general public. Since then though, technology has travelled and exploded in leaps and bound, and it wasn't long before Tokyo in 197 had the first commercial cellular telephone system.
The system allowed users to call between each other but it became evident that the system had limitations and very soon there was on over supply of users and not enough coverage to go around. Since 1991, the 2nd generation of mobile phones (the current system we use) has been out. GSM replaced the old analogue system, which was incompatible with many similar systems around the world. GSM enables the user many new features previously unavailable. Features included not only telephony, but a new service, nick named SMS (short message service) which allowed the user to send the equivalent of 160 bytes of text (approx 130 characters). It also provided an emergency service, where the user could dial for help without a sim card, and be connected to the closest emergency service centre.
