A recently renamed Viaero Wireless announced it has combined the previously known NE Colorado Cellular Inc. doing business as Cellular One of Northeast Colorado and Wireless II L.L.C. doing business as Nebraska Wireless.
Nokia Corp. last week announced it will overlay Viaero’s current CDMA technology-based rural network in northeast Colorado and parts of Nebraska with GSM/GPRS/EDGE technology.
The $50 million deal calls for Nokia to supply GSM and GPRS core networks, an EDGE-capable radio network and Nokia’s NetAct network and service management system, as well as provide network planning and optimization, implementation and care services. Nokia added that infrastructure deliveries have already begun and the GSM-based network is expected to be operational by October.
In conjunction with the buildout, Viaero said it has contracted with nationwide GSM operators AT&T Wireless Services Inc., Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and T-Mobile USA Inc. to provide Viaero customers with access to GSM features and functions when outside the local service area.
NE Colorado Cellular said its current analog wireless network serving northeast Colorado would continue to serve customers, and all of its current CDMA subscribers in Nebraska would be transitioned to the GSM network by the end of this year.
