- Great American Business Leaders of the Twentieth Century
Irwin M. Jacobs
Qualcomm
1985 - Present
Communications
b. 1933
| Education |  |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | Cornell University |
| Graduate | MS & PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Born-Died | 1933 |
| Birthplace | Massachusetts (MA) |
| Race | White |
| Father | Owner, Small Business |
Jacobs is a pioneer in the wireless technology industry. The company that he founded, Qualcomm, developed a satellite-based communications protocol called CDMA, Code Division Multiple Access. Considered one of the fastest growing wireless technologies, CDMA became the industry standard for cellular telecommunications; it is used as the backbone of Sprint’s PCS (personal communications services). Qualcomm’s technology has also been selected as the primary technology for a new selection of third generation wireless systems.