WorldCell

Last updated
WorldCell Inc.
Type Privately owned
Industry Telecommunications
Founded1996 as International Mobile Communication, Inc.
FounderBlake Swensrud, Chairman
HeadquartersWashington DC metro area
Website www.worldcell.com

WorldCell is an American-based corporation that provides international mobile service to federal agencies, international businesses, and individual travelers.

Contents

History

WorldCell was formed in 1996. The privately owned company was founded by Blake Swensrud as International Mobile Communications, Inc., and began primarily as a retail mobile phone service, renting international cell phones to travelers, businesses, and relief organizations. [1]

After September 11 and the advent of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, WorldCell shifted its focus [2] to providing wireless management services to corporations, federal agencies, and the US military, transitioning its rental service to its TravelComm division. [3] It later added satellite phones and service to its list of products, enabling its customers to communicate from remote locations. [4]

In 2002, IMC Inc launched the Viking Wireless GSM network through its subsidiary IMC Ísland ehf, officially categorizing the company as a carrier (as opposed to a "reseller"). [5] In 2005 the company was re-branded as WorldCell. Shortly after, Worldcell signed a five-year purchasing contract with the Army's Information Technology, E-Commerce, and Commercial Contracting Center (ITEC4)- West [6] Two years later, in 2007, WorldCell signed several agreements with international mobile technology companies, such as Aicent, Inc [7] and Accuris Networks. [8]

WorldCell currently administers managed wireless services and secure data plans to the federal government, [9] including the military, [10] and commercial organizations, using agreements with overseas carriers such as Vodafone, O2, KPN, and Docomo. [11]

WorldCell's headquarters are in Rockville, Maryland, a few miles outside of Washington, D.C. In addition to its corporate headquarters, WorldCell has offices in Reykjavík, Iceland and Tokyo, Japan.

Subsidiaries

WorldCell is the parent company of three additional entities: TravelComm, IMC Ísland, and Alterna.

TravelComm is a retail service that rents cell phones to United States customers traveling abroad. TravelComm's services are used by international business travelers, [12] vacationers, and college students studying abroad. TravelComm has recently added US Domestic service to its list of products. [13]

IMC Ísland is a licensed Iceland-based mobile operator. [14] IMC uses the Viking Wireless GSM network and has access to multiple international GSM networks. WorldCell is able to offer international wireless service through IMC's networks, as well as through roaming agreements and SIM cards. [15]

IMC Ísland launched Alterna Telecom, a new company that will provide mobile service to local users in Iceland, in late 2009. IMC and Alterna also announced that they will be cooperating with Síminn, a mobile provider with the largest 3G network in Iceland. Alterna began testing its service with a group of beta customers in 2009 and will transition these trial subscriptions to paid plans in 2010. [16]

Related Research Articles

The Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a third generation mobile cellular system for networks based on the GSM standard. Developed and maintained by the 3GPP, UMTS is a component of the International Telecommunication Union IMT-2000 standard set and compares with the CDMA2000 standard set for networks based on the competing cdmaOne technology. UMTS uses wideband code-division multiple access (W-CDMA) radio access technology to offer greater spectral efficiency and bandwidth to mobile network operators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T-Mobile International AG</span> Brand of telecommunications service by Deutsche Telekom

T-Mobile is the brand name used by some of the mobile communications subsidiaries of the German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG in the Czech Republic, Poland and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roaming</span> Wireless telecommunication term

Roaming is a wireless telecommunication term typically used with mobile devices, such as mobile phones. It refers to a mobile phone being used outside the range of its native network and connecting to another available cell network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nordic Mobile Telephone</span> Mobile telephone system

NMT is an automatic cellular phone system specified by Nordic telecommunications administrations (PTTs) and opened for service on 1 October 1981. NMT is based on analogue technology and two variants exist: NMT-450 and NMT-900. The numbers indicate the frequency bands used. NMT-900 was introduced in 1986 and carries more channels than the older NMT-450 network.

A mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) is a wireless communications services provider that does not own the wireless network infrastructure over which it provides services to its customers. An MVNO enters into a business agreement with a mobile network operator to obtain bulk access to network services at wholesale rates, then sets retail prices independently. An MVNO may use its own customer service, billing support systems, marketing, and sales personnel, or it could employ the services of a mobile virtual network enabler (MVNE).

Rogers Wireless Inc. is a Canadian wireless telephone company headquartered in Toronto, providing service nationally throughout Canada. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The company had revenues of just under $15.1 billion in 2018. Rogers Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in Canada, with 10.8 million subscribers as of Q3 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of mobile phones</span> Mobile communication devices

The history of mobile phones covers mobile communication devices that connect wirelessly to the public switched telephone network.

TracFone Wireless, Inc. (TFWI) is an American prepaid, no-contract mobile phone provider. TFWI is a subsidiary of Verizon Communications, and offers products and services under several brands. It operates as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), holding agreements with the three largest United States wireless network operators to provide service: AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile US, and Verizon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sprint Corporation</span> Defunct American telecommunications company

Sprint Corporation was an American telecommunications company. Before being acquired by T-Mobile US on April 1, 2020, it was the fourth-largest mobile network operator in the United States, serving 54.3 million customers as of June 30, 2019. The company also offered wireless voice, messaging, and broadband services through its various subsidiaries under the Boost Mobile and Open Mobile brands and wholesale access to its wireless networks to mobile virtual network operators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claro Puerto Rico</span> Puerto Rican telecommunication company

Claro Puerto Rico is one of the largest telecommunications services company in Puerto Rico. It is headquartered in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and has operated for almost a century offering voice, data, long distance, broadband, directory publishing and wireless services for the island residents and businesses. It was founded by the Behn brothers, Sosthenes and Hernan. Originally, Puerto Rico Telephone Company eventually spawned ITT Corporation, which was founded by Sosthenes Behn. The company was a public corporation of the government of Puerto Rico for many years until the majority stakes were acquired by GTE in the mid-1990s. It was a subsidiary of Verizon Communications until it was fully acquired by América Móvil in 2007.

iWireless Defunct American mobile network operator

Iowa Wireless Services LLC, doing business as iWireless, was a mobile network operator founded in 1997, not related to Kroger's service. Headquartered in Urbandale, Iowa, iWireless was a partnership between T-Mobile US, Inc. and Iowa Network Services Inc. iWireless owned licenses to operate GSM cellular networks in the PCS-1900 and AWS-1700 radio frequency bands covering Iowa, southwestern Wisconsin and northwestern Illinois. iWireless had over 250 full-service company stores and authorized dealers across Iowa, western Illinois, and eastern Nebraska. iWireless was acquired in full by T-Mobile and on October 1, 2018, the service was shut down as customers were encouraged to migrate to T-Mobile plans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BSNL Mobile</span> Division of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

BSNL is a telecommunication company of the Government of India. BSNL Mobile operates under BSNL brand and provides wireless cellular services to B2B, B2C, & B2G segment in India. BSNL Mobile has a pan-India presence with presence in all the 22 telecom circles in India. It provides services in all of India with roaming access, including Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai, and International roaming access to more than 300 networks across the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boingo Wireless</span> American wireless network company

Boingo Wireless is an American company that designs, builds and manages wireless networks. Its public and private networks include distributed antenna systems (DAS), small cells, macro towers and more than one million Wi-Fi hotspots around the world. The company operates networks for airports, transit stations, stadiums, military bases, hospitals and commercial properties. In December 2022, the company announced it was moving its headquarters to Frisco, Texas, and would maintain regional offices in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Las Vegas. The company was listed on the Nasdaq until it was acquired by investment firm Digital Colony Management LLC in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telestial</span>

