Houston Cellular
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Headquarters | Houston , United States |
Area served | Greater Houston region |
| Products | Cellular services (AMPS and D-AMPS/TDMA) |
| Owner | BellSouth and AT&T Wireless (joint venture) |
Houston Cellular was a cellular service provider operating in the Greater Houston region, delivering AMPS and D-AMPS (TDMA) technologies. Established in 1983 through a collaboration between LIN Broadcasting Corp., Mobile Communication Corp. of America, and BellSouth Co., the company was headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Over time, Houston Cellular evolved via mergers and acquisitions into a joint venture owned by BellSouth and AT&T Wireless, operating under the name BellSouth Mobility, LLC. The company commenced operations in May 1986.
History
The inception of Houston Cellular followed an FCC decision in October 1983 that designated frequencies for two separate cellular systems within each metropolitan area, with one system reserved for local telephone companies. In Houston’s market, the competing non-local cellular provider was GTE Mobilnet.
After the FCC eliminated this regulation in June 2000, GTE merged with Bell Atlantic to create Verizon Wireless. Subsequently, AT&T Wireless divested its 55% ownership in Houston Cellular to BellSouth and secured 20 MHz of CDMA spectrum from PrimeCo (later integrated into Verizon Wireless) to compete directly in Houston using CDMA technology. The initial partnership between Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems and GTE eventually dissolved.
In 2001, BellSouth formed a partnership with Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, leading to the rebranding of BellSouth Mobility, LLC as Cingular Wireless, LLC. This transition effectively transformed Houston Cellular into Cingular Wireless.
Later developments
In 2006, AT&T Inc., the parent company of Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, acquired BellSouth. This acquisition resulted in the rebranding of Cingular Wireless, LLC as AT&T Mobility, LLC. The service was initially marketed as "Wireless from AT&T, formerly Cingular Wireless," then simplified to "Wireless from AT&T," and is currently known simply as "AT&T."