The cell phone turns 40

This week in 1973, Martin Cooper, inventor of the prototype Motorola DynaTAC, made the first ever call on a mobile phone—making this ubiquitous device 40 years old this week. According to the United Nations, the world now has six billion cell phone subscribers, with nearly 1 billion of those opting for smartphones. And as the population increases and the demand for smartphones grow, so will the market for consumer technology.

Escalating use of cell phones is translating into increasing demand for a range of minerals used in today’s smartphones—from platinum, aluminum and copper to gold and silver. America is home to $6.2 trillion worth of key minerals, including many of those used in cell phones. With improved access to domestic mineral resources, U.S. minerals miners could help supply smartphone manufacturers with reliable supplies of the minerals they need, supporting U.S. job growth in the process.