Go Wireless! Why Not Get a Job in ‘Text Message’ Technology?

Just about everybody sends text messages to their friends these days. But how do all of these messages actually get delivered from one cell phone to the next?

Of course it’s not magic: It’s wireless technology!

And our area happens to be a hub for wireless technology jobs. We have several major wireless companies located right here in our backyard – Harris RF Communications (until recently known as Tyco Electronics), Innovative Wireless Technologies (IWT) and Andrew, just to name a few.

Why so many wireless companies in this area?

Back in the day (in 1955, to be exact), General Electric’s two-way radio division, called GE Mobile, set up its global headquarters in Lynchburg. Today’s cell phones and mobile computers are the children and grandchildren of those early two-way radios.

In the 1980′s GE Mobile was bought by the Swiss cell phone manufacturer Ericsson. For years GE/Ericsson was a major employer in the area. It brought a lot of talented people into this area…and more than a few related companies.

Though Ericsson is now gone, many of the people who once worked there have stayed, and some of them launched their own wireless technology companies that are still around today.

Wireless communications is one of the most thriving industries in the world. We’ve gone from two-way radios to mobile phones to wireless computers to smart phones. Who knows what the future of wireless will hold?

So the next time you send or receive a text message, think of the technology behind it and ask yourself, “Is this the kind of field I might want to explore?” If so, there are plenty of opportunities around you.

Talk to a parent, a career coach, a teacher, or a guidance counselor to find out how you can start preparing today for a future in “text message technology.”