Why does this company still exist?
They should have been bought up by one of the big boys by now. What's holding them afloat or am I just missing something?
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simple answer yes you are missing a lot.
complicated answer:
US Cellular is a privatly owned company that makes a good profit for the family that owns them.
The DOJ wouldnt allow a buyout buy VZW or ATT
They use CDMA and are merging to LTE (allowing for GSM buyers to wait)
THe finacial market for big companies to aquire finacing to purchase a large company like USCC is hard to find.
Sprint cant afford it.
T-Mobile has other better options
Their markets overlay VZW,ATT,Sprint, and others creating no new market aquisitions for the big guys making the FCC concerned.
I couyld continue if you need more reasons.
Hope that shines some light onto why?
complicated answer:
US Cellular is a privatly owned company that makes a good profit for the family that owns them.
The DOJ wouldnt allow a buyout buy VZW or ATT
They use CDMA and are merging to LTE (allowing for GSM buyers to wait)
THe finacial market for big companies to aquire finacing to purchase a large company like USCC is hard to find.
Sprint cant afford it.
T-Mobile has other better options
Their markets overlay VZW,ATT,Sprint, and others creating no new market aquisitions for the big guys making the FCC concerned.
I couyld continue if you need more reasons.
Hope that shines some light onto why?
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If there is more I would like to know it.
Too bad that Sprint can't afford to buy USCC. That would slingshot Sprint to the front of the pile. Sprint's coverage isn't good where I live, but USCC's is. If fact most everywhere I go except deep canyons, USCC's got the bars.
Too bad that Sprint can't afford to buy USCC. That would slingshot Sprint to the front of the pile. Sprint's coverage isn't good where I live, but USCC's is. If fact most everywhere I go except deep canyons, USCC's got the bars.
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saktrnch said:
If there is more I would like to know it.
Too bad that Sprint can't afford to buy USCC. That would slingshot Sprint to the front of the pile. Sprint's coverage isn't good where I live, but USCC's is. If fact most everywhere I go except deep canyons, USCC's got the bars.
Much as I hate Sprint, it would be best option. But as the employee said, the overlaps and coverage and issues with the DOJ may be of concern.
I think U.S. Cellular will be gobbled up somehow anyway despite all the issues. It's just a matter as to when. It seems like it's a rich man's toy and either he'll get tired or bored with it and move on to other investments. To me, U.S. Cellular is the new Alltel.
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I'll piggy back on knox's response for a bit and add:
We make more money annually than Sprint does, and have for the last two years. We have nearly NO long-term debt which means we don't have to be bought out to stay afloat - Alltel, when they were purchased handed Verizon $28Billion and some change in long term debt. Our debt to asset ratio is the best in the business, period. This company is more financially stable than most, and will be a player in this industry, sans buyout/merger, as long as the powers that be want it to be.
Verizon tried to buy us first, before they went to Alltel. The family that owns TDS, and in turn US Cellular said, thanks but no thanks.
We make more money annually than Sprint does, and have for the last two years. We have nearly NO long-term debt which means we don't have to be bought out to stay afloat - Alltel, when they were purchased handed Verizon $28Billion and some change in long term debt. Our debt to asset ratio is the best in the business, period. This company is more financially stable than most, and will be a player in this industry, sans buyout/merger, as long as the powers that be want it to be.
Verizon tried to buy us first, before they went to Alltel. The family that owns TDS, and in turn US Cellular said, thanks but no thanks.
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Sprint may want to buy it when it has the money because we have most of our network where sprint has its affliates. it will buy its affliates in the next few years if not sooner and then uscc would be a good buy especially in the midwest area...
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Incorrecto 😲
Alltel was in no financial trouble. In fact, up to the end of 2007, Alltel advertised how they were debt free.
Alltel was privately traded at almost $70 a share when a private investment firm purchased them. The private investment firm financed the complete purchase....hence the hand off to VZW.
Alltel made three attempts to purchase Sprint. All three attempts fell through while still negotiating.
Once the PIF sold them less than a year later, they put almost $6 billion in their pocket.
Alltel was much bigger than USCC and overlapped many of markets....dont say it can not happen to USCC.
Alltel was in no financial trouble. In fact, up to the end of 2007, Alltel advertised how they were debt free.
Alltel was privately traded at almost $70 a share when a private investment firm purchased them. The private investment firm financed the complete purchase....hence the hand off to VZW.
Alltel made three attempts to purchase Sprint. All three attempts fell through while still negotiating.
Once the PIF sold them less than a year later, they put almost $6 billion in their pocket.
