On April 3, 1973, an engineer named Martin Cooper stood nervously along a busy midtown Manhattan street, about to make a phone call. It was a call that would change life as we know it: The first cell phone call ever. The phone Cooper used that day — a prototype — was a bulky, 2-pound monster that looked a bit like a shoe with an antenna sticking out of the top. In the half-a-century since, this technology has changed more about the way we communicate and connect than Cooper could've ever imagined. On this episode, we mark the 50th anniversary of the first cell call with an exploration of the past, present, and future of mobile communications. We hear about Cooper's work on this world-altering invention, one community's fight against the 5G revolution, and why satellite phones are making a comeback in a big way.
Learn more about sponsor message choices:
podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy