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Forum Organizers and Chairs: Dr. Jacob Baal-Schem and Prof. Jean-Marie Dilhac

ABSTRACT

Since the introduction of mobile telephony in the early 1950s, the demand for this service exploded. The advent of the GSM network in Europe provided the first wide-area coverage for mobile access to data and multimedia. Military and Corporate users were first to use these devices as it provided fast and secure access to the latest information. It seems that the latent demand for mobile telecommunications services continued to be very strong. By the year 2000 the penetration rate reached 100% of the population in some European countries. Still, a massive growth in the market for mobile multimedia occurred in 2001. During the years, synergies between entertainment, computing and telecommunications led to new applications. In 2002, mobile subscribers worldwide have outnumbered fixed-line subscribers.

Japan's position as a world leader in mobile communications is widely acknowledged. Japan’s mobile service began, like many other countries, with car phones, which were introduced by NTT in 1979. Nowadays, a wide variety of applications and contents are provided in the mobile communications market in Japan.

The Forum provides a Historical overview of the development of mobile telecommunications from its birth, with a special view on its economic and social impacts. Presentations will cover developments and services in the U.S., France and Japan, from the emergence of mobile telephony until today.

Sub-Topics:

The Mobile Phone Revolution– an overview

History of GSM

Development of mobile communication systems in Japan and its impact on the market

Mobile Communications: From Vehicular to Cellular

Type: History Forum

Duration: 58 minutes