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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report February 18, 1998
WESTERN WIRELESS CORPORATION
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(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Washington
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(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
000-28160 91-1638901
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(Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.)
2001 NW Sammamish Road
Issaquah, WA 98027
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (425) 313-5200
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(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
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ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS
On February 18, 1998, Western Wireless Corporation issued the following
press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Investment Community: Media:
Ken Prussing Susan Sercu
(425) 313-7803 (425) 313-7877
[email protected] [email protected]
WESTERN WIRELESS ANNOUNCES CLOSING OF
HUTCHISON TELECOM'S $248 MILLION INVESTMENT
HUTCHISON TELECOM PURCHASES A 19.9-PERCENT INTEREST IN WESTERN PCS CORP.
ISSAQUAH, Wash. (February 18, 1998) -- Western Wireless Corp. (NASDAQ:WWCA),
a leading provider of cellular and personal communications services (PCS),
announced today that a subsidiary of Hutchison Telecommunications Limited
(Hutchison Telecom) and Western Wireless closed Hutchison Telecom's $248 million
investment in Western PCS Corp., a subsidiary of Western Wireless, on Tuesday,
Feb. 17, 1998. The investment represents the purchase of newly issued shares
representing a 19.9-percent interest in Western PCS Corp., the holding company
for all PCS investments of Western Wireless in the United States.
"The investment by Hutchison Telecom in our business represents a tremendous
opportunity for expanding our PCS operations even further," said John Stanton,
chairman and chief executive officer of Western Wireless. "The partnership with
Hutchison allows us to develop global strategies for delivering high-quality
service to customers."
On Nov. 26, 1997 Hutchison Telecom invested approximately $74 million for an
approximate 5-percent interest in Western Wireless. Two Hutchison
representatives have also been added to the board of Western PCS Corp.: Canning
Fok, group managing director of Hutchison Whampoa Limited (the holding company
of Hutchison Telecom) and chairman of Orange plc, and Hans Snook, managing
director of Orange.
Western Wireless provides PCS under the VoiceStream(R) Wireless brand in
seven Major Trading Areas including Albuquerque-El Paso, Denver, Des Moines-Quad
Cities, Honolulu, Portland, Oklahoma City and Salt Lake City and is licensed to
provide PCS in more than 100 Basic Trading Areas including Seattle, Phoenix,
Austin, San Antonio and St. Louis. In addition, through joint ventures,
VoiceStream service is also available in Tulsa and Wichita.
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Hutchison Telecom, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa, is a
leading operator of mobile telephone and paging services in Hong Kong and
operates a fixed network in Hong Kong. Hutchison Telecom also provides
telecommunications services in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India,
Sri Lanka and Australia. Hutchison Whampoa also owns a 49-percent interest in
Orange plc, a fast growing PCS provider in the United Kingdom, and runs the
largest independent service provider of mobile communications in both France and
Germany.
Based in Issaquah, Wash., Western Wireless is a leading provider of wireless
communications services in the western United States. It currently offers
cellular service marketed under the Cellular One(R) name in 17 western states
and provides PCS marketed under the VoiceStream(R) Wireless name in 11 states
using the globally dominant GSM technology. Western Wireless' combined cellular
and PCS licenses, along with its investment in Cook Inlet PCS, cover 59 percent
of the land in the continental United States plus the Hawaiian Islands.
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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 by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
WESTERN WIRELESS CORPORATION
February 23, 1998 By /s/ Alan R. Bender
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Date Alan R. Bender
Senior Vice President and
General Counsel
