Some Cellular History per agentHibby

[Charlyee]

agentHibby is a wealth of knowledge in Cellular histury & was kind enough to share some of it with me (Thanks agent ).

I thought it would interesting to post it, if anyone as anything to add to it, besides I thought the information was too intersting to just keep it to myself.

Hope you enjoy it.

"Ok here is what I know when the markets were opening up from 1986-1992 US Cellular had the most coverage in Wisconsin almost the entire state. In 1995 they sold part of the network in WI and MI to Century Tel, they sold the network to Alltel. Cellcom decent size network, but has been sold to Midwest Wireless and Alltel in 2002 and 03. I don't know if Dobson originally built the network in Northern Wisconsin or not. I am guessing that Cingular was Ameritech Cellular back in the day?

A very small part is US West to Airtouch to Verizon Wireless. I don't know that much about the PCS providers. The only one I know that has changed is Primeco LP to Verizon Wireless. Primeco in 1994 owners (25% US West) (25% Airtouch) (25% NYNEX) (25% Bell Atlantic) in 1998 (50% Airtouch) (50% Bell Atlantic) reasons US West went to be their own PCS provider and sold everthing they had in wireless to Airtouch. Now we can see this was a big mistake for US West (Qwest). Ok that was at the top of my head.
I can find more info later"

Not bad for something from the top of his head .

Some additional comments from him:

"there have been post that US Cellular in Wisconsin was Bell South. I don't know if they built the network. The could not get a Cellular A license in Wisconsin, because they provide wireline services. Pac Bell boughtout a wireless provider just before they started to build out in 1986 that is how they were able to offer wireless services in Atlanta as the Cellular A provider. The merging of wireless companies has been happening since day 1 and about the same speed as today. It was more on local or regional providers changing hands. Today it is national providers buying things out left and right with lots of competition these days that is different."

[Andy]

Wow...although I have nothing to add, I have to admit that this was a very interesting read, and all the carriers name changing/buying/merging is quite confusing.
Like you mentioned, Agent is THE source to go to when it comes to this kind of information, so Thank you for sharing!

[RadioFoneGuy]

Its good to remember where we came from.

Ameritech had some wireless then it was SBC in Michigan but I think they sold it off.

Alltel in Michigan was Century Cellular then Century Cellunet then Centurytel then finally Alltel.

Dobson in Michigan was made of tons of Companies

Northwest Lower Pennisula was Oak Cellular, Trillium Cellular, Unitel then Dobson bought that. This company used the Name Cellular One of Northwest Michigan. Some other parts were owned by a company down south and was call Radiophone but these towers were run by Dobson and were connected to the Dobson network. Radiophone sold out to Cingular in the early 2000's and still used Dobson to maintain the towers then Dobson finally bought the towers out right.

Dobson in Michigan also consists of NPI that was a pioneer in GSM in the US and started running GSM as Early as 1998. NPI was originally part of OMNIPoint Communication systems or OCS.

Also in Michigan Dobson bought RFB Cellular which was Mackinaw Celluar in the UP for alittle bit and there was Alpine PCS and RFB on the east side of the Northern Lower Pennisula. RFB used the name Cellular One of NorthEast Michigan.

Dobson also bought a company in the thumb of Michigan that was called Lake Huron Celluar.

Now all of these are owned by Dobson using the Cellular One name for the whole UP and 3/4 of the Lower Pennisula. Soon to be part of SBC Wireless hiding behind AT&T's well known name sake.

Dobsons Wisconsin, Minnesota and parts of Michigan and maybe some other states were run by the American Cellular Corportation which was a joint venture between Dobson and the original AT&T wireless. I believe it was a 60/40 split with Dobson with the controlling interest. American Cellular also used the Cellular One name. Dobson bought out ATTWS interest a few years ago. Now back to AT&T.

Thumb Cellular is actually owned by Pigeon Telephone CO.

I have been to some Centennial Wireless sites and some of their buildings say Michiana Cellunet I am guessing they were a company Centennial bought out.

Lots of good history out there.

[Fire14]

This is some interesting information for sure, and it's funny they are slowly changing back to their roots almost.
I can see 2-3 carriers in the future (I hope I am wrong) at the most.

[roamer1]

Originally Posted by Charlyee

there have been post that US Cellular in Wisconsin was Bell South.

Correct -- USCC bought CellOne Milwaukee from BellSouth in the mid-'90s.

