COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 513320

Cellular and Other Wireless Telecommunications (pt)

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

56companies1853–1999founding years56still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedVivendi Universal S.A.
1853
FoundedAlcatel S.A.
1898
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedRogers Communications Inc.
1920
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedDobson Communications Corporation
1936
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedBlackfoot Telecommunications Group
1954
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedTetra Tech, Inc.
1966
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedElectricidade de Portugal, S.A.
1976
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedAT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
1982
FoundedU.S. Cellular Corporation
1983
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedNippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
1985
FoundedSprint Corporation
1986
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
FoundedQwest Communications International, Inc.
1988
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedBerjaya Group Bhd.
1990
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedAO VimpelCom
1992
FoundedEnergis plc
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedChina Telecom
1994
FoundedAmerican Tower Corporation
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedSwisscom AG
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

TDC A/S →
Active · Denmark
TDC A/S--formerly Tele Danmark, itself created from the former state-owned telephone monopoly--is Denmark's top…
Vivendi Universal S.A. →
Active · founded 1853 · France
Formerly known as the Générale des Eaux Group, Vivendi Universal S.A.
Avista Corporation →
Active · founded 1889
Avista Corporation operates as a generator, transmitter, and distributor of energy, providing electricity and natural…
Mannesmann AG →
Active · founded 1890 · Germany
Mannesmann AG is a leading German telecom provider.
Alcatel S.A. →
Active · founded 1898 · France
France's second largest company in terms of market capitalization (after France Telecom), Alcatel S.A., formerly known…
Manitoba Telecom Services, Inc. →
Active · founded 1908 · Canada
Manitoba Telecom Services, Inc.
Olivetti S.p.A. →
Active · founded 1908 · Italy
Olivetti S.p.A.
Rogers Communications Inc. →
Active · founded 1920 · Canada
The largest communications company in Canada, Rogers Communications Inc.
SBC Communications Inc. →
Active · founded 1920
Originally one of the seven regional holding companies formed after the breakup of American Telephone & Telegraph…
Telefónica S.A. →
Active · founded 1924 · Spain
Until the 1990s the government-controlled public company known since May 1988 as Telefónica de España, S.A.
Dobson Communications Corporation →
Active · founded 1936
Dobson Communications Corporation is the ninth largest provider of wireless services in the United States, serving 1.6…
Telefonos de Mexico S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1947 · Mexico
Telefonos de Mexico S.A.
PPB Group Berhad →
Active · founded 1948 · Malaysia
One of Malaysia's largest companies, and one of the largest conglomerates in the ASEAN market region, PPB Group Berhad…
Blackfoot Telecommunications Group →
Active · founded 1954
Blackfoot Telecommunications Group, a customer-owned cooperative, serves over 20,000 consumers in eight counties in…
Audiovox Corporation →
Active · founded 1960
Audiovox Corporation is an international leader in the marketing of cellular telephones, consumer electronics, auto…
Metrocall, Inc. →
Active · founded 1965
With more than six million subscribers, Metrocall, Inc.
Tetra Tech, Inc. →
Active · founded 1966
Tetra Tech, Inc.
Cox Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
Cox Enterprises, Inc.
New World Development Company Limited →
Active · founded 1970 · Hong Kong
Since its founding in 1970, New World Development Company Limited has been a leader in Hong Kong's bustling commercial…
Electricidade de Portugal, S.A. →
Active · founded 1976 · Portugal
Electricidade de Portugal, S.A.
Hutchison Whampoa Limited →
Active · founded 1977 · Hong Kong
Mid-1970s:Hongkong & Shanghai Bank steps in to rescue the faltering Hutchison, taking a stake in excess of 20 percent.
The Titan Corporation →
Active · founded 1981
Historically, The Titan Corporation was a defense department contractor involved in areas such as wireless…
AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. →
Active · founded 1982
AT&T Wireless, Inc.
Unión Fenosa, S.A. →
Active · founded 1982 · Spain
Unión Fenosa, S.A.
