In February, 1982, a small article appeared in the Living section of The Globe and Mail. “A wireless portable telephone may soon become the hottest business status symbol,” it began, explaining that “high-frequency cellular radio” would allow users to carry around full-fledged telephones that “weigh less than two pounds” and cost only $6,000.

This month is the thirtieth anniversary of the invention of mobile telephony and the twentieth anniversary of the first commercial cellphone. There are now more than 1.3 billion subscribers around the world, which means that the wireless phone has surpassed the old-fashioned “land-line” technology. Here is more on the birthday celebration.