Cellular One opens in Mat-Su

WASILLA -- Cellular One celebrated its new store in the Creekside Plaza this week with a special reception at Lake Lucille Inn, complete with free food, drinks and a chance to meet NASCAR racer Joe Nemechek. The store, which opened in late November, offers Cellular One services throughout Southcentral Alaska and beyond. The company recently acquired AT&T's Valley customer base, in exchange for service areas in California.

Cellular One executives who flew in from Oklahoma, including public relations manager Craig Davis, say that they plan to provide top-notch wireless service in the Valley.

"We are a company that focuses on the latest technology backed by unsurpassed customer service," Davis said.

Cellular One is part of Dobson Cellular Systems, and is the ninth largest wireless provider in the nation, with 60 markets in 16 states. While a large national company, some local business merchants who attended the reception said they thought the Cellular One Wasilla branch is committed to being a local company as well.

"It seems like they are a locally-based driven company, meaning that they want to have a local presence," said Robert Baker, president-elect of the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce. Cellular One joined the chamber last week, and has expressed an interest in making contributions to the Wasilla area.

The national company is in the middle of its Santa Cause Campaign; when customers donate $20 to the campaign, they get a special package deal on their wireless service plan. The money collected in the campaign is then donated back into the local area; Alaska Cellular One branches will be donating the money to Wish Upon a North Star, an organization that grants wishes to children with terminal illnesses.

Cellular One's Southcentral coverage includes Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, Anchorage, Wasilla, Palmer, Eagle River and Seward. Cellular One also has markets in Fairbanks and Southeast Alaska. Previous AT&T customers can expect their billing to change to Cellular One.