Stem in Current Events Information Technology

41

Engineering and Information Technology

If one inventor’s idea comes to life, cell phones not only will connect people and networks, but also will provide power to each other wirelessly.

In Papa’s view of the world, individual mobile phones might become the next generation of cell towers.With mobile phones already being nearly omnipresent, additional towers would not have to be built if mobile phones could be engineered to receive and transmit nearby calls. Wireless telecommunications giant Qualcomm is already experimenting with technology that by- passes cell towers and allows cell phones within about 1,600 feet (500 m) to communicate with one another.With foreign partners Deutsche Telekom and Huawei, Qualcomm conducted a test of this system, known as LTE Direct, and hopes to roll it out soon.