ABSTRACT
This chapter traces a brief history of mobile radio communications, bringing up the main events that have contributed to the development of such an efficient and successful means of communication. Before the Second World War, mobile radio systems were largely dominated by military users. The early mobile radio systems were equipped with vacuum-tube equipment requiring powerful batteries. Mobile radio systems do vary according to the specific application for which they are designed. The first successful use of mobile radio dates from the late 1800s, when M. G. Marconi established a radio link between a land-based station and a tugboat, over an 18-mile path. Since then mobile systems have developed and spread considerably. The usefulness of mobile radio services was first recognized by the public safety services, followed by the private sector. The introduction of frequency modulation into mobile radio services started soon after its invention in 1935. Transistorization of mobile radio products started in 1957 with the power supplies.
