Dobson Communications/NPI GSM Merger

[Hman]

Dobson Communications Corp. announced it would acquire the assets of NPI-Omnipoint Wireless for $28 million. NPI owns spectrum licenses covering 1.2 million pops and provides GSM service in northern Michigan. The company's network includes about 372 cell sites, of which 100 are company-owned. In addition, NPI has about 38,000 subscribers, 60 percent of which are postpaid. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2004.

[Bsilvertab]

I think this merger is awsome for the people of Northern Michigan! I am just wondering how they will make it all work. Are they going to do dual band phones for 800/1900 MHz GSM? Are they going to do the new gsm overlay with 1900mhz? Are they going to convert all of the NPI Sites to 800mhz? It will be surely interesting. I am now more apt to getting a gsm phone in the future now.

BSilvertab

[COtech]

Looks like a new market for GAIT phones, to fully use what's already installed. Dobson was already moving toward GSM 800 MHz in the Ploughkeepsie, NY market.

COtech

[tbrusky]

I wonder when CellularONe will have GSM overlayed in the central Wisconsin area. perfered Wausau, Mosinee, and nothern half of WIsconsin. Its gotta be sometime very soon. Cellularone has signed roaming GSM agrements with T-Mobile awhile and of course has a longterm contract with Cingular, and probably AT&T. I wonder why Cellularone is in the buying spree lately? Probably dont want to pay high raoming chargers. Something must be going on!

[Hudnut]

I hope this means there is improvment in the GSM coverage here in northern michigan. Getting a GSM signal isn't too hard, but gettin the call to connect is dificult with the network trafic.

[just2584]

I have CellularOne with Dobson here in Morgantown, WV which is just a 30 min drive south of Pittsburgh. CellOne has lied to me on many occasions the worst was about a phone and telling me everything worked. I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. They have been the worst cellular service in the entire state of WV. I know CellOne has roaming agreements with Cingular and AT&T but I have not had any luck using their service. When I was traveling in VA and SC I had major issues using the Cingular network. In VA I was locked out of the service. Everytime I would try to make a call I would be routed to a Cingular service center to activate my "new" Cingular Wireless number when I had CellOne. CellOne didn't know what to say other than contact them again next time it happened. In SC my uncle's town was made into a filler for Cingular's GSM coverage area between Rock Hill, Camden, and Columbia. There are like 4 towers surrounding the entire town and all are Cigular owned and operated as I can tell by its the only cellular store in the town. I get no bars of signal or anything at all. So it kinda worries me when I travel through there with my cousin cause we get no service at all. In the capital city of WV when I have been there multiple times everytime I make a call I get a beep and some rings. Next thing you know I'm talking with an AT&T Wireless rep about using my phone in their coverage area. Last time I used it in their area I was trying to call home and was routed to a rep who told me my cell bill was going to be charged $4.95 cause I was using their system. I have a national plan and it kinda astounded me. I told CellOne about the problem and they couldn't help like usual. I noticed though nothing was added to my bill so I kinda forgot about it and just moved on. I don't understand what the problem has been because my provider don't know crap about their own service and the use of the phones they sell. I was screamed at by a rep at a mall store about my Nokia 3560 when I was trying to get answers about why it wasn't working the way I was told it would work. He screamed at me "go with another service provider" so I left the store and I'm basically not allowed back in and the service says they can't and won't do anything about what happend cause I don't have a name. I explained to them they don't wear nametags at all and I have my parents who was there when I bought the phone verify it. The service brushed it off like nothing happend and the guy still works at the mall store but I'm not allowed back in. I was basically ripped off by the service. They now think that offering me a discount on a GSM phone will fix the problem but I have to up my contract another 2 years before I can get it. I'm already tacked onto a 2 year agreement with them and its been a horrible experience. They aren't really offering any new GSM phones. I called when they told me to inquiring about the new phones so I can look them up and get the info on them so I know I'm making a good purchase if I do decide to go back with them. The only phones they plan on offering right now is the Nokia 3200, 3600, and 6800 and they are still "testing" the Motorola camera phones which aren't really new anymore as they have been out for almost 6 months or longer. I don't know if they are going to offer the latest phones or if they are going to offer the old phones that all other providers have came out with and are now ready to offer the newest ones. So far they are the worst provider in my area. They always have clogged lines so no making calls when you need to, they have no knowledge of their phones and services and they don't offer any good phones. It's a sad service and I reccomend looking at other carriers before actually saying yes to these crooks.

[kjmattson]

Thanks for the update on the merger just2584 [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]