The 43rd Appleton Lecture and Dinner

(Limited places)
The Institution's 43rd Appleton lecture will review some of the roots associated with mobility from 1965 to date, from analogue to digital , from zero to 2.5 Billion mobile customers, drawing in particular on the landmarks associated with the first 25 years of cellular innovation and investment.

The talk will also include some trends and likely developments for the next 10 years as communications reaches into both the developing world, broader Mobile Internet usage, and new areas of growth associated with applications anywhere anytime.

This lecture will also mark the 25th anniversary of EU early coordination of digital mobile R+D , and the formation 20 years ago of the GSM Association in September 1987.

Speaker | Mike Short, Vice President – R&D, O2 Group

Mike Short is the last European Chairman of the GSM Association (12 years ago) and Board member for 5 years, Chairman of the UK Mobile Data Association and VP - R+D, O2 Group . With 20 years experience in Mobile Communications his career has spanned Technology, Procurement and Public Policy across 3 generations (so far) of cellular technology.

Synopsis | Global mobile phone use to pass record 3 billion

By the end of July, global mobile phone use will for the first time pass the 3 billion mark--equivalent to half the world's population--as cell phone demand booms in China, India and Africa, a survey said on Wednesday. From African farmers to Chinese factory workers, mobile operators will have notched up more than 3.25 billion mobile phone subscriptions worldwide by the end of the year. Along with the Internet, the mobile phone has revolutionized communication.

The mobile phone has spread from city whiz kids to Brazilian slum dwellers. More than 1,000 new customers are effectively signing up for mobile phones every minute around the world, the survey showed. Analysts have forecast that 65% of all handsets made this year will be sold in emerging markets as manufacturers, such as Nokia of Finland and Motorola of the United States, push out low-cost phones and mobile phone operators cut call charges.

The figures cited in the survey take account of multiple mobile subscriptions by customers. Penetration in Europe has topped 100% of the population, with 666 million mobile connections. A record 240 million handsets were sold and 135 million new customers signed up to mobile phone networks in the quarter to the end of March, the report said. In terms of connections, the last quarter was the third strongest in the industry's history after the fourth quarters of 2004 and 2006, when 142 million and 163 million, respectively, signed up.

IET London Local Network Event

The Institution’s London Local Network would like to invite all guests to join them for a complimentary glass of wine in the Common and Lancaster Rooms at the conclusion of the lecture. The informal networking evening will continue in the Kelvin Bar, where light snacks and drinks can be purchased, once dinner guests have been called to the Riverside Room. Both Institution members and non-members are welcome to attend this event, so please indicate your attendance on the registration form.

History

The Appleton Lecture was established in 1965 to commemorate the life and work of Sir Edward Appleton, a widely honoured physicist and Nobel Prize winner who is mainly noted for research into the upper atmosphere.

In 1924 Sir Edward was able to demonstrate the existence of the electrified reflecting layer in the upper atmosphere. The existence of this layer had been postulated by A E Kennelly and Oliver Heaviside. The existence of a second layer was also demonstrated, and this is often referred to as the Appleton Layer. Along with Douglas Hartree he established the magneto-ionic theory of the ionosphere. Appleton also made contributions to the development of radar and studied the radio properties of sun spots.

The majority of his papers are held at Edinburgh University Library. Texas University Library holds his letters to Sir O W Richardson, while his correspondence with Viscount Cherwell 1940 - 1955 is held by Nuffield College, Oxford. The Medical Research Council also holds miscellaneous correspondence.

Live Webcast

For those that cannot attend this event, please note it will be webcast live on IET.tv.  To view, go to www.iet.tv and the transmission will begin 10 minutes before the main event  at 18.30 BST.