United States Cellular Corporation

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Not to be confused with US Mobile.

United States Cellular Corporation
UScellular
Company typePublic subsidiary
IndustryTelecommunications
Founded1983; 41 years ago (1983)
HeadquartersChicago, Illinois, U.S.
RevenueIncrease US$4.02 billion (2019)
Decrease US$133 million (2019)
Number of employees
4,800 (1Q 2023)
ParentTelephone and Data Systems (84%)
Websitewww.uscellular.com

United States Cellular Corporation (doing business as UScellular and formerly known as U.S. Cellular) is an American mobile network operator. It is a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (which owns an 84% stake). The company was formed in 1983 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. UScellular is the fifth-largest wireless carrier in the United States, with 4,656,000 subscribers in 426 markets in 21 states as of the 2nd quarter of 2023.[1][2] The organization was previously known as U.S. Cellular.

History[edit]

1980s & 1990s[edit]

United States Cellular was founded as a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems Inc.[3] (TDS) and incorporated on December 23, 1983. began operations in Knoxville, Tennessee (June), and Tulsa, Oklahoma (August). The company went public in 1988 where United States Cellular adopted USM as its ticker symbol on the American Stock Exchange.[4] In 1999, United States Cellular relaunched under the “U.S. Cellular” brand name and image across all markets nationwide.

2000s[edit]

The company purchased PrimeCo Wireless Communications in 2002 and launched in the Chicago area on November 22. It built on this growth by signing Chicagoan Joan Cusack as national spokesperson. In January 2003, U.S. Cellular acquired naming rights to the baseball stadium used by the Chicago White Sox.[5] Formerly known as Comiskey Park, the stadium was officially renamed U.S. Cellular Field (it was renamed Guaranteed Rate Field in 2016). That same year, U.S. Cellular and Cingular (now owned by AT&T Mobility) exchanged wireless assets and U.S. Cellular received new spectrum in markets of 13 states. In 2005, U.S. Cellular entered the St. Louis market, making it the second largest market U.S. Cellular served, after Chicago. In October 2008, U.S. Cellular launched Mobile Broadband, a service enabling customers to access data on its cell phones 10 times faster than before. It brought DSL-like service and capabilities to customers through EVDO (Evolution-Data Optimized) technology, commonly referred to as 3G. As of Q2 2008, U.S. Cellular was preparing to roll out 3G/EVDO revision A to select markets.

2010s[edit]

In May 2011, U.S. Cellular announced that it will offer 4G LTE. In a surprising move, U.S. Cellular announced the sale of several markets to Sprint Corporation including Chicago.[6] June 2016, Google announced that it partnered with U.S. Cellular as part of its Google Fi service. U.S. Cellular contributed its network and LTE service to the "network of networks" along with T-Mobile US and Sprint Corporation.[7]

2020s[edit]

In March 2020, U.S. Cellular debuted launch of 5G in Wisconsin and Iowa[8] U.S. Cellular rebranded as UScellular and upgraded its logo in the fall of that year.[9]

In February 2023, Google Fi discontinued its partnership with UScellular in a statement saying "We will no longer be an official network partner of Google Fi," UScellular senior manager of media relations Katie Frey told CNET over email. "We value our relationship with Google, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration in other ways."[10]

In 2023, parent company TDS, announced that it was exploring strategic alternatives for UScellular. The company has made no comment since the announcement other than to say the process was ongoing in 3Q 23 earnings call. [11]

Network[edit]

4G LTE network[edit]

U.S. Cellular began offering 4G LTE coverage to customers in the first quarter of 2012.[12] The rollout started in cities in Iowa, Wisconsin, Maine, North Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma.[13] In 2012, U.S. Cellular added 4G LTE in additional markets throughout the country.

Its LTE network was primarily built upon two low-frequency LTE bands; 12 and 5.[14] Through an agreement with King Street Wireless,[15] U.S. Cellular has access to the lower 700 MHz A, B, and C blocks across most of its markets. Spectrum bandwidth includes, 5*5, or 10*10 MHz on band 12 700 MHz 5*5 MHz on band 5 850 MHz 5*5, or 10*10 MHz on band 4 AWS 1. U.S. Cellular also has 5Mhz or 10Mhz of spectrum on Band 66 (AWS-3) in some markets.

