George Schmitt, a telephone man since 1965, has been at the forefront of digital wireless deployment around the globe. He has enjoyed a long and colorful career and remains very active and directly involved in bringing new wireless technologies from concept to commercialization.
George was responsible for building the world’s first digital wireless network in Germany using GSM technology beginning in 1990, which was famously completed before GSM mobiles were approved and available. He continued his record of innovation and willingness to drive new technologies to market in 1994 by building the world’s first CDMA network in South Korea as Executive Vice President of International Operations for Airtouch.
He later served as the initial CEO of PCS PrimeCo, the first wireless provider to turn up CDMA service in the U.S. on the PCS band in late 1995. PrimeCo, a national PCS partnership formed by AirTouch, Bell Atlantic, NYNEX and US West, subsequently became a part of Verizon Wireless. George went on to serve as President and Director of Omnipoint Communications, now part of T-Mobile, where he built and operated the largest PCS network at the time in the New York City market area.
George was also the first American to lead the worldwide GSM association during its growth years and was largely responsible for standardizing type approval for mobiles in Europe which is the basis for today’s international roaming capability.
He was Executive Chairman of xG Technology (now Vislink Technologies) and CEO of MB Technology Holdings, a worldwide leader in the development of cognitive radio technology which allows spectrum sharing to help meet the worldwide demand for spectrum. He also serves on the board of directors of several public and private companies.
In 2002, he was awarded the lifetime achievement award by the GSM Association. He holds an undergraduate degree from St. Mary’s college and an M.S. in Management from the business school at Stanford University where he was a Sloan fellow. In 2013, George was inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame in San Jose, CA.