Neko
Supreme Overlord
Mar 7, 2004, 3:57 AM
Post #1 of 1
(3436 views)
|
REDMOND, WA and ALEXANDRIA, MN. Tuesday, March 02, 2004 - ATT Wireless (NYSE: AWE) and Rural Cellular Corporation ("Rural") (NASDAQ: RCCC) today announced that they have completed an exchange of wireless operations in Oregon, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Under the exchange agreement, ATT Wireless will assume Rural's TDMA operations in the Lincoln, Oregon-4 market between Salem and Eugene, Ore., covering the communities of Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon, Lincoln City, and Newport. The network serves 35,000 subscribers and covers a population of 226,000 people (POPs). AT&T Wireless plans to build out GSM/GPRS capability over the network this spring.
Rural assumes ATT Wireless' operations in the Dothan, Ala., Tupelo, Miss., and Columbus, Miss. markets. These operations support 16,000 subscribers and cover 732,000 total POPs, of which 545,000 POPs are incremental and adjacent to Rural's existing South Region.
Rural also receives PCS licenses strategically covering portions of its South, Midwest and Northwest regions that incorporate 2.4 million total POPs and 1.3 million incremental POPs.
"This acquisition continues ATT Wireless' efforts to build the premier advanced wireless network in the United States," said Glenn Lurie, Regional Vice President - West Region, ATT Wireless. "Soon, our GSM/GPRS network will be available to more customers and in more places in Oregon than ever before."
For Rural, the agreement supports its objective of bringing quality wireless coverage to rural areas where tourism, agriculture, and small businesses are prevalent. "The ATT Wireless operations we have acquired through this agreement expand our coverage area in Alabama and Mississippi and, together with the newly acquired licenses, further our strategic objective of establishing a quality network presence in these territories," said Richard Ekstrand, president and CEO of Rural Cellular Corporation.
|