Alltel was much bigger than USCC and overlapped many of markets....dont say it can not happen to USCC.
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http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/05/technology/verizonde ... »
If you follow this link you will read an article that states that Alltel handed over quite a bit of debt to Verizon:
"By taking on $6 billion in new debt to finance the deal, and assuming $22.2 billion of outstanding Alltel debt, Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500) brings its total debt load to $63 billion. That's a substantial sum, and not without its risks."
I never said it couldn't happen to US Cellular - in fact I said "sans buyout/merger" we will be around as long as we want to be.
If you follow this link you will read an article that states that Alltel handed over quite a bit of debt to Verizon:
"By taking on $6 billion in new debt to finance the deal, and assuming $22.2 billion of outstanding Alltel debt, Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500) brings its total debt load to $63 billion. That's a substantial sum, and not without its risks."
I never said it couldn't happen to US Cellular - in fact I said "sans buyout/merger" we will be around as long as we want to be.
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The debt was from the Goldman buyout. When Alltel was purchased from the shareholders (6 months before the VZW BO) CityGroup financed the whole thing. It wasn't Alltel's debt, it was the payout to the stockholders.
That's why I was saying, they used to be a cash and carrier only, like USCC, until CityGroup's investment firm went to "fatten them up". Which in the deal, CityGroups team made almost 6 billion.
That's why I was saying, they used to be a cash and carrier only, like USCC, until CityGroup's investment firm went to "fatten them up". Which in the deal, CityGroups team made almost 6 billion.
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knoxvegas75 said:
simple answer yes you are missing a lot.
complicated answer:
US Cellular is a privatly owned company that makes a good profit for the family that owns them.
The DOJ wouldnt allow a buyout buy VZW or ATT
They use CDMA and are merging to LTE (allowing for GSM buyers to wait)
THe finacial market for big companies to aquire finacing to purchase a large company like USCC is hard to find.
Sprint cant afford it.
T-Mobile has other better options
Their markets overlay VZW,ATT,Sprint, and others creating no new market aquisitions for the big guys making the FCC concerned.
I couyld continue if you need more reasons.
Hope that shines some light onto why?
Thank yo...
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Actually I don't work for US Cellular. I am an independent sales agent.
I didn't know this was English class, I will make sure to check my spelling next time to reduce the objections to my valid points.
BTW "humourous" is spelled humorous
and "existance" is existence but i get what you mean. 🙂
I appreciate that you think I am loyal to US Cellular and was "ruffled" by your comment but I will defend my business point of view on any subject. Want to know my opinion on health care, or net neutrality, or military spending just ask.....lol not to be mean or anything its just stupid to be so petty.
I didn't know this was English class, I will make sure to check my spelling next time to reduce the objections to my valid points.
BTW "humourous" is spelled humorous
and "existance" is existence but i get what you mean. 🙂
I appreciate that you think I am loyal to US Cellular and was "ruffled" by your comment but I will defend my business point of view on any subject. Want to know my opinion on health care, or net neutrality, or military spending just ask.....lol not to be mean or anything its just stupid to be so petty.
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Let me shine a little light on this...USCC employees have been fed a line of sh*t for years on the health of the company. Real story is USCC was a BEAR to deal with as a roam partner throughout the 80's and 90's. They did make good money from this position however, the jig will soon be up. Verizon made a serious bid in late 2008 (Carlson family is currently being sued by large TDS stockholder over this) and TDS declined without consultation with stockholders. USCC is losing customers at an alarming rate and ATT and Verizon today have no interset than to prey on those customers and watch USCC go down the drain (due in large part to their experience with USCC as a roaming partner). Like SunCom, USCC moved to the NYSE from Nasdaq and lost ...
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great opinion. however u are soooooo wrong. usc has the best coverage in the central region (illinois, iowa, wisconsin, indiana) so take that vzw and att. 8 times in a row... vzw and att have soo much money but yet they cant spend a dime to get their network as good as little us cellulars, thats pathetic.
second off, yes they wont be bought out. no need to, usc is like the little engine that could and always will.
tds and the carlson family have every right to decline a buyout by vzw because they own some 80-82percent of us cellular so they have majority rule. too bad!
they rule the employees with fear? are u kidding me dude? just that they dont have a repercussion program for not hitting your quota, they give every employee health...
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second off, yes they wont be bought out. no need to, usc is like the little engine that could and always will.
tds and the carlson family have every right to decline a buyout by vzw because they own some 80-82percent of us cellular so they have majority rule. too bad!
they rule the employees with fear? are u kidding me dude? just that they dont have a repercussion program for not hitting your quota, they give every employee health...