Grameen Bank →
Active · founded 1983 · Bangladesh
Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus pioneered the concept of 'micro-credit'--minuscule loans to the very poor.
U.S. Cellular Corporation →
Active · founded 1983
U.S.
BT Group plc →
Active · founded 1984 · United Kingdom
BT Group plc was formed in 2001 to serve as the holding company for British Telecommunications plc.
SCANA Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
SCANA Corporation is a diversified holding company headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina.
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation →
Active · founded 1985 · Japan
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) is the largest telecommunications firm in the world.
Williams Communications Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1985
Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Williams Communications Group, Inc., a subsidiary of The Williams Companies, Inc.,…
Arch Wireless, Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
With a new name and a new corporate identity, Arch Wireless, Inc.
Sprint Corporation →
Active · founded 1986
Sprint Corporation is the private holding company for two publicly traded firms, Sprint FON and Sprint PCS.
Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Limited →
Active · founded 1987 · New Zealand
Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Limited is that country's dominant telecommunications company, providing fixed line…
Centennial Communications Corporation →
Active · founded 1988
In the United States, Centennial Communications Corporation owns and operates cellular systems in two regional clusters…
Qwest Communications International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
From its origins as a fiber-optic network-building subsidiary of Southern Pacific Transportation Co., Qwest…
Deutsche Telekom AG →
Active · founded 1989 · Germany
Deutsche Telekom AG is the third largest telecommunications company in the world and number one in Europe.
Royal KPN N.V. →
Active · founded 1989 · The Netherlands
Royal KPN N.V.
Berjaya Group Bhd. →
Active · founded 1990 · Malaysia
Berjaya Group Bhd.
Telecom Argentina S.A. →
Active · founded 1990 · Argentina
Telecom Argentina S.A.
Telekomunikacja Polska SA →
Active · founded 1991 · Poland
Telekomunikacja Polska SA (TPSA) is Poland's leading telecommunications company.
AO VimpelCom →
Active · founded 1992 · Russia
AO VimpelCom keeps people connected in Russia, providing cellular phone services under the BeeLine brand name on either…
Telstra Corporation Limited →
Active · founded 1992 · Australia
Telstra Corporation Limited is a full-service telecommunications, information services, and network platform company…
Cesky Telecom, a.s. →
Active · founded 1993 · Czech Republic
The company Cesky Telecom, a.s.
Energis plc →
Active · founded 1993 · United Kingdom
Energis plc is a leading provider of telecommunications and e-commerce solutions to the business market in the United…
Mobile TeleSystems OJSC →
Active · founded 1993 · Russia
Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (MTS) provides cellular phone service to nearly 13 million subscribers in Russia and…
TV Azteca, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1993 · Mexico
TV Azteca, S.A.
China Telecom →
Active · founded 1994 · China
China Telecom dominates China's largest fixed-line telephone services with 95 percent of the services for 1.2 billion…
Portugal Telecom SGPS S.A. →
Active · founded 1994 · Portugal
Portugal Telecom SGPS S.A.
Western Wireless Corporation →
Active · founded 1994
Western Wireless Corporation is a leading operator of wireless cellular telephone systems, marketing its service under…
American Tower Corporation →
Active · founded 1995
Boston, Massachusetts-based American Tower Corporation (ATC) is the leading independent owner, operator, and developer…
Telecom Italia Mobile S.p.A. →
Active · founded 1995 · Italy
Telecom Italia Mobile S.p.A., or TIM, is not only Italy's leading mobile communications company--with more than 26…
Telenor ASA →
Active · founded 1995 · Norway
Telenor ASA is Norway's leading telecommunications group.
Swisscom AG →
Active · founded 1997 · Switzerland
Swisscom AG is the leading telecommunications company in Switzerland.
Brasil Telecom Participaçoes S.A. →
Active · founded 1998 · Brazil
Brasil Telecom Participaçoes S.A.
Golden Telecom, Inc. →
Active · founded 1999 · Russia
Golden Telecom, Inc.
Grupo Clarín S.A. →
Active · founded 1999 · Argentina
Grupo Clarín S.A., a privately owned Argentine holding company, is the leading media group in the Spanish-speaking…
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