Wireless Hall Of Fame Welcomes Four 2012 Inductees At San Diego Celebration

Event Honors Individuals Whose Achievements Helped Drive Industry to Global Prominence

Thirty-two wireless pioneers and innovators previously inducted into the prestigious Wireless Hall of Fame last night welcomed four more individuals to their ranks. Movers and shakers from across the industry gathered at the Manchester Grand Hyatt to honor the four 2012 inductees.  

Introduced by previous inductees and industry executives, the 2012 honorees were: Wayne Perry, Richard Lynch, Raj Singh, and Amos Joel (posthumous).

Perry, the Service Provider Honoree, served as president of McCaw Communications, Vice Chairman of AT&T Wireless Services, CEO and Vice Chairman of NEXTLINK Communications, and Co-Founder of Edge Wireless. He was also instrumental in forming the wireless industry's trade group (CTIA) and was its Chairman from 1993 to 1994. Perry was introduced by Wireless Hall of Fame member Craig McCaw.

Lynch, the Technology Honoree, formerly led enterprise-wide strategic technology initiatives as Executive Vice President at Verizon Communications, Inc. He served with New England Telephone, Bell of Pennsylvania, and Bell Atlantic Mobile. Lynch built one of the largest early wireless data networks in the country. Verizon Wireless President and CEO Dan Mead presented Lynch with his award. 

Raj Singh, Industry Associate Honoree, founded LCC International in 1983 and provided engineering designs for many early cellular networks in the United States and more than 30 other countries. Singh also held cellular licenses in Latin America and India and brought wireless service to those markets. In addition, he co-founded Appex, one of the first U.S. wireless roaming clearinghouses. Anne Schelle, CEO of Acta Wireless, introduced Singh.

Amos Joel (posthumously), Pioneer Honoree, was granted more than 70 patents in his lifetime. He designed and patented automated mobile switching, revolutionizing mobile communications and making cellular telephone service possible. The former AT&T Bell Labs engineer and inventor received the National Technology Medal of Honor in 1993 and was named to the National Inventors’ Hall of Fame in 2008. John Marinho, currently CTIA Vice President of Cybersecurity and Technology and formerly with Bell Labs, presented Joel’s award to Andrea and Stephanie Joel and David Quinto, representing the family of the “father of switching.”

The Wireless Hall of Fame, sponsored by the non-profit Wireless History Foundation (WHF), recognizes outstanding achievement across all disciplines of the wireless industry.

Sponsors of the 2012 Wireless Hall of Fame were:
Bandwidth level: AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, and Eagle River
Spectrum level: Assurant Solutions, Ericsson, Gemalto, NetCracker Technology, Personal Communications Devices, Ruckus Wireless, Sprint and Trilogy Partnership 
Frequencies level: Acta Wireless, AirTyme Communications, Aloha Partners, Asurion, Cenoplex, Dyna LLC, Interop Technologies, LG Electronics, Mobilitie, Motorola Mobility, Sybase 365, Syniverse, The Wireless Foundation, and T-Mobile
Connections level: CFE Telecom, Kineto Wireless, and Mosaik Solutions

Organizations providing communications support and assistance included: CTIA–The Wireless Association, CommNexus, Coracle Group, and the Telecom Council of Silicon Valley.

To participate as a sponsor of the 2013 Wireless Hall of Fame dinner, please contact Liz Maxfield, WHF Executive Director, at liz (at) wirelesshistoryfoundation dot org.

About The Wireless History Foundation
The Wireless History Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that educates and inspires future generations about the significance and growth of wireless telecommunications. Formed in 2008, the WHF develops programs that build community within the industry to preserve its rich and colorful history. WHF also chronicles the evolution of markets and technology, the contributions of numerous organizations, and the achievements of individuals, all of which fueled the growth of wireless communications and continue to add convenience, productivity, and enrichment to everyday life.