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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) July 20, 1999
FRONTIER CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
New York 1-4166 16-0613330
(State or other (Commission (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of File Number) Identification No.)
incorporation)
180 South Clinton Avenue, Rochester, New York 14646
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (716) 777-1000
Item 5 Other Events
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On July 20, 1999, it was announced that the Frontier
Corporation board of directors has approved a definitive
agreement to sell its partnership interest in the Upstate
Cellular Network (UCN) (which does business under the name
Frontier Cellular), and its related cellular holdings, to the
other major UCN partner, Bell Atlantic Mobille.
As permitted by General Instruction F to Form 8-K, the
Registrant incorporates by reference the information contained in
the press release which is filed as an Exhibit to this Report on
Form 8-K.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
on its behalf of the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Frontier Corporation
(Registrant)
/s/ Barbara J. LaVerdi
Dated: July 21, 1999 By:_____________________________
Barbara J. LaVerdi
Assistant Secretary
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit
Number Description
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99 Press release announcing Filed herewith
approval of definitive
agreement to sell partnership
interest in Upstate Cellular
Network to Bell Atlantic
Mobile.
FRONTIER CORPORATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 1999
Contacts:
Bell Atlantic Mobile Frontier Corporation
Andrea Linskey (media) Michele Sadwick (media)
908-306-7845 716-777-6021
James Gerace Kirsten Sullivan (investors)
908-306-7508 716-777-6179
BELL ATLANTIC MOBILE TO PURCHASE WIRELESS INTERESTS FROM FRONTIER
CORPORATION
Acquisition Represents 400,000-plus Additional Customers in
Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Other Markets
BEDMINSTER, NJ and ROCHESTER, NY -- Bell Atlantic Mobile
(NYSE:BEL), one of the largest wireless carriers in the country,
today announced it will continue to expand its North American
wireless footprint by purchasing Frontier Corporation's
(NYSE:FRO) interests in wireless properties doing business under
the Frontier Cellular name. Bell Atlantic Mobile currently owns
50 percent of the cellular network, which operates in Buffalo,
Rochester, Syracuse, Utica/Rome and Binghamton metropolitan
areas; four rural service areas in New York (Jefferson, Franklin,
Chautauqua, and Yates); and two rural service areas in
Pennsylvania (Bradford and Potter).
The expansion represents an addition of over 400,000
customers and covers approximately 34,000 square-miles. The
transaction represents the purchase of an additional 2.3 million
POPs (population served) and a total of 5.1 million managed POPs
when combined with Bell Atlantic Mobile's existing 50 percent
interest.
The companies expect to complete the transaction by year-
end. Terms were not disclosed.
"The Frontier markets fill in an important part of Bell
Atlantic's national footprint," said Ivan Seidenberg, Chairman
and CEO of Bell Atlantic Corp. "The purchase furthers Bell
Atlantic Mobile's leadership position in the wireless industry
and provides additional opportunities to deliver `next
generation' technology and applications in the state of New
York."
When Bell Atlantic completes its merger with GTE, the
combined company's wireless business will be the largest in the
United States with over 14 million customers coast-to-coast. The
merged company will also be one of the world's largest wireless
businesses with substantial international wireless holdings.
"Once the transaction is closed, Upstate New York customers
will have access to the largest, contiguous, wireless network on
the East Coast," said Dennis Strigl, President and CEO of Bell
Atlantic Global Wireless Group. "We plan to grow the markets
quickly by integrating Frontier's Code Division Multiple Access
(CDMA) digital wireless network with Bell Atlantic Mobile's high-
capacity CDMA network and by introducing high-value state,
regional and national service plans."
Added Frontier President and COO Rolla Huff, "We believe
this transaction is the right move for both our customers and
employees, who will now be better able to draw upon the resources
of one of the world's leading wireless communications providers.
At the same time, Frontier is afforded additional resources to
focus on growing our core data/Internet businesses."
About Bell Atlantic Mobile
Bell Atlantic Mobile owns and operates the largest wireless
network in the East, covering 120,000 square miles, and the
largest chain of retail outlets devoted exclusively to wireless
voice, data and paging. Based in Bedminster, NJ, Bell Atlantic
Mobile has 6.4 million customers and 8,000 employees from Maine
to Georgia and, through a separate subsidiary, in the Southwest.
Through its "Wireless at Work." community service program, the
company uses its technology to help individuals and communities
improve security and emergency communications. Bell Atlantic
Mobile's parent, Bell Atlantic Corporation (NYSE:BEL) is one of
the world's largest wireless communications companies, with
domestic operations in 25 states and international investments in
Mexico, Europe and the Pacific Rim. For more information on Bell
Atlantic Mobile visit: www.bam.com; on global operations visit:
www.bellatlantic.com/worldwide.
About Frontier
Frontier Corporation (NYSE:FRO), is one of the leading
providers of integrated communications solutions -- including
Internet, IP and data applications, long distance, local
telephone and wireless -- to business customers nationwide. The
self-healing Frontier Optronics NetworkSM provides customers with
faster transmission speeds, greater bandwidth capacity and
unrivaled reliability. For more information, visit the Frontier
web site at www.frontiercorp.com.
