BELLEVUE, Wash.-Western Wireless Corp. signed GSM/GPRS roaming agreements with T-Mobile USA Inc. and Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and said it was in discussions with AT&T Wireless Services Inc. regarding similar agreements.
With the agreements, Western Wireless said it will build out a GSM/GPRS network using its existing 850 MHz spectrum and new 1900 MHz spectrum it plans to purchase from T-Mobile USA, which Western Wireless said would cost the company an undisclosed nominal up front charge in exchange for reduced roaming rates. Western Wireless reported Nortel Network Ltd. would provide the underlying GSM infrastructure.
The GSM/GPRS network is expected to cover half of Western Wireless’ cell sites by the middle of next year with initial service expected to begin by the end of the third quarter of this year.
Western Wireless added that it will continue to increase CDMA capacity on its network and that it expects capital expenditures for this year to be 12 percent higher than its previous $150 million prediction and that it will spend a similar amount next year.
