 | |
| Industry | Cellular telephone |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1966 as a cable television provider, 1986 as McCaw Cellular |
| Defunct | October 1994 |
| Fate | Acquired |
| Successor | AT&T Wireless Services |
| Headquarters | Redmond, Washington |
Key people | Craig McCaw |
| Products | AMPS |
McCaw Cellular Communications, Inc., was a cellular telephone pioneer in the United States. Savvy licensing of cellular spectrum in the early 1980s put McCaw Cellular in an extremely strong position, quickly outpacing the growth of the "Baby Bells" in the emerging market. The company purchased MCI Communications's mobile businesses in 1986, followed by LIN Broadcasting in 1989, giving them widespread access in all of the major US markets. Partnering with AT&T as a technology provider, McCaw introduced their "Cellular One" service in 1990, the first truly national cellular system. AT&T purchased 33% of the company in 1992, and arranged a merger in 1994 that made Craig McCaw one of AT&T's largest shareholders. In 2002, the company was spun off from AT&T to become AT&T Wireless Services.