We encompass wireless carriers, equipment manufacturers, infrastructure and engineering professionals, site acquisition and planning experts, environmental consultants, legal and land use firms, contractors, tower climbers, construction companies, construction managers, and mobile app developers. And together, we are building a 21^st-century connected future.

The New Jersey Wireless Association was launched in 2005 in partnership with the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) State Wireless Association Program (SWAP). Our mission is to serve as a dependable and ethical leader, offering a platform for the wireless industry. We serve as a resource for professionals to engage in discussions on industry issues, gain knowledge crucial to the progress of wireless and telecommunications in New Jersey, and provide leadership in addressing state and local concerns. Additionally, NJWA acts as a hub for cultivating and maintaining relationships with all stakeholders in the wireless telecommunications industry.

Our members are committed to educating the public, as well as local and state governments, to foster the growth of our industry. We actively encourage collaboration among our members, allowing industry professionals to address common issues and challenges with a unified voice. NJWA engages in seminars and educational programs in partnership with organizations such as the New Jersey League of Municipalities, the New Jersey Association of Counties, and the Continuing Education classes of the New Jersey Bar Association.

The goals of NJWA are to:

• Promote positive industry awareness;
• Support public safety through wireless 911 system upgrade efforts and ensuring the 911 fees are 100% dedicated to 911 systems and operations;
• Enable companies to join forces to educate public officials about the role of the wireless industry and its benefits;
• Cultivate relationships among various members in the industry and the communities they serve;
• Ensure the continued growth and development of the wireless industry within New Jersey; and
• Give back to the community through local charitable organizations.

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The Past

NJWA is proud to share a rich history of wireless innovation in our state. The New Jersey area is home to the pioneering work of radio communications. Early radio can be said to have been developed, refined, and manufactured in New Jersey. Pioneers such as Bell, Edison, Tesla, Marconi, Fessenden, De Forest, Armstrong, Sarnoff, and a host of others worked and lived in New Jersey.

Guglielmo Marconi is of particular interest. At the Twin Lights site in Highlands, New Jersey, Marconi erected antenna towers to demonstrate the practicality of the transmission of information via “Hertzian” waves. At the invitation of the editor of the New York Herald newspaper, the 25-year-old Marconi set up a transmitter in a boat outside of New York Harbor to follow the America’s Cup race between the Shamrock of Sir Thomas Lipton and the Columbia II of JP Morgan.

On September 30, 1899, just prior to the race, Commodore Dewey’s fleet was approaching New York Harbor, and the approach of the fleet and Dewey’s victory in the Pacific in the Spanish-American war was relayed by radio from Marconi’s boat to the Highlands station, and thence to New York and the newspapers. The race was postponed and a naval review and parade were organized to welcome Dewey. Thus, this became the first reception in America of wireless messages.

“The Twin Lights station became the first one in the nation capable of transmitting and receiving radio messages on a regular commercial basis and remained in use until 1907. These practical demonstrations resulted in the recognition of the value of radio, and ‘Marconi’s’ were required on all commercial ships. This, in turn, accounted for the rescue of the 705 survivors of the Titanic when it sank in the North Atlantic.” [Adapted from exhibit material at the Twin Lights museum]

Modern wireless communications began with the invention of “police radios”. On April 7, 1928, Detroit Police Department Patrolman Kenneth Cox and engineering student Robert L. Batts developed a system for police to receive calls in their patrol cars. It was the beginning of the one-way AM mobile radio system.

In March of 1933, the Bayonne Police Department of Bayonne, New Jersey, initiated the first regular two-way police radio communication in patrol cars. The advancement would have an impact on emergency communication that is still felt today.

Modern wireless communication began in the 1960’swhen Bell Labs (now Nokia Bell Labs) engineers Richard H. Frenkiel and Joel S. Engel developed the technology that could support a design of re-using frequencies in a “cellular network”. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1981 authorized 40MHz of the 800 MHz band for two “cellular networks,” and life has not been the same ever since.

The Present

Wireless communications technology has been adapted faster than any other technology. Faster than electricity, wireline telephone, radio, TV and computers. There are now more mobile devices than people in the US. More than half of all households are now “wireless only,” and almost every new car has robust wireless connectivity for navigation, safety, maintenance reporting, and entertainment.

Engineering an Economy

Below is just some of the economic impact of wireless in New Jersey (Data collected from CTIA.org)

• 105,300 new jobs
• $39.6B GDP growth
• 40% above average pay rate

The Future

The fifth generation of wireless technology (5G) is beginning to be deployed and will bring faster broadband speeds, lower latency, and more capacity. This new technology will support smart homes, smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Robotic manufacturing and remote medical monitoring and procedures will revolutionize industry and healthcare. Technology can be disruptive as it launches society into a new era. NJWA is dedicated to fostering this transformation through education and an open dialogue with all stakeholders.