https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • IWCE 2022 Winter Showcase
    • IWCE 2023 Pre-event Guide
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookie Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • IWCE 2023 Pre-event Guide
    • IWCE 2022 Winter Showcase
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

1986-1988

1986-1988

  • Written by raidee
  • 1st October 2018

1986

  • MRT grapples with the coming of the cellular age. A survey asks readers if they would like more, or less, coverage of the cellular industry. Result: a 50/50 split.(The times, they are a changin'.)
  • Motorola is named the "best managed company in America" by New Management Magazine. (My, times have changed!)
  • Motorola's anti-dumping suit against Japanese manufacturers ends. The Japanese firms are found guilty of dumping, and must have cash deposits, of a weighted average of 58%, collected by U.S. Customs.
  • The battle over wireline and non-wireline cellular systems, "who can do what," heats up. The PacTel-CI merger brings to light issues, both legal and regulatory, that will be discussed for many years to come.
  • PacTel and Tandy form a pact to activate all cellular phones sold in Radio Shack stores on PacTel's cellular system. Radio Shack also enters into an agreement with A Beeper to bring pagers sold in their stores up on A Beeper's service.
  • Cellular service comes to Las Vegas. (So now we can call home for cash from Expo!)
  • "Technical Tips" prints a TRS-80 BASIC program to calculate ERP. (If only we knew how important computers will become.)
  • More and more MRT articles contain the words "digital" and "mobile data" in their titles.
  • A new cellular trade association, the North American Mobile Association, is formed by Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems, Bell Cellular, Nynex Mobile Communications, and Sonecor Cellular.
  • Certification exams offered by NARTE as alternatives to the defunct FCC exams.
  • Legislation is approved by Pres. Ronald Reagan that allows the FCC to charge processing fees. (Riots occur.)
  • Gary Stanford succeeds the late Eugene Bowler as the FCC's acting chief of the PRB's Land Mobile and Microwave division.
  • Frequency coordination rules are just around the corner. The FCC issues a code of conduct for squabbling coordinators and to insure non-discriminatory treatment of all applicants.
  • Somewhere along the line, E.F. Johnson becomes a subsidiary of Diversified Energies.
  • Cincinnati Bell acquires Cellular Business Systems.
  • Cellular service shows up on the New York-to-Washington Metroliner. The first three minutes costs $5 with $1 for each additional minute-the system accepts major credit cards.
  • Voice mail shows up on radio paging and mobile telephone services from McCaw Telepage.
  • Robert Galvin resigns as CEO of Motorola.
  • Telocator finally votes to admit wireline memberships.
  • Nynex acquires Page Boy.
  • Robert Foosaner, FCC Private Radio Bureau chief, leaves for private law practice. Deputy Chief
  • Mike Fitch assumes the helm.
  • The FCC allocates 27MHz of L-band spectrum to MSS (mobile satellite service).
  • Intertec Publishing buys MRT, and folds Land Mobile Product News into it.
  • Don Bishop becomes editorial director of MRT.

1987

  • Encryption is the hot topic of the day.
  • The PacTel purchase of CI finally goes through.
  • The Telecommunications Privacy Act goes into effect.
  • The first data radio network, based on Motorola's commercial data networking service, opens in Chicago.
  • The Fred M. Link award is established by the RCA, and the first award is presented to-who else-Fred M. Link!
  • Retail cellular phone centers start popping up.
  • FCC auctions elicit emotional and heated debates. Nevertheless, ever any doubt that they would not be implemented? Riots occur- again.)
  • Telocator secures its first wireline carrier, Bell Atlantic Network Services.
  • Mark Fowler resigns as the FCC's top dog, leaving a "deregulation" legacy.
  • Rumblings arise that Telocator and CTIA are discussing a possible merger.
  • A cellular system coming on line is no longer national news.
  • Dennis Patrick becomes the FCC's interim Chairman.
  • Vehicle tracking technology starts to pique the interests of major wireless players.
  • Paging subscribers hit the 6.5 million mark.
  • Hertz car rental starts to offer cellular phone rentals to go with their cars.
  • Nokia-Mobira purchases Cue Paging and changes its name to DiversiCom.