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So. I used to work for a U.S. Cellular agent and I will say this... U.S. Cellular is by far one of the best companies to work for. Ever.
As soon as I finish my degrees I fully intend on getting back to the company that I love and attempt to rule it with an iron fist!! (jk)
U.S. Cellular will not be going away anytime soon (in my opinion) because of the fact that they bend over backwards for their customers. They have a higher tower saturation in their coverage areas than anybody in the market and provide customer service that is second to none. Any of the other providers would be silly to take on the sort of responsibility and potential risk that U.S. Cellular does by investing as much into their customer base.
If you are ever c...
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As soon as I finish my degrees I fully intend on getting back to the company that I love and attempt to rule it with an iron fist!! (jk)
U.S. Cellular will not be going away anytime soon (in my opinion) because of the fact that they bend over backwards for their customers. They have a higher tower saturation in their coverage areas than anybody in the market and provide customer service that is second to none. Any of the other providers would be silly to take on the sort of responsibility and potential risk that U.S. Cellular does by investing as much into their customer base.
If you are ever c...
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I work for a county agency where I live in S WI. I can tell you for a fact that USCC has a tower (or 2) in every town in my county and some in the rural areas. At least 12 towers. Alltel has 2, Sprint has 3, and ATT has none.
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One correction to one of the responses. US Cellular is not a privately held company. It is a publicly traded company on the NYSE as USM. USM is 80% or 82% owned by TDS which in turn is majority owned by the Carlson family. US Cellular can't be sold without the Carlson's blessings. The Carlsons founded US Cellular in 1983, so it's their baby and it's also their money making machine. So long story short, no company can buyout US Cellular without buying it from TDS which is majority owned by the Carlson family. Most likely a company would have to buy out TDS as part of the purchase agreement so Verizon or ATT could use the TDS land line service since they also do land lines. They may already have service in the same areas as TDS, so tha...
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Allowing the company to be bought out would be a huge mistake for US Cellular. In my area they have the absolute best coverage and were the most popular until the iPhone came out. I was a long time US Cell customer until the iPhone, and if it wasn't for AT&T having the iPhone I would still be a customer. I've had service thru all of the major carriers and still to this day US Cell has given me the best service across the board(coverage, customer service, etc.) The only con they had was being behind on new devices, which I have noticed they are getting much better. If there was a way to use my iPhone with, or if they carried it, I would go back to US Cell instantly. But unfortunately I'm one of those people that can't live without it. I...
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US Cellular has the most rigiorous phone testing in the industry, which is why we seem to have the least amount of phones in the store. (don't you want a phone that works???) we also put the customer at the front of everything we do...let me just say find out about our overage protection feature, for free, battery swap for free, contacts back up for free...can't find those anywhere else. We have a different method about doing business the right way. Oh yeah how about giving away 150 bonus minutes to customers just because they are customers?...we cannot be bought out because were the only ones doing business that way, yes we have a bottom line to meet but we'll get it by making the customer the priority...
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keep drinking up that koolaid. Yes, USCC is a good company for service, network, and even price, but its phones suck and the excuse of "quality testing" is really getting old. How many phones have been pulled in the past 2 years after initially being released because of issues? Far too many!
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motosux ... we have had TWO phones pulled (Moto Hint and Lg Banter). that's all.. it's unfortunate, and it's bitten us in the butt, but it's been TWO. Get your facts straight before you blow people up please.
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Oh yeah, well dont forget the TRITAN..... and so what if the phones were not pulled. What about the software issues that we have had with other phones?
I LOVE USCC but that rigorously tested line is a load of garbage. I dont even know how many phones I have had to flash. If we are going to be claiming it, lets make sure we can back it up.
I still would not have any other carrier....
I LOVE USCC but that rigorously tested line is a load of garbage. I dont even know how many phones I have had to flash. If we are going to be claiming it, lets make sure we can back it up.
I still would not have any other carrier....
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i agree, but all phones need software updates or they don't work, how many times do you want to complain to microsoft about needing the proper updates. Just like the computer the phones have to be updated. Each company has their own ways of solving these issues, ours happens to have a tech in the stores, i believe that sprint has stores with techs in on a regular basis. When is the last time you got a loaner from VZW or AT&T. When is the last time you had a good interaction with CC from sprint?
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HackYourPhone said:
Oh yeah, well dont forget the TRITAN..... and so what if the phones were not pulled. What about the software issues that we have had with other phones?
I LOVE USCC but that rigorously tested line is a load of garbage. I dont even know how many phones I have had to flash. If we are going to be claiming it, lets make sure we can back it up.
I still would not have any other carrier....
Amen!
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