Jesse Russell

Jesse Eugene Russell was born April 26, 1948, in Nashville, Tennessee in the United States of America into a large African-American family with eight brothers and two sisters. He is the son of Charles Albert Russell and Mary Louise Russell. His early childhood was spent in economically and socially deprived neighborhoods within the inner-city of Nashville. During his early years, he focused on athletics and not academics. A key turning point in Russell's life was the opportunity to attend a summer educational program at Fisk University[1] in Nashville, Tennessee. Russell participated in this educational opportunity and began his academic and intellectual pursuits. Russell continued his education at Tennessee State University[2] where he focused on electrical engineering. A Bachelor of Science Degree (BSEE) in Electrical Engineering was conferred in 1972 from Tennessee State University. As a top honor student in the School of Engineering, Russell became the first African American to be hired by AT&T Bell Laboratories directly from a Historically Black College or University (HBCUs)[3] and subsequently became the first African-American in the United States to be selected as the Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding Young Electrical Engineer of the Year in 1980.[4] Russell continued his academic pursuits and earned a Master of Electrical Engineering (MSEE) degree from Stanford University in 1973.[5]

Russell's innovations in wireless communication systems, architectures and technology related to radio access networks, end-user devices and in-building wireless communication systems have fundamentally changed the wireless communication industry. Russell is known for his invention of the digital cellular base station and the fibre optic microcell utilizing high power linear amplifier technology and digital modulation techniques, which enabled new digital services for cellular mobile users.

Russell has over 100 patents granted or in process, such as these in the table.

Russell joined Bell Labs as a Member of the Technical Staff. He was one of the first designers to use a microprocessor in the design of equipment for use in the telecommunication network for monitoring and tracking calling patterns within the Bell System Network. The system was referred to as the traffic data collection systems, which using microprocessor-based portable data terminals for interfacing to electromechanical switching systems.

Russell served in the following positions; Director of the AT&T Cellular Telecommunication Laboratory (Bell Labs), Vice President of Advanced Wireless Technology Laboratory (Bell Labs), Chief Technical Officer for the Network Wireless Systems Business Unit (Bell Labs), Chief Wireless Architect of AT&T, and Vice President of Advanced Communications Technologies for AT&T Laboratories (formerly a part of Bell Labs).

When he was the Director of the AT&T Cellular Telecommunication Laboratory, this Bell Labs Group was credited with the invention of cellular radio technology and received the United States' Medal of Technology for the invention.

Russell continued to develop his expertise as he established and led an Innovation Center focused on Applied Research in Advanced Communication Technologies that enabling AT&T to extend its existing portfolio of services and expand into new businesses and markets. As a key decision-maker in the selection and development of emerging communications technologies, Russell's efforts lead to the rapid realization of new access network platforms that enable AT&T to expand its broadband communication network options (i.e., Specialization: Cable Access Networks, DSL Access Networks, Power-line Carrier Access Networks, Fixed Wireless Access Networks, Satellite Access Networks and Broadband Wireless Communications Networks). The applications of these access technologies were one of the keys in expanding AT&T's interest in re-building it local access services business.

• Elected as IEC Fellow for contributions in the development of Broadband Communications Access Technologies into the International Engineering Consortium (IEC), 1999.
• Inducted a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for technical contributions to, and leadership in, digital cellular communications technology, 1995.[13]
• Elected to IEEE Fellow grade for technical leadership in the development of digital wireless communication concepts, technology, systems and standards, 1994.
• US Black Engineer of the Year for best Technical Contributions in Digital Cellular and Microcellular Technology, 1992, US Black Engineer Magazine.
• America's New Leadership Class Award 1985, Esquire Magazine.
• Outstanding Service Award 1983, Eta Kappa Nu.
• Outstanding Scientist Award 1982, National Society of Black Engineers.
• Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding Young Electrical Engineer of the Year, 1980.
• Scientist of the Year Award 1980, National Technical Associations Inc.

• "Universal Personal Communications: Emergence of a Paradigm Shift in the Communications Industry", International Journal of Wireless information Networks, Vol. 1, No. 3, 1994.

  This paper examines a major paradigm shift in the communications industry across four dimensions, analyzes the factors influencing the shift, articulates a vision of universal personal communications under the new paradigm and presents several service environment and transmission hierarchy models supporting the vision.

• "The US Evolution towards Personal Communications in the '90s" (with A. T. Kripalani), Proc. Pan European Digital Cellular Radio Conference, Rome, Italy, 1990.

  This paper proposes and describes a set of strategic technology platforms to assist the migration of the existing US cellular network to an all digital personal communications network.[14]

• "AT&T Next Generation Digital Cellular Base Station Technology" (with R. W. Henn and R. S. Kerby), Proc. International Switching Symposium, Stockholm, Sweden, 1990.

  This paper describes the first all digital cellular base station system utilizing linear radio technology to support multiple radio air interface methods such as FDMA, TDMA and CDMA in a single system.[15]

• "Design of Mobile Satellite System Architecture as an Integral Part of the Cellular Access Digital Network" (with E. S. K. Chien and J. A. Marinho), Proc. the Mobile Satellite Conference, Pasadena, 1988.

  This paper provides an overview of the interoperability aspects between digital cellular access networks and mobile satellite systems.[16]

• "Emerging Cellular Access Digital Network" (with E. S. K. Chien and D. J. Goodman), Proc. World Telecommunication Forum, Americas Telecom, '88, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1988.

  This paper describes the characteristics of an all digital cellular access network that supports integrated voice and data services (cellular ISDN). It is an expansion of the concepts put forth in publication 11 below.[17]

• "Evolution Toward Digital Cellular Network in the U.S." (with E. S. K. Chien), Proc. 1988 Pan European Cellular Radio Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1988.

  This paper provides a vision for the migration of the existing US cellular network towards an all digital wireless access network.[18]

• "A Systems Approach to Indoor Wireless Communication" (with E. S. K. Chien and D. J. Goodman), Proc. GLOBECOM '87, Tokyo, Japan, 1987.

  This paper describes an approach to in-building wireless communication and examines the interoperability with cellular mobile communication.

• "Cellular Access Digital Network (CADN) Wireless Access to Networks of the Future" (with E. S. K. Chien and D. J. Goodman), IEEE Communications Magazine, June 1987.

  This paper describes a scenario for the evolution of a digital cellular access network towards providing personalized wireless voice and data communication services.

• "Network Foundation for Providing Personal Communications", Proc. Digital Mobile Workshop on Personal Communications, Melbourne, Australia, 1987.

  This paper puts forth some original concepts, such as personal telephone numbers, logical network addressing and universal wireless access service protocols related to personal communications.[19]

• "Cellular ISDN: New Interface for Wireless Access" (with E. S. K. Chien), Proc. International Conference on Communication Technology, Nanjing, China, 1987.

  This paper describes the benefits of mobile communications as an effective means to modernize the telecommunications infrastructure for China.

• "Cellular Access Digital Network" (with E. S. K. Chien), Proc. International Telecommunications Symposium, Taipei, Taiwan, 1987.

  This paper describes cellular integrated voice and data services access network (cellular ISDN) as a complement to the wire line ISDN.

• "Extension of ISDN Capability to Cellular Wireless Access" (with E. S. K. Chien and D. J. Goodman), Proc. Second Nordic Seminar on Digital Land Mobile Radio Communications, Stockholm, Sweden, 1986.

  This paper describes the original concept of an integrated voice and data services cellular access network (cellular ISDN) and establishes the important role of intelligent network in the cellular context.