Profile: Atlantic Tele-Network Inc (ATNI.O)

Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc., incorporated in 1987, provides wireless and wireline telecommunications services in North America and the Caribbean. Through its operating subsidiaries, the Company offers the services, which include Wireless, Local Telephone and Data and International Long Distance Voice and Data Services. It conducts its operations in the mainland United States, Guyana, Bermuda, and United States Virgin Islands through its subsidiaries, which include Guyana Telephone & Telegraph (GT&T), Commnet Wireless, LLC, Sovernet, Inc., Bermuda Digital Communications, Ltd (BDC) and Choice Communications, LLC (Choice). Through its operating subsidiaries, it provides wireless, local telephone and data, international long distance services and wholesale transport services. It provides Internet access services as an Internet service provider (ISP). The Company acquired ION Holdco, LLC (ION) in August 2008.

Wireless Services

The Company provides mobile wireless voice and data communications services in the United States, Bermuda, Guyana and Turks and Caicos. Through its Commnet subsidiary, it provides wholesale wireless voice and data roaming services in rural markets to national, regional and local wireless carriers. It also offers these services to international carriers. It provides these services through its own networks in markets located principally in six states in the Southwest and Midwest. It also operates smaller networks in seven other states. Many of its sites are located in tourist and seasonal visitor areas, particularly in the Southwestern states. It designs, installs and operates its wireless networks in areas where its wholesale customers need extended coverage. The Company operates networks with global system for mobile communications (GSM) and code division multiple access (CDMA) technologies in both the 850 megahertz and 1900 megahertz bands. In December 2008, it acquired the network assets, including 46 base stations, of a rural wireless operation in Nevada. As of December 31, 2008, it owned and operated a total of 473 base stations consisting of 307 GSM and 166 CDMA stations on 365 owned and leased sites.

BDC provides wireless voice and data service to retail and business customers under the name Cellular One throughout the island of Bermuda. Through its GT&T subsidiary, it offers wireless telephone service in the majority of populated areas in Guyana, including Georgetown (Guyana's capital) and the surrounding area. During the year ended December 31, 2008, it GT&T operated only the GSM network.

Local Telephone and Data Services

The Company’s local telephone and data services include its operations in Guyana, the mainland United States and the United States Virgin Islands. Through its GT&T subsidiary, it is a provider of domestic wireline local and long distance telephone services in Guyana. As of December 31, 2008, the Company had approximately 139,000 access lines in service. Through its Sovernet subsidiary, it is an integrated voice and broadband data communications services provider in Vermont and western New Hampshire. Through Sovernet's subsidiary, ION, which was acquired in August 2008, it also provides fiber-based wholesale transport services in New York State. Through its Choice subsidiary, it is a provider of Internet access services in the United States Virgin Islands. It provides Internet access services throughout the United States Virgin Islands, primarily under the domain names viaccess.net and islands.vi. Internet service is provided by dial-up and a variety of wireless broadband technologies. The broadband services include near-line-of-sight (NLOS) portable wireless capabilities sold under the ClearChoice service name and WiFi hotspots and fixed wireless. It also provides fixed wireless digital television services to residential subscribers and hotel rooms.

International Long Distance Services

Through the Company’s GT&T subsidiary, it is a provider of international long distance voice and data communications into and out of Guyana. It collects a payment from foreign carriers for handling international long distance calls originating from the foreign carriers' country and terminating in Guyana. It makes a payment to foreign carriers for international calls from Guyana terminating in the foreign carrier's country and are entitled to collect from its subscribers (and from competing wireless carriers), a rate that is regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Guyana.

The Company competes with Fairpoint Communications, incumbent telephone company and Digicel.