T-Mobile Extends Existing Roaming Agreement with Cingular Wireless
Bellevue, Wash. — May. 1, 2003
T-Mobile USA, Inc. a member of the T-Mobile International group, the mobile telecommunications subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG (NYSE: DT) and Western Wireless Corporation (NASDAQ:WWCA) announce roaming and other agreements to drive the continued expansion of advanced GSM/GPRS 1900 MHz wireless communication services across the United States, opening up new coverage areas for customers in rural western markets. Also today, T-Mobile USA and Cingular Wireless agreed to expand the roaming arrangement reached by the companies last year, and to extend it until 2006.
For T-Mobile's customers, the roaming agreement with Western Wireless expands advanced GSM/GPRS 1900 voice and data service along more than 5,500 highway miles and across much of the Western United States including Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas; New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Iowa. With these and T-Mobile’s other existing agreements, T-Mobile’s GSM/GPRS 1900 network will reach approximately 253 million people.
Under the agreement with Western Wireless, Western Wireless will build its GSM/GPRS 1900 network to cover approximately 4 million people using new 1900 MHz spectrum to be purchased from T-Mobile, subject to regulatory approvals. Western Wireless expects to add GSM/GPRS to one-half of its existing cell sites by mid-2004, leveraging its existing network infrastructure to provide a cost effective solution with extensive coverage to its roaming partners.
"T-Mobile is committed to delivering on our Get More(R) promise to our customers and making advanced GSM services as widely available in the United States as they are around the world,” said Robert Dotson, CEO and President of T-Mobile USA.
“T-Mobile operates the largest GSM footprint across the country reaching 245 million people and serving over 10 million customers. We will continue to lead the way so that our customers can enjoy the benefits of our service across the western plains, the Atlantic Ocean or wherever their travels take them.”
“T-Mobile has been a pioneer of GSM in the U.S. and Western Wireless is uniquely positioned to help bring GSM services to rural America” said Mikal Thomsen, President of Western Wireless. “We’re excited to be working with T-Mobile through this innovative agreement that quickly brings the world’s technology standard to rural markets for customers.”
T-Mobile also agreed with Cingular Wireless to expand the roaming deal reached by the companies last year, specifically to include advanced data services and expanded highway coverage, and to extend it until 2006. Cingular Wireless is a joint venture between SBC Communications (NYSE - SBC) and BellSouth (NYSE - BLS).
Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed. Western Wireless expects to begin offering GSM service by the end of the third quarter of 2003.
Lindsay Morio
T-Mobile USA Media Relations
425-383-4002
About T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG. By the end of the first quarter of 2010, approximately 150 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group - 33.7 million by T-Mobile USA - all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS, the world's most widely used digital wireless standards. T-Mobile USA's innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG.
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