As Chairman of the Racal Radio Group in 1982, Gerald Whent has the vision and fortitude to convince the Racal Electronics Group Board that it should bid for the private sector UK cellular licence being offered by the UK government. He masterminds the successful bid, and sets up the Racal Telecomms Division to develop and implement the analogue (or TACS) network. Based in Newbury, the company has less than 50 employees, all based in one building.
Vodafone is chosen as the name of the network, to reflect the provision of voice and data services over mobile phones.
The Vodafone analogue network is launched on 1 January 1985, the first call being made from St Katherine's Dock in London to Newbury. It is the first cellular network to launch in the UK. After the launch, the network is rolled out rapidly, achieving the license population coverage requirement within the time specified.