The company began VoLTE trials during 2016, launched its first market with VoLTE during the first quarter of 2017.[16]

In December 2019, the FCC found U.S. Cellular shared misinformation about its 4G LTE coverage by as much as 38%, only managing to reach the federally mandated minimum speeds 45% of the time.[17]

5G network[edit]

In June 2019, U.S. Cellular successfully bid for high frequency spectrum in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Millimeter Wave Spectrum Auctions and purchased licenses covering 98 percent of its subscribers for $256.0 million or 1.7 cents per MHz pop. This laid the foundation for October 2019, when U.S. Cellular officially announced plans to launch its 5G service. The company launched its first phone with support, the Samsung Galaxy S20, as well as coverage maps for its first commercial 5G network in both urban and rural parts of Iowa and Wisconsin in February 2020.[18]

Nationwide Coverage Through Roaming

UScellular currently only has a roaming agreement with AT&T Mobility. This allows customers to roam on AT&T with LTE or 5G speeds with no extra charges.

Previously T-Mobile U.S. was used for LTE and 5G, but at the end of 2022 roaming service has been discontinued with them. UScellular also used Verizon for 1X and 3G roaming, but this has also since been discontinued as Verizon shut down its CDMA network at the end of 2022.[19]

Radio frequency summary[edit]

Further information: CDMA frequency bands, LTE frequency bands, and 5G NR frequency bands

The following is a list of known CDMA, LTE, and 5G NR frequency bands which UScellular employs in the United States:

Frequency bands used on the UScellular Network
Frequency Band Band Number Protocol Generation Status Notes
850 MHz CLR 0 IS-95/1xRTT/
EVDO		 2G/3G Active/Refarming to LTE EVDO is being shut down market by market, with spectrum being refarmed to LTE.[20] Full CDMA shutdown scheduled for January 14, 2024.[21][22]
1.9 GHz PCS 1
600 MHz DD 71 LTE/LTE-A 4G Active/Building Out Additional LTE band for coverage and capacity in select areas.
700 MHz Lower A/B/C Blocks 12 Active Primary LTE bands.
850 MHz CLR 5
1.9 GHz PCS 2 Additional LTE bands for capacity.
1.7/2.1 GHz AWS 4/66
3.5 GHz CBRS 48 Active in select markets
5.2 GHz U-NII 46 Active/Building Out License assisted access (LAA). Additional capacity in select areas.[23]
600 MHz DD n71 NR 5G Primary low band for 5G NR network.
2.5 GHz BRS/EBS n41 Pending deployment Spectrum acquired in 2022 auction.[24]
3.4 GHz C-Band n77 Spectrum acquired in 2021 auction.[25]
3.7 GHz C-band Spectrum will be available for use starting December 2023.[26]
24 GHz K-Band n258 Spectrum acquired in 2019 auction.[27]
28 GHz Ka-Band n261 Active/Building Out Currently used for FWA services.[28]
39 GHz Ka-Band n260

Corporate giving[edit]

Since 2009, UScellular has donated nearly $22.6 million and technology hardware to nonprofit organizations across the U.S.

In March 2021, UScellular donated $150,000 to Girls Who Code to open five new Girls Who Code clubs in Kansas, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Maine to increase access to future STEM opportunities, especially among young women. The company made a $100,000 DonorsChoose donation in 2021 to provide STEM learning support for 500 teachers and 50,000 students.

In 2021, UScellular launched the After School Access Project with a pledge to provide up to $13 million in hotspots and service in 2022 to help up to 50,000 youth get internet access. In August 2022, the company donated $4.7 million in wireless hotspots and service to 17 YWCA locations and 16,000 YWCA members across the country to reach the intent outside the classroom.

In 2021, UScellular donated $40,000 to Red Cross disaster support.

UScellular has donated $1 million annually to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 2016.

Corporate sponsorship[edit]

UScellular owns the naming rights to:

Current Sponsorships:

Official Wireless Provider and proud partner of:

The company formerly owned the naming rights to:

UScellular had served as the presenting sponsor of the 80/35 Music Festival in Des Moines, Iowa. It also served as the title sponsor of a NASCAR Xfinity Series race until 2019, the U.S. Cellular 250, at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.

