‘Father of the cellphone’ — Marty Cooper — shares his vision of the past and the future

Marty Cooper is best known as the “father of the cellphone” that debuted in 1973 long before the Internet, the personal computer, the cordless phone or even a television remote control. At 92 years old, the San Diego resident still is actively engaged in the wireless world — advocating on how to bridge the digital divide and bring affordable broadband Internet access to all parts of our country. He contends that 5G is a “good” technology, but for the internet to be ubiquitous to students, it is not necessary. “The enemy of good enough is perfect. “The carriers have forgotten that the objective of technology is to make lives better. They try to persuade you that the only way to build a cell system is to have economies of scale,” he said. Cooper says it’s possible to have entrepreneurs build an education-focused wireless system covering both urban and rural areas that charges $5 to $10 per month. There is enough spectrum, he contends, and the antennas can be installed on schools and libraries and beam out to the neighborhoods around them.