The Forum Mobilkommunikation (FMK) sent a reminder on Tuesday that the first mobile GSM radio stations were activated 30 years ago. According to FMK, the conversion from analog to digital was necessary because the analog transmission of telephone calls and data – which at the time meant sending faxes – had reached the limit of its capacity. On the occasion of the anniversary, the FMK went looking for the oldest mobile phone in Austria and found an Ericsson GH 198.
With the switch to the digital mobile network GSM (“Global System for Mobile Communication”), terminal devices and tariffs have also become significantly cheaper, “mobile communication was no longer the preserve of the elite”. Mobile phones, smartphones and the necessary mobile phone networks have become an indispensable part of everyday life.
According to FMK, any mobile phone from the early days of GSM can still be used as the GSM standard continues to fulfill its role as an important digital standard for voice telephony alongside LTE and 5G, the voluntary lobby of the Austrian mobile communications industry reported.
Owner replaces battery cells himself
The FMK seized the 30th anniversary as an opportunity to look for the oldest mobile phones still in use in Austria. 200 users answered the call and submitted their 1990s devices. As a result, an Ericsson GH 198 was declared “officially the oldest mobile phone in Austria still in use”. The even bigger surprise for the expert jury was the fact that the owner of the Swedish-made mobile phone used the product that had been on the market in 1993 since 1995.
The fact that the battery of the device lasts for a long time is partly due to the craftsmanship of owner Horst Willingshofer, as he replaces the battery cells himself. Willingshofer can now not only be happy with his rugged mobile phone, because as the winner of the competition, his mobile phone costs will be covered by the FMK for the next two years.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
