History of Mobile Cellular Communication

Cellular mobile phones are often regarded as a fairly recent innovation, however, they have been freely available in the UK for over 20 years.

The first type of mobile phone was large and cumbersome and similar in size to a large briefcase. These phones were analogue based and in the early days not overly reliable, due to the two existing network operators needing to install an effective infrastructure of network coverage quickly.

With the launch of the second generation (2G), consumer popularity rose steadily. Mobile phones became smaller and easier to handle. Network coverage improved greatly and it became more reliable.

During the period between December 1999 to December 2000 a total of 46,000 new users a day joined the UK mobile phone network. 5.1 million phones were bought in the UK during the 2000 Christmas period.

Number of Mobile Connections
Click graph to enlarge

Mobile Phone Usage

In its report, 'The Communications Market Report 2012' Ofcom provides the following information.

There are over 81.6 million mobile subscriptions in the UK, over 5.1 million customers now access mobile broadband services via a laptop and dongle, and 39 percent of UK adults use their mobile phones for internet access.

At the end of 2011 15% of adults live in a home that has a mobile phone but no landline. 

Tablet ownership rose to 11% of UK households.

The number of text messages sent 2011 was over 150 billion, representing an average of 50 texts a week for every person in the UK.

Network

There were approximately 52,500 base station sites in the UK.

UK Economy and GDP Associated with The Mobile Phone Industry

The continual increase in demand for mobile communications has contributed significantly to the welfare of the UK economy. In 2003 the number of employees dependent on the mobile phone sector rose to around 197,000. The industry contributes £15 billion a year to government finances*.

The UK is one of the most advanced telecommunications markets in Europe and provides the lowest prices for mobile phone usage. With the speed of new technology within the telecoms industry, the swift introduction of the new third generation (3G) over the next few years will be key to maintaining the UK's competitive edge.

* O2 May 2004 report: "The Contribution of Mobile Phones to the UK Economy"