1988

  • We start to hear the rumblings of the "demise" of two-way as cellular becomes more ubiquitous. (An argument that will continue for years.)
  • Maxon Electronics spins of Maxon Paging Products.
  • Alliance Telecom of Dallas merges with Decibel Products.
  • Bradley Holmes is still waiting to become the permanent FCC chairman after Fowler's resignation last year.
  • Willam Hotes is elected to the post of president for Telocator and Jai Bhaget is elected chairman.
  • Technology marches on-fax units for mobile radios are being developed by Midland and Medbar Industries.
  • U.S. West Paging buys A Beeper.
  • Novatel wins the Canada Award for Business Excellence.
  • More and more noise is being made for trunking below 800MHz.
  • The FCC adopts a national plan for public safety that, finally, decides what to do with the 6MHz of spectrum in the 800MHz band.
  • Susan Wing is nominated as an FCC commissioner. She replaces Mimi Weyforth.
  • Russell K. Fox becomes ASMR's CEO.
  • Temporary licensing for new specialized industrial radio band customers is proposed by SIRSA. This is to eliminate the 30-day plus waiting period, currently the norm. NABER jumps on the bandwagon too.
  • N.V Phillips becomes yet another player in the paging industry.
  • The FCC considers loosening technical and service restrictions for cellular service. Private radio rushes to protect its interests-going so far as to imply that the FCC is attempting to rewrite the Communications Act. (A harbinger of things to come.)
  • Digital Cellular is being tested and demonstrated. AT&T and International Mobile Machines (IMM) both show their stuff. Astute players see this as the ultimate cellular solution.
  • BellSouth buys MCCA, making BellSouth the second largest U.S. paging company behind Southwestern Bell.
  • A Frost & Sullivan report indicates that 900MHz will show the greatest growth in the mobile two-way market. They predict almost 8.5 million users by the end of 1992.
  • Selectone acquires Airwave.
  • It finally happens-Motorola makes a bid for MDI. (Is there any doubt, anymore, that mobile data is here to stay?)
  • A respondent's comment from the 1988 salary survey may speak for much of the two-way industry. Quote: "The two governing bodies, NABER and the FCC, do not know which way is up. The FCC doesn't do much anymore, and NABER does whatever it wants, right or wrong. I believe coordination is a thing of the past."
  • Spectrum licensing fees rear their ugly heads.
  • Glenayre Electronics acquires a majority stock position in Kustom Electronics.
  • Motorola's Radius line explodes. The age of low-cost off-of-the-shelf mobile radios is upon us.
  • Centel acquires United TeleSpectrum.
  • Public safety still can't get together on a trunking standard.
  • TIA is formed.
  • The FCC votes to permit cellular licensees to offer advanced services-including paging on cellular frequencies. Is the end of paging in sight?
  • GE and E.F. Johnson join ASMR.
Tags:

Related Content

  • L3Harris unveils P25-LTE device that is designed to meet stringent new fire standard
  • Open-source tools for the IoT ecosystem
  • Satellite Made Simple: Easy-to-Deploy Connectivity On-the-Go
  • New Orleans-area 911 center inks multiyear APEX deal with Carbyne to replace call-handling system

Commentary


Updated: How ‘sidelink’ peer-to-peer communications can enhance public-safety operations

  • 1
27th February 2023

NG911 needed to secure our communities and nation

24th February 2023

How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient

26th January 2023
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

House members introduce $15 billion NG911 funding bill dlvr.it/SlS0Lr

25th March 2023
UrgentComm

ADRF: Sun Kim discusses company’s new hybrid in-building wireless solution dlvr.it/SlRtSQ

25th March 2023
UrgentComm

U.S. cell towers and small cells: By the numbers dlvr.it/SlRn6N

25th March 2023
UrgentComm

Verizon, NTT among service providers narrowing private 5G focus dlvr.it/SlQjJH

24th March 2023
UrgentComm

Report: Technology is encouraging unprecedented collaboration in local-government organizations dlvr.it/SlQZT1

24th March 2023
UrgentComm

Insurance challenges to partial-autonomous-vehicle safety dlvr.it/SlQTHS

24th March 2023
UrgentComm

Whatever happened to the Hyperloop? dlvr.it/SlQQTL

24th March 2023
UrgentComm

Siyata to showcase new PTT device with body camera during IWCE 2023 dlvr.it/SlL0mS

23rd March 2023

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.