For more information contact:
Connecting Point Communications for Jitterbug
Tanya Jeffers
415-897-0999 direct
415-720-6456 cell
tjeffers@cpcomm.com
Connecting Point Communications for Jitterbug
Victoria Krammen
415-442-4033 direct
925-337-0698 cell
vkrammen@cpcomm.com
Jitterbug Co-Founder Martin Cooper Honored with Prestigious Prince of Asturias
Award for Technical and Scientific Research
Spanish Foundation Recognizes Cooper’s International
Contributions to Telecommunications
San Diego, Calif. – June 30, 2009 – GreatCall, Inc., makers of the Jitterbug cellular phone and service,
today announced that company co-founder and Chairman Martin Cooper was honored with a Prince of Asturias Award
for Technical and Scientific Research by the Prince of Asturias Foundation in Spain.
The aim of the Foundation is to encourage and promote the scientific, cultural and humanistic values that form
part of mankind’s universal heritage, and the Prince of Asturias Awards were created to symbolize the nature
and aims of the Foundation. The awards are intended to acknowledge work carried out by individuals, institutions,
groups of people or groups of institutions whose achievements are exemplary at an international level.
Martin Cooper was recognized for his contributions in mobile telephony. A pioneer in the wireless communication
industry, Cooper, in a continuing career spanning over 50 years, introduced many breakthroughs in the wireless
industry; he invented the first handheld mobile telephone in 1973. The Foundation credits Cooper’s work as
contributing significantly to the great technological advances in human communications, which has given rise to a
connected world, free from geographical or temporal barriers.
“It is an honor to accept this prestigious award on behalf of the many people who inspired me and worked alongside
me in the application of wireless technology to improve the lives of people throughout the world,” said Cooper.
“Half the people on Earth now use cell phones. This is the beginning of a future in which wireless technology
connects us all with resulting improvement in productivity, education, entertainment, safety, and with a
revolutionized approach to health.”
The Prince of Asturias Foundation named the invention of the mobile phone as among the greatest technological
innovations of our time, revolutionizing the way that millions of people communicate worldwide and contributing
decisively to the advancement of knowledge.
Following a 30 year career at Motorola, where he invented the portable cell phone, Cooper co-founded the company
Cellular Business Systems, which soon dominated the mobile telephony market. In 1992 he co-founded ArrayComm, the
world leader in intelligent antenna technology, of which he is executive chairman. In 2006, Cooper and his wife Arlene
Harris, often referred to as the “First Lady of Wireless” for her contributions to the telecommunications industry,
founded GreatCall, makers of the perfectly simple Jitterbug cell phone and service.
In addition to his work for Motorola and ArrayComm, Cooper has participated in the spectrum allocation process
with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Federal Communications Commission and has testified before the U.S.
Senate on this subject. He formulated the Law on Spectrum Efficiency, also known as Cooper’s Law, which states that
the maximum amount of information that is transmitted over a given amount of radio spectrum doubles every 30 months.
He has received numerous awards and honors, including the IEEE Centennial Medal.
This year a total of 40 candidates from more than a dozen countries were considered for the award. Eight Prince of
Asturias Awards are bestowed each year in categories spanning Art, International Cooperation, Social Sciences, and Sport.
About GreatCall, Inc.
GreatCall, Inc., creator of Jitterbug, was founded by Arlene Harris, the first woman inducted into the
“Wireless Hall of Fame,” and Martin Cooper, the father of the first portable cellular phone. GreatCall’s
vision is to deliver easy-to-use, helpful, and affordable cellular phones and life-enhancing services,
creating a new industry standard for simplicity and value. Jitterbug, created with worldwide leader Samsung,
is sold nationwide direct-to-consumers. Service coverage includes the U.S. and Canada. GreatCall is located
in San Diego, CA. For more information, please visit
www.jitterbug.com.
About The Prince of Asturias Awards
The Prince of Asturias Foundation established the Prince of Asturias Awards in 1981. They are presented every year at
a grand ceremony held in Oviedo, the capital of the Principality of Asturias, by His Royal Highness the Prince of Asturias,
who is the Honorary President of the Foundation.