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Business 2 Way Radios

In 1968, the FCC proposed to allocate frequencies in the 800-900 MHz range for a new technology to solve several problems associated with business 2 way radios.

New Technology Brings about Business 2 Way Radios

Cellular technology, conceptualized by Bell Laboratories (AT&T) years earlier, was a possible solution for business 2 way radios. Geographical areas would be broken into small adjacent cells and many more car phones could be used at one time. A network of cell sites would be supported by a call-switching infrastructure that tracked users as they moved through the network and automatically switched their calls as their location changed.

AT&T and Motorola Expedite Development of Business 2 Way Radios

By the early 1970s, AT&T and Motorola both announced plans for high-capacity mobile telephone systems based on cellular technology for business 2 way radios. While AT&T developed a system based on mobile (car) phones, Motorola decided to apply its decades of radio expertise and compete with AT&T for access to the proposed new radio frequencies.

A Bigger Vision for Business 2 Way Radios

When Motorola engineers began researching cellular technology, they soon recognized its potential as it pertained to business 2 way radios. But their vision went far beyond car-based phone technology. “When you park your car and leave, you can't use your mobile [car phone] but you can take your portable with you," said Martin Cooper, who was one of the leaders in early cellular development at Motorola. The company's idea was a big one: It would involve not only creating a portable wireless phone, but also building the system and infrastructure to support it. The Motorola team would have to prove to the FCC that a cellular system compatible with portable phones would work. They did not have much time.