The site at Poldhu was purchased in 1900 and is famous for the first transatlantic radio signal, which introduced everything from broadcasting to satellite communications, mobile phones, broadband, the Internet and the worldwide web. Poldhu was at the forefront of it all.
Marconi’s pioneering genius and legacy is physically commemorated by the Marconi Centre, a few
yards away from the site of the original transmission in 1901, overlooking Poldhu Cove.
The Marconi Centre opened on 12 December 2001 to commemorate this event. At 4 pm local time, Lady Mary Holborrow, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, sent the three dots and the letter “s” was received at St John’s, Newfoundland. On this occasion, however, the signal was transmitted by Amateur Radio rather than by a spark transmitter.
Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937)
Other Information
You may also like to read our pages on the History of the Site, Visiting the Marconi Centre and How to Find Us.