Marconi opens for business

With the success of these tests interest in the possible uses of radio grew, and in July 1897 Marconi decided that he had to launch his own company. Named the Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company Limited its foundation allowed him to borrow further money to allow further tests and development to be performed. With financial backing behind him he continued his developments and tests.Little was still understood about Wireless or Hertzian waves and therefore further tests were needed. In late 1897 Marconi erected masts over 40 metres high outside the Needles Hotel on the Isle of Wight. From here he made transmissions which he received on a boat which steamed up and down the Solent to test reception over the sea. From this site he managed to achieve a range of over 30 kilometres and also confirmed that transmissions could be reliably made over water. As evidence of this anyone visiting the Needles today can see a plaque in the car park commemorating the site of these transmissions.

With these further increases in range it was decided to attempt to make the first international radio link by transmitting across the English Channel. To achieve this, masts were set up at South Foreland and at Wimereux near Boulogne and the first successful international wireless transmissions were made in 1899. In view of its importance this test received a large amount of press coverage, and was very successful. However it also enabled new discoveries to be made because the transmissions were picked up over 130 kilometres away in Chelmsford. This discovery was very significant because until this time it was only thought that transmissions could be made over line of sight paths.The same year brought another success for Marconi. He received his first order from the British Navy. Up until this time he had spent large sums of money on research, but had received very few orders. If his company was to survive, then he needed more orders of this nature.