Mobile Phones Debuted in Missouri

1946: Mobile Car Phones made their nationwide debut in Missouri

A Southwestern Bell worker testing mobile telephone service in St. Louis in 1946.
Courtesy of AT&T Archives and History Center

Here is a piece of history that may surprise you — for a number of reasons. Firstly, most people think that the invention of mobile phones happened in the 1980s. But they actually made their debut about 40 years earlier. And here is the other surprise; St. Louis was chosen as the city where cell phones would make their public debut. Yes, the very first mobile phones debuted in Missouri.

St. Louis Chosen

The big announcement came from AT&T Bell Labs in 1946. The company decided that the rollout of their mobile telephone service would happen in St. Louis. This was big news for the city as it became the first in history to have this sort of communication service available in cars. It should also be noted that St. Louis was the 8th largest city in America at the time and a hub of research, technology, manufacturing, and commerce. So, it was decided that the largest city in Missouri would be a good test market for this type of advanced technology.

History is Calling

History came calling on June 17, 1946, when a driver in St. Louis picked up the handset that was installed under the dashboard and made the first call. Keep in mind that this handset was attached to other equipment under the dash by a phone line. Although cell phones debuted in Missouri, nobody would have guessed that people would one day have an entire computer in the palm of their hands thanks to this new technology.

Times Change

The earliest truly mobile phone systems weighed around 80 pounds, with a big price tag to boot. So even though the service was available, very few could afford to opportunity to participate in this groundbreaking technological advance. Following the debut of the service in Missouri, it was expanded to nearly 100 other cities across the country. But it wasn’t until 1983 that the first truly mobile phones were sold in stores. The first cell phone tower went into service in St. Louis in 1984 by CyberTel Cellular, which later became Verizon.

The bottom line — The Show Me State made history once again when mobile phones debuted in Missouri.