Western Wireless Corporation

Western Wireless Corporation
Company typePrivate
NASDAQ WWCA
IndustryWireless telecommunications
PredecessorPacific Northwest Cellular
General Cellular Corporation
Founded1988 (1988) (as Stanton Communications)
FounderJohn W. Stanton
Theresa Gillespie
DefunctAugust 1, 2005 (2005-08-01)
FateMerged with Alltel Corporation
SuccessorAlltel Corporation
Headquarters,
United States
Area served
19 states
Key people
John W. Stanton, Chairman and CEO
RevenueIncrease US$1,917,721 million (2004)
Increase US$308,343 million (2004)
Increase US$232,876 million (2004)
Total assetsIncrease US$3,118,801 million (2004)
Total equityIncrease US$264,012 million (2004)
Number of employees
2,495 (as of 2004-12-31)
SubsidiariesWestern Wireless International Corporation
VoiceStream Wireless
Footnotes / references
[1][2][3]

Western Wireless Corporation was a cellular network operator that provided mobile telecommunications service to subscribers in 19 western states in the United States, and seven other countries. Western Wireless marketed analog cellular service under the CELLULAR ONE brand in 88 FCC-defined rural service areas and digital PCS service under the VoiceStream brand in 19 FCC-defined metropolitan service areas. At its peak in 2004, Western Wireless provided service to 1.4 million domestic subscribers. Western Wireless obtained additional revenue from the international operations of its Western Wireless International Corporation subsidiary, which was licensed to provide wireless communications services in seven countries to a total of 1.8 million subscribers.

Western Wireless traces its roots to Stanton Communications, founded in 1988 by John W. Stanton and Theresa Gillespie. Western Wireless was formed in 1994 by the merger of two other Stanton controlled entities, Pacific Northwest Cellular and General Cellular Corporation. Western Wireless became a publicly traded company in 1996. Western Wireless spun off its VoiceStream Wireless subsidiary in 1999, which was later purchased by Deutsche Telekom AG in 2001. Deutsche Telekom renamed VoiceStream Wireless to T-Mobile USA in 2002.

Western Wireless merged with Alltel Corporation in August 2005. After the merger, Alltel sold Western Wireless' international assets.