Another wireless carrier has jumped on the Time Division Multiple Access bandwagon with help from AT&T Wireless Services Inc.
Oklahoma City-based Dobson Communications Corp., a cellular carrier with about 100,000 customers, has signed an operating agreement with AT&T Wireless to become part of the cellular giant’s digital wireless network. Dobson owns cellular licenses in Oklahoma, Texas, California, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Kansas and Missouri.
AT&T already has signed various types of agreements with wireless carriers in its quest to fill the missing links in its nationwide wireless footprint.
“You’re going to see more types of unusual deals in the coming months that will build alliances and coverage areas,” said Ken Woo, AT&T Wireless spokesman.
Deals like the one with Dobson may prove attractive to other smaller cellular carriers that are years away from introducing digital service to customers on their own. The contract calls for Dobson to install TDMA Interim Standard 136 technology in most of it wireless properties and includes a five-year roaming agreement between the two companies. AT&T Wireless will give technical assistance during the company’s buildout process, said Woo.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Woo said the companies are discussing whether the AT&T name will be affiliated with Dobson’s.
“This agreement allows us to be the primary roaming partner with the premier telecommunications provider in the U.S. We plan to deploy TDMA IS-136 technology immediately,” said Everett Dobson, chairman and chief executive officer of Dobson.
AT&T Wireless signed a deal with Triton PCS last month that will speed up its digital coverage into Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, the Washington-Baltimore corridor and Georgia.
The agreement calls for Triton to obtain financing and build a TDMA network using 20 megahertz of personal communications services spectrum AT&T Wireless holds. Triton will operate the network under the Triton name with a tag line indicating that the network is part of the AT&T Wireless brand.
Earlier this year, Indus Inc., a C-block PCS operator in Milwaukee, Wis., signed a franchise-like agreement with AT&T Wireless, which has no wireless holdings in Milwaukee. The two will work toward developing an AT&T Wireless-style system that eventually could use the AT&T Wireless brand name.
Dobson also owns PCS properties in Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas with plans to deploy TDMA technology. The agreement between AT&T Wireless and Dobson does not include those properties.
