Toward a Mobile Information Society:
Globalization of Wireless Technology and Market Evolution

Dan Steinbock

Upon his return from a trip to Germany in 1936, Paul Galvin, the legendary founder of Motorola, was convinced that war was inevitable. The impressive Autobahns, he said, "have not been built just for autos, they are war roads." By 1940, the equipment manufacturer developed the first handheld two-way radio for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. While Motorola's facilities were quickly converted to military engineering and production, Galvin prodded the defense forces to recognize the military potential of the wireless:

I wonder how many of you realize the importance of radio as a deciding factor in who is going to win the war? What is it that gives the vicious efficiency to vehicles of destruction in modern mechanized warfare? It is radio. What is today revolutionizing aircraft, naval, and anti-aircraft tactics and strategy? It is radio and radar. It is our job-the industry's job-to deliver these precious and important instruments.

After the war years, Handie-Talkies, Walkie-Talkies, and other wireless offerings served as a bridge to Motorola's early dominance in the commercial wireless business. At the same time, they reflected the critical role of mobile communications in emergency services and for defense purposes. Historically, mobile communications have been central to international affairs and national security, from the U.S. Civil War and World War II to the tragedy of 9/11 and the current war on terrorism. The U.S. war in Iraq offered still another example of mobilization, specifically mobilization of the Internet, which, among other things, has rapidly transformed the nature of contemporary warfare…

Dan Steinbock is Director of the Centre of International Business Research at the Helsinki School of Economics.