ALLTEL completes wireless exchange with Bell Atlantic, GTE
February 27, 2004
For additional information contact:
Corporate Communications 501-905-8000
corporate.communications@alltel.com
Release date: June 30, 2000
Agreement makes ALLTEL the nation's fifth-largest wireless carrier
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - ALLTEL today completed the final phase of awireless property exchange with Bell Atlantic and GTE, making ALLTELthe nation's fifth-largest wireless carrier with almost 6 millionwireless customers.
Today, ALLTEL began operating the former GTE wireless marketsin Cleveland and Tampa and other markets in Ohio, Florida and Alabama.ALLTEL already is operating markets in Arizona, New Mexico and WestTexas that it obtained from Bell Atlantic.
The property exchange involved wireless interests in 13states and was announced by ALLTEL, Bell Atlantic and GTE on Feb. 1.After a brief transition, the Ohio, Florida and Alabama markets willbegin operating under the ALLTEL brand name.
"The completion of this property exchange is a landmark eventfor ALLTEL," said Joe T. Ford, ALLTEL chairman and chief executiveofficer. "The completion of these transactions with Bell Atlantic andGTE increases ALLTEL's customer base by 15 percent and creates thenation's largest standardized digital wireless network."
In addition to Cleveland and Tampa, ALLTEL also beganoperating the former GTE wireless markets in Canton and Akron, Ohio;Lakeland, Naples, Fort Myers, Pensacola, Sarasota and Bradenton, Fla.;and Mobile, Ala.
ALLTEL operates five regional markets, each with an averageof more than 1 million customers. ALLTEL has publicly stated thecompany plans to aggressively pursue the $7 billion of addressablecommunications spending in those markets.
"ALLTEL is now able to compete for every local customer withcompetitive national pricing," Ford said. "With the completion of thesetransactions, a nationwide roaming agreement becomes effective. Thisroaming contract allows ALLTEL access to an unprecedented nationwidewireless network that offers an on-network cost structure foroff-network calls."
Under terms of the Feb. 1 agreement, Bell Atlantic and GTEtransferred wireless interests in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Ohio, NewMexico, South Carolina and Texas involving about 14 million POPs, orpopulation served, and more than 1.5 million customers.
ALLTEL transferred interests in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,Nevada, New York and Pennsylvania. ALLTEL is transferring operationscovering about 6.3 million POPs and more than 700,000 customers.
As a result of the swaps, ALLTEL has a total of 46 million POPs and almost 6 million wireless customers.
In its regional markets, ALLTEL already is offering nationwidecalling plans called Total Freedom. The Total Freedom rate plans willbe available in the newly-acquired Ohio, Florida and Alabama markets.
Total Freedom allows customers to use digital wireless phonesanywhere and at any time for one flat rate without roaming orlong-distance charges.
The national wireless plans begin at $40 per month for 200 minutes and range up to $150 for 1,500 minutes.
"Total Freedom sends a strong signal that ALLTEL will give itscustomers the most competitive rates available in the wirelessindustry," said Kevin Beebe, ALLTEL's communications group president.
ALLTEL had previously announced that George Page ispresident of the Northern Region based in Cleveland, and Dan Thompsonis president of the Southeast Region based in Tampa.
ALLTEL, with more than 9 million communications customers,$6.5 billion in annual revenues and 25,000 employees, is a leader inthe communications and information services industries. ALLTEL hascommunications customers in 23 states and provides information servicesto telecommunications, financial and mortgage clients in 55 countriesand territories.
Alltel, NYSE: AT
www.alltel.com
Corporate Communications 501-905-8000
corporate.communications@alltel.com
Release date: June 30, 2000
Agreement makes ALLTEL the nation's fifth-largest wireless carrier
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - ALLTEL today completed the final phase of awireless property exchange with Bell Atlantic and GTE, making ALLTELthe nation's fifth-largest wireless carrier with almost 6 millionwireless customers.
Today, ALLTEL began operating the former GTE wireless marketsin Cleveland and Tampa and other markets in Ohio, Florida and Alabama.ALLTEL already is operating markets in Arizona, New Mexico and WestTexas that it obtained from Bell Atlantic.
The property exchange involved wireless interests in 13states and was announced by ALLTEL, Bell Atlantic and GTE on Feb. 1.After a brief transition, the Ohio, Florida and Alabama markets willbegin operating under the ALLTEL brand name.
"The completion of this property exchange is a landmark eventfor ALLTEL," said Joe T. Ford, ALLTEL chairman and chief executiveofficer. "The completion of these transactions with Bell Atlantic andGTE increases ALLTEL's customer base by 15 percent and creates thenation's largest standardized digital wireless network."
In addition to Cleveland and Tampa, ALLTEL also beganoperating the former GTE wireless markets in Canton and Akron, Ohio;Lakeland, Naples, Fort Myers, Pensacola, Sarasota and Bradenton, Fla.;and Mobile, Ala.
ALLTEL operates five regional markets, each with an averageof more than 1 million customers. ALLTEL has publicly stated thecompany plans to aggressively pursue the $7 billion of addressablecommunications spending in those markets.
"ALLTEL is now able to compete for every local customer withcompetitive national pricing," Ford said. "With the completion of thesetransactions, a nationwide roaming agreement becomes effective. Thisroaming contract allows ALLTEL access to an unprecedented nationwidewireless network that offers an on-network cost structure foroff-network calls."
Under terms of the Feb. 1 agreement, Bell Atlantic and GTEtransferred wireless interests in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Ohio, NewMexico, South Carolina and Texas involving about 14 million POPs, orpopulation served, and more than 1.5 million customers.
ALLTEL transferred interests in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,Nevada, New York and Pennsylvania. ALLTEL is transferring operationscovering about 6.3 million POPs and more than 700,000 customers.
As a result of the swaps, ALLTEL has a total of 46 million POPs and almost 6 million wireless customers.
In its regional markets, ALLTEL already is offering nationwidecalling plans called Total Freedom. The Total Freedom rate plans willbe available in the newly-acquired Ohio, Florida and Alabama markets.
Total Freedom allows customers to use digital wireless phonesanywhere and at any time for one flat rate without roaming orlong-distance charges.
The national wireless plans begin at $40 per month for 200 minutes and range up to $150 for 1,500 minutes.
"Total Freedom sends a strong signal that ALLTEL will give itscustomers the most competitive rates available in the wirelessindustry," said Kevin Beebe, ALLTEL's communications group president.
ALLTEL had previously announced that George Page ispresident of the Northern Region based in Cleveland, and Dan Thompsonis president of the Southeast Region based in Tampa.
ALLTEL, with more than 9 million communications customers,$6.5 billion in annual revenues and 25,000 employees, is a leader inthe communications and information services industries. ALLTEL hascommunications customers in 23 states and provides information servicesto telecommunications, financial and mortgage clients in 55 countriesand territories.
Alltel, NYSE: AT
www.alltel.com
