Episode 103: The first 4G equipment in Portugal

In 1992, a new research project paved the way for Portugal’s first 4G equipment, which was way ahead of its time. Several European partners, including Instituto Superior Técnico, were working to create a mobile communications system that could transmit about 150 megabits per second per user, transmitting wireless high-definition video. The idea turned into an object, a kind of 60-kilogram backpack box, about 1.10 metres high and 60 centimetres wide, which included a tower with two semicircular lenses and antennas. Six years later, it was successfully tested during Expo 98 and worked flawlessly. After 25 years, it is always good to remember that long before we could access information in the palm of our hands, the Técnico researchers were already carrying a kind of giant mobile phone without a keyboard on their back.

  • Acknowledgements:
    Carlos Fernandes

Episode only available in Portuguese in: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Anchor.fm

Further reading and additional audio in the Portuguese version of this webpage.

Categories