In 1973, Martin Cooper had already experimented with a device in his hand, and before that, many others had conducted similar research. However, Martin Cooper's hefty brick-like phone was much closer to what modern mobile phones resembled.
As for that Nokia device, while the quality was decent, it unfortunately weighed twenty kilograms and resembled a bomb more than a phone.
So far, Motorola's board hadn't given much thought to its mobile phone division. In their view, they were merely gaining experience, with all this technology meant for satellite phones in the future.
At this point, everything changed suddenly. With William White's involvement, Motorola was no longer indifferent.
After all, having seen the downfall of CPU, they didn't want to become irrelevant again. The semiconductor industry could be a secondary play, but communications was their main business.
In William White's eyes, that brick was unbelievably ugly, yet it had become incredibly popular, with inquiries pouring in from all directions.
Well, Motorola regretted again; had they known it would be this popular, they surely wouldn't have partnered with someone like him.
Motorola's communications division was in a dilemma, losing a business that seemed to have vanished into thin air. If they had no ideas at all, that would be strange.
William White's appropriation mentality left many executives feeling ashamed. But this time, that guy seemed to be worse than CPU.
At least CPU had created a watered-down version. This time, Motorola's methods were entirely copied, even the advertising plans remained unchanged.
Unfortunately, discussing it further at this point was pointless. The so-called super version of the big brick from William White was met with indifference by the company.
If they hadn't lost decision-making power, William White was sure those guys would be causing trouble.
Now?
Even if they were unhappy, they could only watch.
There were plenty of smart people in this world. After seeing the follow-up models, those smart folks could no longer hold back.
Having a four-hour standby time was indeed a stretch; the subsequent model was much nearer to the mark. One hour of talk time and eight hours on standby was somewhat appealing.
The first to take action was a group of telecom companies from the U.S. Just as William White had imagined, the split Bell Company was much more efficient than before. The antitrust issue had sent a bunch of small players straight to hell.
Mobile communications emerged just in time, opening opportunities for these smaller companies.
"Mobile companies? We're not getting involved."
"Sir, don't you see promise in this industry?"
"Quite the opposite, Filson. Notify Hong Kong to launch this project."
"Sir, do you think there are too many licenses here?"
"Heh, not just too many, but these bastards messed up the split of the phone company. They want to use licenses to shut people up."
William White found it utterly ridiculous; the scattered licenses were a complete mess, and what was most irritating was that this time the Justice Department would absolutely not allow any monopolies.
Of course, if he gave up his shares in Motorola, this could be done.
But was it worth it?
The mobile communications companies in the U.S. were simply abundant, leading to significant losses due to such reckless behavior.
The biggest dilemma was in Europe; whether or not to follow suit became a question. According to their research, that so-called mobile phone in the 900 band could not guarantee call security.
As for the digital communications they were studying, the timing was uncertain. Furthermore, Bell Labs in the U.S. was evidently conducting similar research.
Europeans were confused, and the Japanese seemed much more relaxed. In the current scenario, how could these guys dare not show support?
The world was straightforward; there were only five major developed countries. Since the U.S. and Japan reached an agreement, they really didn't care about the rest.
This matter had wide-ranging implications; it was not something Motorola alone could resolve. A myriad of unusual players emerged, looking like a pack of starving wolves.
What the hell? Why is that jerk everywhere?
The big shots felt annoyed; they dared to boss Motorola around but felt helpless against William White. He was the type who could flip the table at any moment; unless absolutely necessary, it was best not to push too hard.
...
"Hey, this is weird; that guy is actually staying silent?"
"Sir, that's perfectly normal; he has enough at stake, no need to offend anyone."
"True, I actually hoped he'd stir up some trouble."
The old-timer had no idea about the bountiful benefits; William White was already enjoying himself. Why would he want to complicate matters?
However, this was the reward he deserved. If the old-timers dared to cause trouble, he wouldn't mind sitting idle on the 2G system.
The atmosphere was odd; everyone was conflicted, yet somewhat powerless. Amid this tension, the U.S. mobile network construction was gaining momentum.
In this wave of momentum, all the Bells dutifully lowered their flags. After all, this was not the time for them to act up.
*****
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