Powertel (U.S. cellular carrier 1998-2001)
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Powertel Inc. was a mobile network operator headquartered in West Point, Georgia
West Point, Georgia
West Point is a town in Troup County, with a small tail of the south end of town in Harris County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, this town had a total population of just 3,382 people...

, United States that provided analog cellular and digital PCS mobile communications services in the Southeastern United States. Powertel traces its roots to the May, 1999 incorporation in Georgia of Interstate Cellular, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ITC Holding Company, Inc. Interstate Cellular was formed to acquire cellular telephone licenses and construct and operate cellular telephone systems.

InterCel, Inc. was incorporated in Delaware in April, 1991 and became the owner of the assets of both Interstate Cellular, Inc. and WHI Partnership. In October, 1991, InterCel, Inc. became a publicly-traded company, offering stock on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol ICEL.

InterCel acquired Unicell, a provider of cellular communications service in Maine, in January, 1993. The combined company had 20,000 subscribers in a market area that covers a population of 780,000 people.

In February, 1994, InterCel and other investors form Powertel PCS Partners L.P. to develop, construct and operate a GSM mobile cellular network that will provide services in nine Southeastern states. In March, 1995 Powertel PCS Partners submitted winning bids for wireless spectrum in covering parts of nine Southeastern state. InterCel acquired all outstanding interest in Powertel PCS Partners, making Powertel PCS a wholly owned subsidiary and Powertel began to build a digital, GSM network to operate on the recently acquired spectrum.

In December, 1996, InterCel agreed to sell Unicel to Rural Cellular Corporation.

In June, 1997, InterCel, Inc. changed its name to Powertel Inc. and changed its NASDAQ stock ticker symbol to PTEL.

On May 3, 1999, InterCel sold its analog cellular operations to Public Service Cellular, Inc. for US$89 million.

Powertel, Inc. was acquired by Deutsche Telekom AG on May 31, 2001 and was made a subsidiary of VoiceStream Wireless, Inc., which was acquired by Deutsche Telekom on the same day.
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