Do you remember your first mobile phone?
Do you remember your first mobile phone?
Friday 7 August 2015
ORGANISERS of an event to mark 30 years of mobile networks in the UK are asking for people’s stories of their first mobile phone.
The event staged by the ‘big four’ networks at the University of Salford’s MediaCity campus will showcase an extensive collection of mobile phones and artefacts - old and new - and members of the public are invited to join in the nostalgia by sending in details of early generation ‘bricks’.
“If you could tell us what phone you bought, why you got it and how you used it, that would be useful data,” says organiser Nigel Linge, Professor of Telecommunications at the University of Salford.
EE, Vodafone, Three, O2 and other contributors will piece together the ‘phenomenal story’ of the mobile phone at MediaCity campus on Saturday, September 12, to mark three decades of the technological revolution in the UK.
With speakers and experts, the event will provide an unrivalled exploration of the technical advances and social impact of mobiles since live networks launched in 1985.
Revolution
The University of Salford is renowned centre for electronic engineering programmes and runs the MSc in Data Telecommunications Networks.
Professor Linge, who coordinates the day with EE’s Andy Sutton, a visiting professor at Salford, said: “The mobile phone is responsible for a revolution within the UK and worldwide that has transformed the way in which we communicate.
“Since mobiles started life on the UK’s first cellular network, they have evolved from only making telephone calls to become a pocket computer that gives us access to web and TV, tell us where we are and keep us connected at home, at work and at play.
“No other piece of technology has made such an impact in such a short period of time.”
The event is open to all with registration for the professional element of the event via the Institute of Telecommunications Professionals website available at: https://www.theitp.org/calendar/event/view?id=478
Programme
We have attracted a great range of speakers from the mobile industry and academia who, collectively, are able to cover the full 30 year history of the mobile phone within the UK. At the end of the morning and afternoon sessions, the speakers will take part in a panel question and answer session.
1. Launch of Vodafone – Speaker TBC
2. Launch of Cellnet - Mike Short, O2
3. The emergence of GSM - Stephen Temple, 5GIC
4. The launch of Mercury one2one and Orange - Graham Fisher, Bathcube Telecoms
5. From voice to data - Stuart Newstead, Ellare
6. Telepoint - Professor Nigel Linge, University of Salford
7. 3G - Erol Hepsaydir, 3 UK
8. Handset evolution and usage patterns - Julian Divett, EE
9. 4G and onwards to 5G – Professor Andy Sutton, EE and University of Salford.
The Venue: Salford University at MediaCityUK.
MediaCityUK is a vibrant place in which to live, work, socialise and study. Home to major BBC and ITV departments, the University of Salford and over 80 businesses across the creative and digital sectors, MediaCityUK is recognised as one of the most innovative developments in Britain. http://www.salford.ac.uk/mediacityuk
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