AT&T Wireless Expands GSM Roaming Agreements

The USA carriers AT&T Wireless and Western Wireless have announced a roaming agreement covering AT&T Wireless customers in portions of 17 western states. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The agreement is effective through December, 2006.

"AT&T Wireless is an important customer of Western Wireless," said Mikal Thomsen, president of Western Wireless. "Western Wireless operates the largest footprint devoted to rural markets, and we are thrilled to bring our nascent GSM capabilities to the customers of AT&T Wireless when they roam in rural America."

"This latest agreement adds an important building block to our effort to extend GSM/GPRS service to our customers at attractive rates in areas not covered by our leading next generation network," said Michael Keith, President, Mobility Operations, AT&T Wireless. "By the end of the year, we expect roaming agreements like this will extend our GSM/GPRS service area to cover a U.S. population of about 35 million people, bringing our total AT&T Wireless GSM/GPRS service area to 250 million people covered (PoPs)."

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. Western Wireless expects to begin offering GSM service by the end of the third quarter of 2003, and does not expect to change its previously announced capital spending plans as a result of today's announcement."

Posted to the site on 9th July 2003