Tomorrow's World: Mobile Phone 13 September 1979 - BBC

From the BBC Archive 'Tomorrow's World' collection: http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/tomorrow...
Michael Rodd makes a call with an experimental cordless mobile phone.
It's 1979 and time for the telephone to go mobile. In this report from a longer programme, Michael Rodd (pictured above) examines a British prototype for a cordless telephone that allows the user to make calls from anywhere. Also included at the end of this item is a rather nice out-take as Rodd also experiences the first mobile wrong number.

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  Entertainment

[krabople]

A telephone that you can carry around with you? I hope we're not expected to believe this rubbish.

[edward smith]

A real life Alan Partridge.

[Nigel Legin]

Since we're being pedantic - is seems Martin invented "cellular" technology, a number of years after mobile phones using wireless radio technology were invented. Search The Economist for "Father of the cell phone"

[TranceNotes]

How wonderful! In my day, we needed articulated lorries to transport our mobile phones...

[CRUSADERI8]

Someone mentioned no one has invented a long life battery, well someone already has many years ago but ONLY the military use them. They last upto 20 years use. They are not commercially available as the greedy corporate world know that the money is in repeat consumption. Just like the greedy pharmaceutical corps know that the money is in keeping you sick so they can sell you the pills on going . It's time we stood up against this vile corporate machine complex.

[Graeme Pryce]

Nah. It will never catch on. Who wants to carry a phone round all day? lol

[namelsess93]

Looks better than the average mobile phones these days..

[max rav]

What is this witchcraft?

[max rav]

ridiculous. They'll be saying they'll be a black President next! Utter poppycock

[Avidcomp]

Government intervention, yes that includes the post office, and proof again how their narrow minded thinking. It also includes the BBC (gov. subsidized) that did not acknowledge Martin Cooper, an American who by this time had already succeeded.

[barryshostakovitch]

Absolute nonsense, it'll never work.