Portable mobile telephone with large battery pack, 1980-1991

Made:
1980-1991 in unknown place

Portable mobile telephone with large battery pack and British Telecom branding, unknown maker, 1980-1991. Together with battery charger and cable, serial numbers 662QPPD869 and S/1000/4/J/501065. Fragment in bag also on shelf

Portable mobile telephone with large battery pack and British Telecom branding, unknown maker, 1980-1991.

Before the first cellular mobile networks launched in Britain in 1985, British Telecom (BT) operated radiophone networks. These used similar technology to later mobile phones, but because they did not use a cellular system the numbers of users were very limited. This example of a ‘portable’ mobile phone has a very large battery and would have been more likely to be installed in a car than carried by a person.

Details

Category:
Telecommunications
Object Number:
2005-715
Materials:
metal (unknown), steel (metal), plastic (unidentified) and paint
Measurements:
overall (including aerial): 258 mm x 118 mm x 256 mm, 3 kg
type:
mobile telephone
credit:
Donated by the British Board of Agrement

Parts