Alltel

Alltel
	File:Alltel logo.svg
Company type	Private
Industry	Telecommunications
Founded	1943; 83 years ago in Little Rock, Arkansas
Founder	Allen Schaffer
Defunct	Template:End date and age
Fate	Absorbed by AT&T
Successor	Windstream; Verizon Wireless; AT&T Mobility
Headquarters	Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Key people	Allen M Schaffer (CEO)
Products	Landline, Wireless
Website	www.alltelwireless.com at the Wayback Machine (archived 2014-08-11)

Alltel was a telecommunications firm based in the United States that offered both landline and wireless communication services. Prior to the acquisition of its wireless segment by Verizon Wireless and AT&T, Alltel operated in 34 states, serving roughly 13 million customers. Due to regulatory mandates, Verizon was required to divest certain markets, enabling Alltel to maintain operations under its original name within six predominantly rural states. Following the merger, Alltel ranked as the ninth largest wireless carrier nationwide, with approximately 800,000 subscribers. On January 22, 2013, AT&T purchased the remaining Alltel holdings from Atlantic Tele-Network for $780 million.

History

The company originated in 1943 as the Allied Telephone Company, established by Charles Miller and Hugh Willbourn, Jr., initially concentrating on telephone infrastructure within Arkansas. Its current corporate identity took shape in 1983 after merging with Mid-Continent Telephone, a Minnesota-based enterprise founded in 1931 originally involved in theatre operations. In 1985, Alltel introduced its inaugural wireless system in Charlotte, North Carolina, followed by the opening of its first retail wireless outlet in 1993. By 1997, it had unified its wireless and wireline divisions.

On December 9, 2005, Alltel announced a strategic transformation to focus exclusively on wireless services by divesting its wireline business. This segment merged with Valor Telecom to establish Windstream Communications, which commenced operations in July 2006.

On May 20, 2007, private equity firms TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners acquired Alltel for $27.5 billion, representing a premium of 10% over the company's stock price at that time.

At its height, Alltel operated the largest wireless network in the U.S. by coverage area, spanning 34 states and concentrating on small to mid-sized cities as well as rural regions. The company expanded its national reach through roaming agreements with Verizon and Sprint, strengthening its position in less densely populated markets.

On June 5, 2008, Verizon Wireless announced its $28.1 billion purchase of most of Alltel’s wireless assets. Regulatory requirements compelled Verizon to divest 105 markets; subsequently, AT&T acquired 79 of these markets in May 2009, obtaining licenses and network infrastructure serving approximately 1.5 million subscribers mainly located in rural areas.

The remaining 26 markets were acquired by Atlantic Tele-Network on April 26, 2010. These continued operating under the Allied Wireless subsidiary while retaining the Alltel brand name. AT&T finalized its acquisition of these assets on September 20, 2013, initiating network enhancements and transitioning customers to AT&T’s platform by mid-2014. The migration was completed by February 2015 with full integration into AT&T’s network systems. In early 2016, AT&T officially retired the Alltel Wireless brand.

Wireless network technology

Alltel primarily operated its networks within the 850 MHz cellular frequency, utilizing both analog (AMPS) and digital (CDMA) systems. The majority of its markets were equipped with 3G Evolution-Data Optimized (1xEV-DO) digital technology, which improved battery efficiency and accelerated download speeds for internet browsing and BREW-based applications. In compliance with the FCC directive to discontinue analog services by March 1, 2008, Alltel phased out its analog infrastructure by the conclusion of that year. Although Alltel did not reveal its forthcoming network plans, its merger partner Verizon Wireless intended to shift toward GSM-based LTE technology.

Wireless network coverage

Alltel maintained ownership and operation of wireless networks across segments of six U.S. states and depended on roaming partnerships with Verizon and Sprint to offer nationwide connectivity until customers were transitioned to AT&T’s network.

