CELLULAR ONE Demonstrates Pocket and Notebook-Sized Wireless Voice and Data Technologies
SPOKANE, Wash. — March 15, 1993 — The day that people can compute, fax and make phone calls from an untethered device has arrived, according to Cellular One Washington. Cellular One Washington today demonstrated two commercially available units that will allow people to gather news, weather, electronic mail and other information from a pocket-sized computing device, or to compute, fax, modem or even carry on a telephone conversation with a new notebook-sized computer.
"The future is here today," according to Terrence Connor, general manager of Cellular One in Spokane. "The cellular communications business today is more than carrying voice conversations over the air. It's also a virtual highway for data and information accessed by anyone, anytime, anywhere." Connor said the market for wireless voice and data is exploding and Cellular One is in a unique position to serve customers who require more than just cellular phones. "Cellular One's North American Cellular Network will allow our customers to seamlessly use either phones or computers in major Cellular One markets in the U.S., and in Canada through an arrangement with Cantel."
EMBARC System
Connor demonstrated the Motorola EMBARC system and the EO Personal Communicator today. The Motorola EMBARC ties directly into devices such as a Hewlett-Packard HP95 Palmtop that can fit easily into a pocket. EMBARC is an acronym for Electronic Mail broadcast to A-Roaming Computers. This new service is available in 112 cities in the United States and is expected to be available worldwide in a few years. EMBARC picks up electronic messages from an office computer and radios them off a satellite into special receivers that are plugged into traveling laptop, notebook or palmtop computers. The pocket-sized receivers store the data, pricing and scheduling changes, inventory levels, customer credit ratings and such — and automatically downloads it when the recipients turn on their portables.
The message can be dispersed as either text or as binary code to do a mass update of computer files. EMBARC can also pull news, sports, financial and weather information from the USA Today News Service. In addition, subscribers can also access some electronic mail systems such as AT&T Mail.
The EO Personal Communicator
Connor also demonstrated the EO Personal Communicator… an all-in-one notebook-sized mobile communications device. The EO combines pen-based user interfaces with a variety of communications capabilities including voice, fax, paging and electronic mail. The EO uses AT&T's Hobbit RISC chip which allows users to send and receive electronic messages and faxes, to manage phone calls, to capture, analyze and transmit information, to edit and create documents, and to manage personal information. "There are some estimates that by the end of the decade, more than 100 million personal communicators will be sold, reaching about $20 billion in sales," said Connor. The EO Personal Communicator weighs 2.2 pounds and measures 10.8 by 7.1 by 0.9 inches.
Cellular One of Washington is a leading provider of cellular communication services in the Pacific Northwest, providing uninterrupted service from Vancouver, British Columbia, south into southern Oregon and from Seattle east to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Cellular One is a wholly owned subsidiary of McCaw Cellular Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: MCAWA), headquartered in Kirkland, Wash. McCaw Cellular Communications is the largest cellular communications provider in the United States. Media interested in coverage information, should call Gary McMath of Cellular One Spokane, 509-324-1000.
CONTACT:
Anita Lammert, 206-389-5173, or Kenneth Woo, 206-389-5208, or Susan Johnston, 206-389-5209, all of Cellular One of Washington Public Affairs Group