Advanced Mobile Phone Service
Encyclopedia
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 remained 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:
. 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.
Bell System divestiture
The Bell System divestiture, or the breakup of AT&T, was initiated by the filing in 1974 by the U.S. Department of Justice of an antitrust lawsuit against AT&T. The case, United States v...
. Abbreviated AMPS, the company was created in 1978 to build and operate the new Advanced Mobile Phone System
Advanced Mobile Phone System
Advanced Mobile Phone System was an analog mobile phone system standard developed by Bell Labs, and officially introduced in the Americas in 1983, Israel in 1986, and Australia in 1987. It was the primary analog mobile phone system in North America through the 1980s and into the 2000s...
, also abbreviated AMPS. AMPS was developed by Bell Labs
Bell Labs
Bell Laboratories is the research and development subsidiary of the French-owned Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company , half-owned through its Western Electric manufacturing subsidiary.Bell Laboratories operates its...
to replace older, severely limited radiophone services, such as IMTS
Improved Mobile Telephone Service
The Improved Mobile Telephone Service is a "0G" pre-cellular VHF/UHF radio system that links to the PSTN. IMTS was the radiotelephone equivalent of land dial phone service...
. AMPS was one of the first modern cellular phone systems, which remained in operation until 2008.
Service started in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
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 CommunicationsVerizon WirelessCellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
- Bell Atlantic Mobile SystemsVerizon WirelessCellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
- Ameritech Mobile Communications
- BellSouth MobilityBellSouth MobilityBellSouth Mobility, LLC headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, was a BellSouth subsidiary.BellSouth Mobility operated wireless networks using many different wireless communication standards. The most widely used of these technologies is called Digital AMPS, or D-AMPS...
- PacTel Mobile AccessAirTouchAirTouch Communications was a U.S.-based wireless telephone service provider, created as a spin-off on Pacific Telesis on April 1, 1994. Its headquarters were in One California in the Financial District, San Francisco, California...
- Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems
- U S West NewVectorAirTouchAirTouch Communications was a U.S.-based wireless telephone service provider, created as a spin-off on Pacific Telesis on April 1, 1994. Its headquarters were in One California in the Financial District, San Francisco, California...
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 AT&T Mobility and Verizon WirelessVerizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
. 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.