U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular, TDS's 82-percent owned business unit, is the sixth largest wireless provider in the United States, serving more than 5 million customers in 25 states. A regional carrier, it has four main operating regions, the largest and most contiguous region being the Midwest, followed by New England, the Mid-Atlantic and the Northwest.

U.S. Cellular's competitive edge: satisfied customers
U.S. Cellular has differentiated itself from the competition since its beginnings through a singular focus on customer satisfaction. The company and its 7,000-plus associates aim to provide exceptional customer experiences every time, delivering excellent service, operating on a high-quality, reliable network, and offering a comprehensive range of wireless products and services customers want and value.

That its strategy is successful is shown by the company's churn rate, which has remained low and steady for several years, despite strong competition. And that's good, because satisfied customers stay with the company longer and lead to more customers – and revenue – generating profitable growth for the company and its shareholders.

A superior network
Call quality is important to its customers – no one wants dropped calls or spotty service. That's why U.S. Cellular places a high priority on maintaining a superior network. It recently converted its network to CDMA-1XM digital technology, adding more voice capacity and expanded coverage areas.

Products and services customers value
The advanced network technology also supports U.S. Cellular's popular suite of data services, which include easyedge^SM Phone Download Applications and easyedge^SM Picture Messaging, as well as Internet browsing and AOL® Instant Messenger™ services. U.S. Cellular continues to add to its portfolio of products and services, introducing SpeedTalk^SM, a service that allows customers to connect with designated parties in a walkie-talkie fashion, in 2005.

Dedicated associates
U.S. Cellular knows that to deliver on customer expectations you have to have the right people on board. That's why U.S. Cellular associates are committed to demonstrating the company's shared values of customer satisfaction, respect for one another, empowerment, pride, ethics and diversity – in all aspects of they business they conduct every day.

20-plus years and growing
TDS formed U.S. Cellular in 1983, when it recognized the enormous opportunities within the cellular industry. U.S. Cellular became a publicly traded company in 1988, and trades on the American Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "USM."

U.S. Cellular continues to grow, adding customers and launching new markets in its existing regions. Adding 13 markets since 2002, including Chicago, U.S. Cellular's newest market is St. Louis, which it launched in 2005.

The company is an active corporate citizen through charitable contributions, award-winning community relations programs and associate volunteer activities.