ATLANTA-Ameritech Corp. and GTE Mobilnet customers will have access to cellular digital packet data services in each other’s markets, according to an agreement signed by the two cellular carriers.
“Ameritech and GTE Mobilnet have taken the first significant step toward providing customers with nationwide access to CDPD,” said Linda Wokoun, vice president of marketing for Ameritech Cellular Services. Wireless packet data services traditionally have been limited to the areas served by the user’s service provider.
The agreement presently covers Chicago, Detroit, Houston and San Francisco-cities where Ameritech or GTE offer CDPD service. GTE plans to deploy CDPD service in 11 more markets by the end of the year, while Ameritech said it hopes to deploy service in St. Louis, Milwaukee, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, within the next year.
Ameritech and GTE will set their own rates for service. Users will receive a bill from their home service provider only.
The agreement follows a joint test by GTE and Ameritech during which the companies established interoperability between GTE’s San Francisco CDPD network and Ameritech’s CDPD network in Chicago.
