[Documents of the] Preliminary Conference at Berlin on Wireless Telegraphy (August 1903) : translation of the procès-verbaux and protocol final [electronic resource] / by George R. Neilson of the Eastern Telegraph Company.

Procès-verbaux and protocole final of the Preliminary Conference on Wireless Telegraphy : Berlin : 1903

English

Dates of the Conference: 4-13 August 1903

London: George Tucker, [1904], PDF 2011.

text file PDF

[Extract from International Telecommunication Union : an experiment in international cooperation / George Arthur Codding. Leiden, 1952, pp. 84-86] Nine countries, including the United States, attended the meeting in Berlin in 1903 to undertake preliminary studies regarding the international regulation of radio. The aim of the German Government in calling the conference was clear from the beginning. The chief of the German delegation, and president of the Conference, in his opening remarks stated that the development of radio, which was still in its infancy, would be unduly hampered by any attempt to monopolize facilities, and that, therefore, rules should be made to block any attempt to impose one system upon others. His attack was made directly at the Marconi Company, and the Marconi Company's restrictive practices were cited as an example of an attempt to force one system on all the world. The German delegate concluded that only the elimination of a monopoly in radio and the adoption of provisions aimed at the elimination of interference between stations could prevent “une guerre de tous contre tous”. ../.. Great Britain and Italy led the opposition to the German proposal ../.. .Despite the uncompromising attitude of the Italian and British delegates, the conference succeeded in drafting a “Final protocol” to be presented to the interested governments as a basis for an international Convention. ../.. In spite of the elementary state of radio in 1903, the principles laid down in the Final Protocol became the basis for the regulation of radio communications.

On title page: "Officially accepted by H.M. Postmaster-General."
This Conference was not organized by the ITU.

PDF created in 2011 from the original printed text.