Handset and technical specifics

Device manufacturers included Motorola, LG, BlackBerry (Research In Motion), Nokia, HTC, Samsung, Palm, and Pantech.
Network equipment was provided by Lucent Technologies, Motorola, Nortel, Juniper Networks, and Cisco.
Devices operated using the Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) platform.

Wireless services

Alltel Family Finder: A GPS-enabled tracking service designed for family plans that allowed real-time location monitoring and scheduled alerts.
My Circle: Introduced in 2006, this feature offered unlimited free calls among a selected group of numbers, with the option to add bonus numbers on anniversaries. Verizon later launched a comparable service named Friends & Family as Alltel customers migrated to Verizon’s billing system.
U Prepaid: Launched in 2006 as a customizable prepaid offering that included text messaging and unlimited calls to designated numbers. The plan supported roaming across Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, and other CDMA networks.
Alltel Wi-Fi: Rolled out in 2007, this service provided users access to Wi-Fi hotspots throughout North and South America for laptops regardless of user location. Bundled pricing facilitated seamless transitions between wireless internet and Wi-Fi networks.
Voice2TXT: Released in 2007, this feature converted voicemail messages into text format for faster inbox review.
PhotoCopter: Debuted in 2008 to automatically sync camera phone photos with users’ home computers and online photo albums.
Wi-Fi mobile hotspot: Launched in 2011, this device allowed customers to connect up to five gadgets simultaneously for internet access.

These offerings demonstrated Alltel’s dedication to improving customer connectivity while broadening its market reach through innovative wireless technologies.

Commercials

Following its selection of Campbell-Ewald from Detroit as its leading advertising agency in 2004, Alltel introduced a unique campaign featuring impersonators of rival carriers' advertising mascots alongside Alltel’s spokesperson Chad Brokaw. The commercials humorously showcased Alltel’s competitive advantages through various settings such as retail stores, bowling alleys, and courtrooms. Due to objections from competitors, disclaimers were added clarifying that these characters were look-alikes without any affiliation with Alltel.

Later advertisements centered on Chad promoting Alltel’s services under the slogan "Come and Get Your Love," portraying competing "Sales Guys" from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint as frustrated and ineffective. Professional actors such as Matthew Brent (Verizon) and Scott Halberstadt (AT&T) portrayed these roles. The campaign further evolved to include a haughty wizard character and utilized stop-motion animation in its 2007/2008 holiday commercials that parodied classic Christmas specials.

The marketing approach also embraced digital engagement through a MySpace page and The Man Cave website to enhance customer interaction. Additional commercials depicted rival representatives attempting to convince Chad to discontinue the "My Circle" service—a move that inspired competitors like T-Mobile to introduce similar features such as "My Faves" in 2006.

In 2010, after Verizon acquired certain markets from Alltel, a special commercial featured both Chad Brokaw and Paul Marcarelli ("the Verizon Guy") emphasizing the brand transition. That same year included a Christmas-themed advertisement targeting remaining Alltel markets, filmed at Longbranch Coffee House located in Carbondale, Illinois.

Previous Naming Rights

Alltel Stadium located in Jacksonville, Florida, currently known as EverBank Stadium
Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek in Raleigh, North Carolina
Alltel Arena situated in North Little Rock, Arkansas
Alltel Ice Den found in Scottsdale, Arizona
Alltel Pavilion within the Stuart C. Siegel Center at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
Maxwell Field at Alltel Stadium on the campus of Winona State University, Winona, Minnesota
Alltel Center in Mankato, Minnesota

Motorsports

Herzog Motorsports car No. 92 driven by Jimmie Johnson during the 2000 NASCAR Busch Series
Penske Racing South vehicles Nos. 02, 12, and 39 with Ryan Newman competing from 2000 to 2008 in the NASCAR Cup Series

Logo

The emblem presents a blue gradient backdrop with white circles merging to create a blue circle containing an "a," which then transitions into the Alltel brand mark.

External links