NetAmerica Alliance Continues to Grow, Gaining Momentum in Delivering 4G LTE Services in Rural America

DALLAS, June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NetAmerica Alliance, LLC today announced Peoples Telephone Cooperative (Quitman Texas) and Etex Telephone Cooperative (Gilmer Texas) as two new alliance participants.  Both have signed charters, are committed to rolling out 4G LTE services, and are building a mobile broadband network in their license areas.  

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Fresh on the heels of its technology partnership announcement with Ericsson, NetAmerica is pleased to welcome the new members.  These two new participants bring an additional population coverage of over 650,000 subscribers and a land mass of over 7,500 square miles.

NetAmerica  has joined forces with rural independent license holders, that are deploying  converged 4G wireless/wireline networks, to provide business and network services including combined buying power, nationwide branding, 24/7 network monitoring, 4G core network elements, applications development and other key services needed to build the converged network of the future.  

"We are very pleased to welcome Etex and Peoples to the alliance," said Roger Hutton, Chairman and CEO of NetAmerica. "By combining forces, and as participants in NetAmerica, they will continue their heritage of bringing innovative and high value services to their communities."

While not a license holder itself, Etex took advantage of NetAmerica's license development program to acquire license rights from another carrier which allows the Cooperative to provide coverage in its serving area.  "Part of the benefit of joining the alliance is the ability to work in partnership with other carriers who may own license rights in certain geographies, but may not be interested in developing those specific areas themselves," said Danny Keller, General Manager of Etex.  "We acquired the license rights from Peoples and are now able to provide our customers advanced 4G services.  It is a win-win for all those involved and it would not have been possible without NetAmerica."

"We knew that it was imperative for us to have a 4G solution for our customers and NetAmerica was the only way to make that a reality," confirmed Robbie Allen, General Manager of Peoples Telephone Cooperative.  "There was no other way to gain the buying power, economies of scale or national reach without the alliance.  The model and timing are a perfect fit."

4G/LTE is recognized by many as the next step in the future of telecommunications.  Large carriers are now starting to bring 4G enabled services based on LTE technology to metropolitan markets.  Independent carriers have a long heritage of offering leading edge services to their communities and the NetAmerica Alliance enables them to continue that legacy of innovation.  

About NetAmerica Alliance, LLC

NetAmerica Alliance, LLC is an alliance of independent carriers, led by an experienced management team, who have joined forces to build-out 4G LTE service in the carriers' license coverage areas.  Through the alliance, the participants gain collective strength and cost advantages comparable to large carriers.  In effect, many separate operating entities essentially become one, while maintaining their independence.

NetAmerica provides buying power, nationwide branding, marketing and training programs, a network operations center, core networking elements, applications development and nationwide roaming arrangements.  Participants run the network in their own territories, while NetAmerica provides the critical mass and economies of scale needed to thrive in an increasingly competitive environment. Website: www.netAmericaAlliance.com.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains statements that are forward-looking. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance.

Press Contact: Chuck Harris
NetAmerica Alliance, LLC
954-654-5152 (mobile)
[email protected]
www.netAmericaAlliance.com

SOURCE NetAmerica Alliance, LLC