Alltel, led by chairman and CEO Joe T. Ford, has made its mark mainly as a wireless provider, though the company offers a range of services that include local and long-distance service, paging and Internet access.
“Our company has its heritage as a small telephone company in Arkansas,” says Kevin Beebe, group president of Alltel Communications. “In the last three years, we have grown significantly through the acquisition of other cellular wireless companies.”
In 2000, $3.3 billion of the companys $6 billion in communications revenue was generated through its 6.5 million wireless customers. About $1.8 billion in sales was garnered through its wire line business, which includes 2.5 million regulated telephone lines. The smallest portion, about $500 million, is attributed to its emerging long-distance and competitive carrier businesses.
Much of that growth came through the acquisition of personal communication services spectrum licenses from Verizon Wireless in 20 markets with 11.4 million potential customers. “We have also been acquisitive in terms of buying local telephone lines as they become available,” Beebe says.