CDMA leader wins IEEE medal

Qualcomm’s Dr Irwin Mark Jacobs has been awarded the IEEE 2103 Medal of Honour. A pioneering engineer and visionary business leader, Jacobs has played a central role in advancing modern digital communications with revolutionary innovations critical to the development of today’s wireless communications systems.

From his beginnings as a communications theorist, Dr Jacobs’ success lies in his ability to take ideas that advance digital technology from theory to practice and successful commercialisation.

As a co-founder of technology companies that have provided important innovations, Dr Jacobs has played a key role in the shift from analog to digital communications experienced during the past 40 years. Dr Jacobs co-founded Qualcomm, Inc in 1985 and grew it from a small technology firm to a Fortune 500 company.

Dr Irwin Mark Jacobs.

He helped lead revolutionary developments such as the code division multiple access (CDMA) technology that greatly improved cellular communications efficiency compared to analog systems. Dr Jacobs overcame the initial scepticism and controversy involved with introducing the new technology and guided CDMA to successful implementation and standardisation. CDMA would become the foundation of third-generation (3G) wireless systems.

Dr Jacobs was also instrumental in Qualcomm’s development of a satellite communications and tracking system for the trucking industry. Using spread-spectrum technology, advanced signal processing and innovative antenna designs, the system provided the first two-way communication and positioning system for fleet management. Known commercially as OmniTRACS, the system is still in use around the world today.

Prior to Qualcomm, Dr Jacobs co-founded LINKABIT Corporation in 1968, which provided innovative semiconductor technology and programmable devices that were important to the development of satellite-to-home television services. While at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr Jacobs co-authored (with John Wozencraft) Principles of Communication Engineering (Wiley, 1965), which is considered one of the best communications theory textbooks ever written and is still in use today.

An IEEE Life Fellow, former Chairman of the US National Academy of Engineering, and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences American Association for the Advancement of Science, Dr Jacobs’ many honours include the US National Medal of Technology (1994) and the inaugural IEEE Vehicular Technology Society Hall of Fame Award (2009). Dr Jacobs is Founding Chairman and Chief Executive Emeritus of Qualcomm, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA.