Kicking off a game of wireless executive leapfrog, George F. Schmitt jumped ship from PCS PrimeCo L.P. to join the personal communications services team at Omnipoint Communications Inc. as president-a post Omnipoint Corp. had sought to fill “since we won our pioneer’s preference,” said Mark Vonarx, the company’s director of sales and marketing.
Succeeding Schmitt as president and chief executive officer at PrimeCo-comprised of U S West Inc., AirTouch Communications Inc., Bell Atlantic Corp. and Nynex Corp.-is Benjamin Scott, who comes from Bell Atlantic International Wireless where he served as CEO for more than a year.
Becoming Omnipoint Communications’ president, commented Schmitt, “provides a unique entrepreneurial opportunity to help build a company in an industry that will experience enormous growth.”
“It’s a tremendous opportunity to do something brand new,” reiterated Vonarx. “He can `do again’ what he did in Germany.”
Schmitt, who headed AirTouch International before taking his seat at PrimeCo, in 1990 built and operated the first digital cellular system, reported Omnipoint, through an AirTouch joint venture with Germany-based conglomerate Mannesman AG. The network, which used Global System for Mobile communications technology, “initiated commercial service in mid-1992 and became the most successful cellular network ever launched,” said Omnipoint, “adding over 1 million subscribers in less than three years.”
Some sources contend Schmitt’s move was prompted by PrimeCo’s choice of Code Division Multiple Access technology. John Hulak, senior analyst at BIS Strategic Decisions Inc., commented, “PCS PrimeCo has a tremendous amount of challenges, smoothing over all the partners. It’s more of a manager position” being CEO of the organization. At Omnipoint, Schmitt has the opportunity to get “his hands dirty” again, Hulak added.
Schmitt was on vacation and could not be reached for comment.
Omnipoint’s spread spectrum technology, Interim Standard-661, is a composite Code Division Multiple Access/Time Division Multiple Access technology, said Vonarx, which can act as an upgrade path to GSM and is compatible with advanced intelligent network technology.
Omnipoint will build out its pioneer’s preference license in the New York City major trading area and expects to begin service by the end of 1996. The company also plans to bid in the upcoming PCS C-block entrepreneur auctions.
Before his work in Germany, Schmitt held several senior executive positions at Pacific Bell, including vice president of operations for the company’s Northern California wireline network.
Prior to his duties at Bell Atlantic International, Scott held a number of positions with Bell Atlantic Mobile, including executive vice president and chief operating officer. He served in a number of senior executive positions with AT&T Corp. throughout the 1980s, noted PrimeCo.
