Philip Thomas Porter (March 18, 1930 - March 30, 2011) was an electrical engineer and one of the guiding pioneers of the invention and development of early
cellular telephone networks.
Education
Porter was born in rural Clinton, Kentucky, USA. He received a BA in physics (1952), MA in physics (1953), and a PhD (1955?) from Vanderbilt University, graduating magna cum laude and
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...
.
Career
Porter was an engineer at
Bell Laboratories
Nokia Bell Labs, originally named Bell Telephone Laboratories (1925–1984),
then AT&T Bell Laboratories (1984–1996)
and Bell Labs Innovations (1996–2007),
is an American industrial research and scientific development company owned by mult ...
during the years of transition from radio telephones to modern cellular mobile communications. Porter was the Bell Labs engineer who proposed that cell towers be at the corners of the hexagon cells rather than the centers and have directional antennas that would transmit/receive in 3 directions into 3 adjacent hexagon cells.
In Porter's design, the cell sites can flexibly assign channels to handheld phones based on signal strength, allowing the same frequency to be re-used in various locations without interference. This allowed a larger number of phones to be supported over a geographical area. His work in preorigination dialing (entering the number, then hitting the Send key), improved efficiency of placing cell phone calls.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Porter was a key partner in the international negotiation of bandwidths and international standards involving systems, signaling, and controlling implications of cellular service. These activities led to cellular service becoming commercial viable.
He was the recipient of several awards for his work, notably from the IEEE (engineering society). As of January 1, 1990, Porter was elected an
IEEE
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operat ...
Fellow "for contributions to the planning, definition, and design of mobile cellular radio communications and services."
After spending much of his adult life in New Jersey near the Bell Laboratories headquarters where he worked, Porter retired to WellSpring in Greensboro, North Carolina in 2000.
[''News Record'', Greensboro, North Carolina]
Obituary
/ref> Porter was inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame in 2016 as a recognition for his role in the cellular industry.
Publications
Li Fung Chang and Philip T. Porter, "Data Services in a TDMA Digital Portable Radio System", Global Telecommunications Conf., GLOBECOM '90, 1990.
Li Fung Chang and Philip T. Porter, "Performance comparison of antenna diversity and slow frequency hopping for the TDMA portable radio channel", ''IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology'', pages 222-229, vol 38, issue 4, 1989.
Philip T. Porter, "Relationships for Three-dimensional Modeling of Co-channel Reuse", ''IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference'', Pages 6–11, vol 35, 1985.
Verne H. MacDonald, Philip T. Porter, W. Rae Young, "Cellular high capacity mobile radiotelephone system with fleet-calling arrangement for dispatch service", , filed April 28, 1980, issued August 16, 1983.
Z. C. Fluhr and Philip T. Porter, "AMPS: Control Architecture", ''Bell System Technical Journal'', vol. 58, 1, pages 1–14, January 1979, Advanced Mobile Phone System.
Richard H. Frenkiel, Joel S. Engle, and Philip T. Porter, "High Capacity Mobile Telephone System Feasibility Studies and System Plan", proposal filed with the FCC in 1971.
See also
* History of mobile phones#Cellular concepts
* Richard H. Frenkiel
Richard H. Frenkiel (born March 4, 1943 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American engineer, known for his significant role in the early development of cellular telephone networks.
Professional career
Frenkiel earned a bachelor's degree in mechani ...
* Joel S. Engel
* W. Rae Young
William Rae Young, Jr. (October 30, 1915 – March 7, 2008) was one of the Bell Labs engineers that invented the cell phone.
The history of cellular phone technology began on December 11, 1947 with a Bell Labs internal memo written by Douglas H ...
* Li Fung Chang
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Philip T.
Scientists at Bell Labs
American electrical engineers
Vanderbilt University alumni
Fellow Members of the IEEE
1930 births
2011 deaths