Advanced Mobile Phone Service
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Advanced Mobile Phone Service, Inc. | |
 |
|
| Type | Defunct |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1978 |
| Headquarters | |
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Products | AMPS |
| Parent | AT&T |
| Website | www.cingular.com www.verizonwireless.com |
Advanced Mobile Phone Service, Inc. was a subsidiary of AT&T prior to the Bell System Divestiture. Abbreviated AMPS, the company was created in 1978 to build and operate the new Advanced Mobile Phone System also abbreviated AMPS. AMPS was developed by Bell Labs to replace older, severely limited radiophone services, such as IMTS. AMPS was one of the first modern cellular phone systems, which remains in operation until 2008.
Service started in Chicago on October 13, 1983 and in the Washington, DC area December 1983. After divestiture, AMPS was divided among the 7 newly created Regional Holding Companies, now known as RBOCs:
- NYNEX Mobile Communications
- Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems
- Ameritech Mobile Communications
- BellSouth Mobility
- PacTel Mobile Access
- Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems
- U S West NewVector
[edit] Evolution of Successor Companies
Through a series of mergers, acquisitions, and re-consolidation among the Baby Bells, these 7 mobile operating companies are now split between Cingular Wireless (AT&T) and Verizon Wireless. There are some discrepancies not noted on the chart due to service areas being sold off during mergers, such as Ameritech Mobile Communication's Chicago area network is now Verizon Wireless.
[edit] References
| Corporate Operations | |
|---|---|
| Holding Company: | American Telephone and Telegraph Company |
| Local Telephone Operations | |
| Bell Operating Companies: | Bell Telephone Company of Nevada | The Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania | The Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company | The Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company of Maryland | The Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company of West Virginia | The Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company of Virginia | Diamond State Telephone | Illinois Bell | Indiana Bell | Michigan Bell | Mountain Bell | New England Telephone & Telegraph | New Jersey Bell | New York Telephone | Northwestern Bell | Ohio Bell | Pacific Northwest Bell | Pacific Telephone | South Central Bell | Southern Bell | Southwestern Bell | Wisconsin Telephone |
| Franchisees: | Southern New England Telephone | Cincinnati Bell |
| Other AT&T Subsidiaries | |
| Manufacturing: | Western Electric |
| R&D Operations: | Bell Labs |
| Long Distance Services: | AT&T Long Lines |
| Wireless Services: | Advanced Mobile Phone Service |
