Alltel completes purchase of Louisiana properties from SBC

Little Rock, AR-based ALLTEL Corp. has completed its purchase of wireless properties in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, LA, from SBC Communications Inc., increasing the company's national wireless customer base to more than 6 million. Also, Scott Mann has been named vice president and general manager for the area.

The properties operate as Radiofone in the New Orleans area and as Cellular One in the Baton Rouge area. The purchase also includes three rural service areas in Iberville, St. James and Plaquemines parishes. The properties soon will be converted to the Alltel brand. The carrier gains about 160,000 wireless customers and 300,000 paging customers in a cash transaction valued at about $400 million. About two million potential customers are included in the markets.

"This gives Alltel a wireless footprint that virtually extends along the Gulf Coast from New Orleans to southern Florida," said Joe T. Ford, Alltel chairman and CEO. "We look forward to providing our new customers with bundled communications services, including nationwide wireless calling plans."

Edited by Ellen Jensen
Managing Editor, Wireless Networks Online