Cell phone pioneer remembered for integrity

James Dwyer, a cell phone pioneer who founded Interop Technologies of Fort Myers with his son, John Dwyer, died on Aug. 6. He was 73.

Dwyer was a pioneer whose startups often challenged phone companies. He launched American Cellular Telephone in 1984, the third cellular system in the country and the first to be built from scratch for commercial service.

“The entire wireless industry is saddened by the loss of Jim Dwyer,” said Dennis Strigl, retired president and chief operating officer of Verizon Communications and former president and CEO of Verizon Wireless, in a statement. “I can't think of an individual with a higher degree of integrity. Jim was a genuine, down-to-earth individual who kept growing businesses, and one of his strongest contributions was the honesty he brought to the business world. The people who worked for him and with him loved the man.”

After growing and selling cellular companies, the elder Dwyer started Interop Technologies with his son, John Dwyer, in 2002. The company specializes in helping cell-phone companies such as Metro PCS and Cox Communications manage the growth in messaging services.

“He was an incredible business man and visionary, but it was his love, honesty, and humility that made him so special to me and to so many others,” John Dwyer wrote in an email.