[edit]

The sonic logo, tag, audio mnemonic was produced by Musikvergnuegen and written by Walter Werzowa from the Austrian 1980s sampling band Edelweiss.[32]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "List of Mobile Operators in the United States (US)". December 30, 2021.
  2. ^ Kent German (July 19, 2013). "Quick guide to cell phone carriers". CNet. Archived from the original on April 23, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  3. ^ "Telephone & Data Systems Inc". www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  4. ^ "U S Cellular Stock investment summary (NYSE:USM)". Macroaxis. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  5. ^ "Comiskey Park benched by Sox". Chicago Tribune. February 2003. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  6. ^ "U.S. Cellular exiting Chicago market". Chicago Tribune. November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  7. ^ "More speed and coverage with U.S. Cellular — now part of Project Fi". googleblog.com. June 9, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  8. ^ Tomás, Juan Pedro (April 29, 2022). "US Cellular launches 5G mmWave internet service in 10 U.S. cities". RCR Wireless News. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  9. ^ "New UScellular Brand and Logo Unveiled - Telecompetitor". www.telecompetitor.com. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  10. ^ Lumb, D. (March 1, 2023). Google Fi Ditches Another Mobile Network, Leaving Only T-Mobile. CNET. https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/google-fi-reportedly-drops-us-cellular-leaving-t-mobile-as-last-network/
  11. ^ "T-Mobile CEO Sievert says he might consider the purchase of this wireless carrier". September 8, 2023.
  12. ^ Dano, Mike (February 19, 2016). "U.S. Cellular completes LTE buildout and begins LTE roaming, but Q4 performance below some expectations". Fierce Wireless. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  13. ^ Attachment
  14. ^ Hristov, Victor (November 14, 2022). "Cheat sheet: which 4G LTE bands do AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint use in the USA?". Phone Arena. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  15. ^ Fletcher, Bevin (October 4, 2021). "UScellular shuts off some 3G services as it upgrades LTE". Fierce Wireless. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  16. ^ "FCC Announces Winning Bidders In 3.45 GHz Auction". Federal Communications Commission. January 14, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  17. ^ Dano, News Analysis Mike; Director, Editorial; 5G; Strategies February 25, 2021, Mobile. "C-band auction maps and charts: Who won what, where and how much". Light Reading. Retrieved November 16, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ Dano, News Analysis Mike; Director, Editorial; 5G; Strategies March 6, 2019, Mobile. "Here Are the Big Winners in the FCC's 24GHz & 28GHz 5G Auctions". Light Reading. Retrieved November 16, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ "3G CDMA Network Shut off date set for December 31, 2022". www.verizon.com. March 30, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  20. ^ Fletcher, Bevin (October 4, 2021). "UScellular shuts off some 3G services as it upgrades LTE". FierceWireless. Questex. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  21. ^ "UScellular to switch off CDMA network on 14 January 2024". TeleGeography. December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  22. ^ "3G CDMA Network Shutdown". Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  23. ^ Dano, News Analysis Mike; Director, Editorial; 5G; Strategies July 27, 2020, Mobile. "U.S. Cellular firms up mmWave, CBRS deployment plans". Light Reading. Retrieved November 9, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ "FCC grants first batch of 2.5 GHz licenses – minus T-Mobile". Fierce Wireless. December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  25. ^ "FCC Announces Winning Bidders In 3.45 GHz Auction". Federal Communications Commission. January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  26. ^ Dano, News Analysis Mike; Director, Editorial; 5G; Strategies February 25, 2021, Mobile. "C-band auction maps and charts: Who won what, where and how much". Light Reading. Retrieved July 12, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  27. ^ Dano, News Analysis Mike; Director, Editorial; 5G; Strategies March 6, 2019, Mobile. "Here Are the Big Winners in the FCC's 24GHz & 28GHz 5G Auctions". Light Reading. Retrieved November 9, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  28. ^ "UScellular launches mmWave-based FWA in 10 cities". Fierce Wireless. April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  29. ^ wsfpadmin. "landing". Wisconsin State Fair. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  30. ^ "Milwaukee Brewers, U.S. Cellular announce sponsorship". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  31. ^ "Packers announce U.S. Cellular as Official Wireless Partner". www.packers.com. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  32. ^ Paul Morley (October 19, 2003). "Boot me up, Dessie". The Observer. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved January 17, 2009.

External links[edit]

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