Telestial is a mobile virtual network operator headquartered in Boston with a large share of North America’s international cell phone market. Telestial offers travelers a local cell phone service at local rates with a local cell phone number as an alternative to an expensive phone rental and convenient but expensive international roaming. Telestial is a provider of international cell phones and SIM cards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3 (company)</span> Global telecommunications brand

Hutchison 3G Enterprises S.A.R.L., trading as 3 (Three) and Hutchison 3G (H3G), is the owner of several UMTS-based mobile phone networks and broadband Internet providers, which operate in Hong Kong, Macau, Austria, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T-Mobile US</span> American telecommunications company

T-Mobile US, Inc. is an American wireless network operator headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, and Bellevue, Washington, U.S. Its largest shareholder is multinational telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG, which as of April 2023, holds a 51.4% majority stake in the company. T-Mobile US is the second-largest wireless carrier in the United States, with 116.7 million subscribers at the end of Q2 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open Mobile</span> Telecommunication company in Puerto Rico

Open Mobile was a mobile network operator that offers mobile phone services exclusively in Puerto Rico. The company was established on June 12, 2007, as a relaunch of NewComm Wireless Services. Its new owners, M/C Partners and Columbia Capital, acquired Movistar's assets for $160 million USD after Movistar filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2006.

OneSimCard is a pay-as-you-go international cell phone service provider offering a single GSM international SIM card granting service in nearly every country in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigo Wireless</span>

Indigo Wireless is a regional wireless telecommunications company in northern Pennsylvania. Based in Wellsboro, Indigo is often the only provider of service in its coverage area and is a local roaming partner for both AT&T and T-Mobile.

Cellular Abroad is a mobile virtual network operator and internet retailer based in Los Angeles that uses GSM technology to provide international wireless voice, messaging and data services. Cellular Abroad sells and rents unlocked international GSM cell phones, portable WiFi hotspots and SIM Cards under the National Geographic Society brand.

References

  1. ↑ Stefanova, Kristina. "CEO Touts Global Reach of Firm's Wireless Phones. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. August 22, 1999.
  2. ↑ Irwin, Neil. "As Economy Stalled, Firms Revamped to Stay Afloat. Financial Times Information Ltd. 2002.
  3. ↑ Johnson, Nicholas. "Satellite Phones Go To War."The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Mar 13, 2003. pg. E.01
  4. ↑ "IMC WorldCell offers Iridium phones, service." RCR Wireless News, 15330796, 8/13/2001, Vol. 20, Issue 33
  5. ↑ “Viking lands in Iceland.” EuropeMedia, Sept 18, 2002
  6. ↑ "WorldCell Awarded Five-Year Purchasing Agreement with U.S. Army for Wireless Voice and Data Services." InDefense [IND] 5 October 2006
  7. ↑ "WorldCell Takes Data Roaming Global with Aicent | Business Wire". Find Articles. 2007-10-17. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
  8. ↑ "Accuris Networks and WorldCell Develop Next Generation International Roaming HUB Service | Business Wire". Find Articles. 2007-02-27. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
  9. ↑ McCullagh, Declan. "Obama's new BlackBerry: The NSA's secure PDA?" cnet.com. January 13, 2009. http://news.cnet.com/obamas-new-blackberry-the-nsas-secure-pda/?tag=newsLeadStoriesArea.1
  10. ↑ “MD-based WorldCell Inc. awarded contract by U.S. Air Force Europe.” The Daily Record. (Baltimore, MD), Mar 17, 2006
  11. ↑ Meyers, Jason. Telephony. Chicago: Mar 3, 1997. Vol. 232, Iss. 9; pg. 125, 1 pgs
  12. ↑ Feemster, Ron. “Rent a Phone, Lose a Headache.” Inc. June 30, 2001.
  13. ↑ Archived March 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ "Skráð fyrirtæki". Póst og fjarskiptastofnun. December 2011.
  15. ↑ Archived March 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ "Alterna". Alterna.is. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.