Backhaul, February 2014: the industry 25 and 10 years ago

Welcome to Backhaul, where each issue we'll take a trip down memory lane and look at the state of the industry 25 and 10 years ago.

25 years. The December '88/January '89 issue of What's New in Radio Communications featured the Vicom FM1200S communications service monitor on the cover. Among its features was the capability to test cellular mobiles and portables, as well as the ability to test LTR compatible mobiles, portables and repeaters.

Fibre optics were all the rage, with stories on an Australia-New Zealand link, plus the installation of a Telecom fibre-optic communications system (OFCAS) at Alan Bond's headquarters in Perth. The Overseas Telecommunication Commission (OTC - remember them?) also reported the installation of a fibre link to its satellite ground station at Moree.

The issue had feature articles on progress in developing an advanced communication system for NSW's State Rail Authority - especially for the Tangara trains, which were new into service - and ways in which to implement a voice security system for use with mobile transceivers.

The Water Authority of Western Australia had just taken delivery of a new voice and data communication system from Philips TDS, which included a telephone switching and data system linked with a network of VHF base stations and mobiles.

10 years. The cover of the January/February 2004 issue of Radio Comms Asia-Pacific showed how far things had come in 15 years, with online services now in play. The three companies featured - EMC Technologies, FuturePace Solutions and Bailey Dixon - had developed an online management system for implementing full compliance with government requirements for EMR.

Products listed in this issue ranged from Bluetooth radio modules (Vitech) to wireless telemetry remote field units (Conlab); tactical combat radios (Marconi) to LiMnO₂ primary cells (Saft Australia); and CB handhelds and mobiles (from GME and Icom, respectively) to multiband mobile/GPS antennas (RF Industries)