-SC

[Gonz]

Ameritech had various networks. They began to develope into a CDMA network before things changed. Illinois was sold to Verizon when cingular came together, cause SBC already had a PCS net in that state. It was alreadyt Running CDMA. Wisconsin was changed over to Cingular, unclear as to if there was CDMA deployed at the time before the change, change had the net go to TDMA. In Michigan, the Ameritech network also became Cingular. Also, in WI, the former ATTWS pcs license was originally built out by Suncom as a TDMA service. Then went GSM when ATT built that out, now part of the ATT/Cingular network integrated.

Also, USCC used the name Cellular One here in WI (A Service of USCC). Old USCC maps show USCC having control of Wausau, was later sold off?

[Shizam76]

Originally Posted by roamer1

Correct -- USCC bought CellOne Milwaukee from BellSouth in the mid-'90s.

-SC

roamer.....did USCC buy CellOne Milwaukee at the same time CellOne Chicago went to Cingular? If so....when CellOne Milwaukee went to USCC......what went to Cingular in Milwaukee then? Wow...was that confusing? I hope not!

[RadioFoneGuy]

Yah its confusing, someone should put this all in a book.

[Gonz]

Ameritech went to cingular in Wisconsin, cause they became a part of SBC at that point. They had the B-Side in Milwaukee.

[Dogma]

I at one time in 2001 had wireless service through a small CDMA PCS carrier called "Amica Wireless" that provided coverage in parts of central Illinois. The major markets included Decatur, Champaigne-Urbana and the general vacinity. Amica was bought by Pine Valley Wireless LLC which in turn sold the network and assets off to USCC in 2003.

[cellular_freak]

So does anyone know if Thumb Cellular is managed by a larger company like Verizon or if they actually manage their own towers? Personally, I think they should be purchased by Verizon or Alltel. (Mainly, Verizon)

[Etorres777]

Wow this is really interesting! I wasn't even born yet when all of this was happening!

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by cellular_freak

So does anyone know if Thumb Cellular is managed by a larger company like Verizon or if they actually manage their own towers? Personally, I think they should be purchased by Verizon or Alltel. (Mainly, Verizon)

Hi there guess what I found:

1. From Wikipedia


2. from WA (Thumb Cellular)

[wirles]

Originally Posted by Etorres777

Wow this is really interesting! I wasn't even born yet when all of this was happening!

That makes me wonder...how many of us actually had AMPS phones/service in the 80's and how many weren't around or old enough to have a phone yet?

[Fire14]

Originally Posted by wirles

That makes me wonder...how many of us actually had AMPS phones/service in the 80's and how many weren't around or old enough to have a phone yet?

I was old enough to have it and did have the big bag phone that was mostly battery, and was bar hopping back then too.

[wirles]

I guess I should have been more specific and accurate. I was speaking in terms of 0th Generation like IMTS and RCC, not really AMPS...but there are probably a select few who were using advanced technology at the time (pre-Dynatac era).

[Etorres777]

Originally Posted by wirles

That makes me wonder...how many of us actually had AMPS phones/service in the 80's and how many weren't around or old enough to have a phone yet?

Yeah the first technology I had was CDMA. I used TDMA and Analog when my parents had it in the mid 90's.

[yuri1419]

Originally Posted by wirles

That makes me wonder...how many of us actually had AMPS phones/service in the 80's and how many weren't around or old enough to have a phone yet?

I first saw a pre-cellular "carphone" when I was a kid growing up in the Chicago suburbs. I had a little league coach who worked at Motorola. I spent a Saturday afternoon playing Zork (or a similar text-based adventure) with his son on this great toy they had at their house- a "computer". He drove me home that day, and before I got out of the car, he did the most amazing thing- he made a phone call from the car, to my parent's house.

I'd never seen that before!

I can't say what year this was exactly... somewhere between 1979 and 81, I'd guess.

[wirles]

That would have been one of Dr. Cooper's 'bricks' most likely.

[RadioFoneGuy]

Thumb Cellular is owned by Pigeon Telecommunications which is mostly a Wireline based company that has a few service areas in Michigan.

Thumb services 3 counties in Michigans thumb region using 850 B band and has roaming agreements with Alltel.

Thumb Cellular has quite a few devot and loyal customers.

[jdog662]

Cellcom was never purchased by midwest wireless or Alltel. They used to handle Alltel lines in northern wi. Alltel took over their billing and lines in 02 and 03. Cellcom is not going anywhere.

[wirles]

Originally Posted by jdog662

Cellcom was never purchased by midwest wireless or Alltel. They used to handle Alltel lines in northern wi. Alltel took over their billing and lines in 02 and 03. Cellcom is not going anywhere.

Yes, I don't see the Riordan's selling anytime soon. They are the majority owner's of Nsight which owns/operates Cellcom.