OKLAHOMA CITY, May 1, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Dobson Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DCEL) announced today that it has launched Cellular One(r) wireless service in Deadhorse, Alaska, extending its GSM/GPRS/EDGE network to the key staging area and oil-service headquarters for the North Slope oil fields. Dobson is the first wireless provider to offer GSM voice and data services to Alaskans and others living and working in the North Slope region.
"We're very excited with the expansion of our network to the North Slope," said Frank Franzese, Dobson's senior vice president of Sales. "This further strengthens Cellular One as the premier choice for wireless voice and data services in Alaska."
With the extension of Dobson's GSM/GPRS/EDGE statewide network to Deadhorse, Cellular One and other GSM customers will be able to utilize the same state-of-the-art voice and data services that they now enjoy throughout the rest of the state, as well as throughout the rest of the United States.
James Kohler, general manager for Dobson's Alaska operations, noted that advanced wireless services are increasingly important in his state. "Alaskans live and work across a vast area connected by few roads," he said. "Our GSM wireless technology provides a technology bridge that links communities and economies together."
Dobson is the largest wireless services provider in Alaska and has been expanding the number of communities that it serves. Last month the Company announced an agreement to purchase wireless assets in Nome and Kodiak. Once it gains FCC approval for the acquisitions, Dobson plans to upgrade the networks in those regions to provide full GSM/GPS/EDGE voice and data services.
Dobson Communications is a leading provider of wireless phone services to rural markets in the United States. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the Company owns wireless operations in 16 states, with markets covering a population of 11.9 million. The Company serves approximately 1.5 million customers. For additional information on the Company and its operations, please visit its Web site at http://www.dobson.net
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's plans, intentions and expectations. Such statements are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. A more extensive discussion of the risk factors that could impact these areas and the Company's overall business and financial performance can be found in the Company's reports and other filings filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the registration statement relating to the Exchange Offer. Given these concerns, investors and analysts should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.