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Calling All Memories

Nov. 1, 2017
Your Stories Come to Life — Though Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused ISE EXPO 2017 to be cancelled, the ISE team is committed to #ISEEXPOTheShowMustGoOn. Therefore, we are sharing the […]

Your Stories Come to Life —

Though Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused ISE EXPO 2017 to be cancelled, the ISE team is committed to #ISEEXPOTheShowMustGoOn. Therefore, we are sharing the Calling All Memories photo submissions we received celebrating 25 years of memories right here. AND, we are proud to host many ISE EXPO 2017 exhibitors’ videos at ise.mediaquest.co. Check them out and support those loyal vendors when you can.

Our Calling All Memories winner is Gregory T. Frasca, SVP, Diversified. Check out how smart he looks with his newly won smart watch!

WINNER!
True Story #1
by Greg Frasca
One of my first memories of a mobile phone is when my older brother got involved with the cellular company, BAMS (Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems). In 1985, we opened a family business in New Jersey to sell, service and install the equipment.

When I was 14 I drove a Ferrari around the parking lot to make a test call from the car phone I had just installed. And yes, you guessed it. I took the drive when no one was looking!

Also, check out a recent picture of me (now 46) with my first car phone and an old flip phone. The magazine I’m holding is the Sept. 1984 issue of Cellular Business in which it outlines the launch of Cellular service in New York City that same year. These props are fun to show the Twenty Somethings who work with me. They say, "Man, you’re old!"

Now I know what my parents felt like when I joked with them about their stories of the big radio they had in their homes as kids in Queens, New York. That was circa 1938, before televisions were affordable to the masses. (What goes around comes around.)Gregory T. FrascaSenior Vice PresidentDIVERSIFIED

True Story #2
by Kelsey Ryon
…It was a big deal to borrow my dad’s cell phone for a trip to Memphis. With some force and time, I finally maneuvered the accompanying briefcase-like bag under the passenger’s seat of the van and off I drove.

Ironically, on that same trip, the van was broken into and everything but that bulky phone and bag were stolen.
Kelsey Ryon
Senior Marketing Specialist
Hexagon Safety and Infrastructure

True Story #3 by Chris Parker In 1990, I attended a High-Tech MBA program Wednesday nights and Saturdays. To get to the 6:00 PM class, I had to drive an hour in Boston area traffic. After realizing that was a lot of wasted time that could be better spent, I invested in the OKI briefcase phone to return work phone calls and discuss case studies with fellow students who were also in traffic.Chris Parker Senior Manager — Engineering Verizon

True Story #4
by John Skelton
One fine day after having just received a new bag phone, I stopped to see one of our crews that was placing cable. When I arrived, I was talking on that new phone, using the hands-free microphone on the sun visor. I then put the truck in park and continued my conversation by leaning forward to be closer to the microphone.

As I continued my conversation, one of the Techs saw me and started walking toward the truck. As he got closer, he noticed I was talking to someone but there was no one else in the vehicle. Not knowing about the cell phone, he looked at me as if I had finally lost my mind.
John Skelton
Retired
SMW Engineering

True Story #5 by Matthew Peterworth When the iPhone was first released, it was insanely expensive. So, I taped my 60GB iPod to the back of my flip phone and went around asking everyone if they would like to see my new iPhone.Matthew Peterworth Technology Specialist Henderson Engineers
True Story #6 by Scot Bohaychyk I was a lineman when I was given my first StarTac cell phone with the amazing new ring/vibrate feature. I was working on setting a 50-ft Class 3 telephone pole in between primary power phases.

As always, before starting, I checked all my safety gear and was good to go. Unknowingly, as I was guiding the pole into the hole, my cell phone placed on my hip rang and vibrated. I thought my gloves had failed and I was being electrocuted!
Scot Bohaychyk
Sr. Application Engineer
Clearfield, Inc.

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