(PR NEWSWIRE) DJ: United States Cellular Picks Nortel (Northern Telecom) t
DJ: United States Cellular Picks Nortel (Northern Telecom) to Build Digital
Wireless Networks Worth More Than $US 400 Million in Milwaukee, Other Markets
DALLAS, March 24 /PRNewswire/ - Needing to rapidly address competitive
challenges with new digital wireless service in Milwaukee and other markets
in Wisconsin and Illinois, United States Cellular is once again turning to
Nortel (Northern Telecom) for timely network solutions.
United States Cellular has selected Nortel - its network supplier for 10
years in 144 cellular markets across 22 states - to build new CDMA and TDMA
digital wireless networks worth more than $US 400 million over four years in
cellular markets including those acquired late last year from BellSouth.
With more than a million and a half potential subscribers, Milwaukee will be
first among these new United States Cellular markets to gain the benefits of
digital wireless technology, with commercial service scheduled to be
available later this year. The Milwaukee network will use IS-136 TDMA
technology.
United States Cellular currently offers CDMA service in Knoxville, Tenn.,
and Yakima, Wash. Digital technology decisions for other cities will be made
on a market-by-market basis.
''We're hung up on our customers, not technology,'' said Dick Goehring,
senior vice-president, engineering and network operations, United States
Cellular. ''While others may seek to convince the consumer that one digital
technology is better than another, we think providing the best quality
service is a more sensible approach to keeping our customers happy.''
''By making deployment decisions by market, United States Cellular is able
to realize the benefits of two different digital technologies,'' said Matt
Desch, president, Wireless Networks, Nortel. ''This includes the flexibility
to negotiate the most geographically advantageous marketing and roaming
agreements.''
Because Nortel's DMS-MTX SuperNode offers the unique capability to support
AMPS, TDMA, CDMA and CDPD wireless services from the same switch, United
States Cellular has the flexibility to provide any or all of them - or to
transition from one digital service to another - in a given market as
customer needs or market opportunities dictate.
''Both CDMA and TDMA digital technologies are viable for us,'' Goehring
said. ''We'll have both in our markets.''
''Regardless of technology choice, each market will benefit from
high-quality digital audio and enhanced digital subscriber services,'' Desch
said. ''And with the widespread availability of analog service and dual-mode
wireless handsets, the use of two digital technologies will not limit United
States Cellular's options for providing roaming capability.''
Headquartered in Chicago, United States Cellular manages and invests in
cellular systems throughout the US. United States Cellular owns or has
interests representing more than 25 million POPs, making it the eighth
largest cellular telephone company in the US. United States Cellular manages
operational systems serving 144 markets.
Nortel had 1997 revenues of $US 15.5 billion and has approximately 73,000
employees worldwide.
/CONTACT: Frank McNally, Nortel, (703) 712-8374,
frank.mcnally(at)nortel.com; Paul Rubin, Nortel, (972) 685-6652,
paul.rubin(at)nortel.com; Or visit Nortel's web-site at www.nortel.com;
Nortel's press releases are also available through CNO-Call by fax at
800-758-5804, ext. 122158 or at prnewswire.com
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