WINLAB celebrates 10th anniversary
Archived article from Oct 8, 1999
By Joseph Blumberg
Rutgers' Wireless Information Network Laboratory (WINLAB) held a twin celebration at the Twin Lights Historic Site above Sandy Hook Thursday, Sept. 30. It marked both the 100th anniversary of Guglielmo Marconi's transmission by wireless tele-
graphy from a ship at sea to the Twin Lights -- the first demonstration of practical wireless communication -- and the 10th anniversary of the founding of WINLAB.
David Goodman, WINLAB founder and past director, hosted the proceedings. "We are extremely privileged and honored to have an array of speakers who have really shaped our subject," he said.
U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) sent his greeting through aide Joe Deckelnick, who read from Holt's remarks to Congress: "As they share both significant anniversaries and missions, WINLAB honors Marconi for providing the basis for wireless communications and creating the very object of their research. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in recognizing WINLAB's commitment to Guglielmo Marconi's vision and continued contribution to wireless technology throughout the world."
Other speakers included Alexander Tenenbaum, scientific attache, who brought greetings from Italian Ambassador Ferdinando Salleo; leading Japanese researcher Fumiyuki Adachi of Nippon Telephone and Telegraph; Larry Greenstein, a pioneer in cellular radio communication with AT&T Labs; QUALCOMM Vice Chair Andrew Viterbi; and Presidential Medal of Technology winner Richard Frenkiel, senior consultant at WINLAB.
Many of the speakers noted how wireless applications have expanded in the past century to include audio and video broadcast, radar and mobile telephony. They also emphasized the need to expand communications networks in the future to include data services via the Internet.
The event concluded with a re-enactment of the Marconi transmission using vintage radio equipment.
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