First Wireless

Hey Kevin, I like your new user title. lol You also have being WA member no. 1 for bragging rights. lol

 

1994
Cellular One
Nokia 100

 

1986 /87 was a Cell phone installer and we activated phones for Pactel and Us West and all phones were bag phones are car installs. The Panasonic bag phone was a big seller for Us West. There was only one handheld available at the time and I believe it was an OKI? It retailed for over $2000. My boss let me use it for a day and man did I feel cool only being 19 years old! I drive by the same cell sites almost 20 years later now owned by Cingular (AT&T/ GTE/ US West) and Verizon (Airtouch/ Pactel).

 

what of US West Cellular is with Cingular???
I thought everything went to Airtouch then to VZW??

Since you are in San Diego did US West build the Cellular System A network there??
I thought it was GTE?

 

US west was the original cellular carrier and then GTE Wirleess bought the spectrum and sites. Pacific Bell was the other cellular carrier and sold off Pactel and it was spun off as Airtouch. Vodaphone bought Airtouch and joined forces with Bell Atlantic, Primeco, NyNEx and and became Verizon Wireless. Verizon purchased GTE and and held both the A and B licenses in San Diego. Verizon sold off the GTE assets to AT&T wireless and then it was purchased by Cingular........ALot of people dont realize that Pacbell employees help build out the original Pactel (Verizon), then Cingular orange (T-Mobile) and now Cingular blue.....