Car phone

A car phone is a mobile phone device specifically designed for and fitted into an automobile. The car phone was once, in the late 1970s and 1980s, more popular than the regular mobile phone. However, since the mobile phone boom in the 1990s, when mobile phones became much more affordable, the car phone has suffered, as most people carry their mobile phone around with them, including in the car. Plus, hands free kits are now installed into many cars, so that the driver can talk and listen to a call while driving.
Since a traditional car phone uses a high-power transmitter and external antenna, it is ideal for rural or undeveloped areas where mobile handsets may not work well or at all. However, due to current US Federal Communications Commission regulations, carriers must pay penalties for activating any equipment that is not an E911 compliant device, such as analog.