Cell Phone Invention
Perhaps it's better to say that more people talk to his invention than any other innovation on the planet. The popularity of Cooper's invention cannot be denied. Currently, there are more cellular subscribers than land line phone users in the world. As the father of the mobile phone, Cooper improved communication by adding an important aspect—freedom. It was this basic idea that led him to develop one of the most popular and useful inventions of our time. "People want to talk to other people – not in a house, or an office, or a car. Given a choice, people will demand the freedom to communicate wherever they are, unfettered by the infamous "copper wire." He researched the viability of his cell phone invention and then adapted the technology into a workable unit.
The First CallMartin Cooper entered the history books on April 3, 1973 when he placed the first public telephone call on a portable cellular device. He called his competitors at AT&T's Bell Labs to give them the news of his cell phone invention. To make the call even more exciting, he phoned them from the streets of New York City. Cooper made several calls that day, one to a radio reporter while crossing the street to emphasize the freedom of his mobile phone. He admits that it was "probably one of the more dangerous things I have ever done in my life." Person versus PlaceCooper's cell phone invention not only created a phone that provided freedom, but it also started a radical shift in thinking. For the first time, the communications industry focused on the person and not the place. This marketing concept is not only exciting, but is the fuel for thought behind many other wireless inventions impacting communication. Over the years, Cooper continued to improve his cell phone invention. In his 1973 public demonstration, the phone he used was brick-shaped and weighed 30 ounces. In 1983, Motorola introduced a 16-ounce phone for commercial service that cost the consumers $3500 for each phone. Today, the average cell phone weighs as little as 3 ounces. Because of the huge success of cellular phones, the prices for these devices has gone down significantly since their inception. Today, the competition is fierce for subscribers with many affordable plans to choose from. It's clear that Cooper developed a product that the world finds worthwhile and the industry finds marketable. Currently, Martin Cooper is the CEO of ArrayComm, a company he founded to conduct research and development on smart antenna technology. He still seeks to improve wireless networks through the rapid advancements in technology. 
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Cooper had a vision for a personal wireless communication system. An idea he admits was inspired from watching Captain Kirk speak into his communicator on the Star Trek television series. 
