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First Quarter
ALLTEL introduces new digital national wireless calling plans designed
to provide wireless customers with more choice and greater value.
Second Quarter
$1.385 billion in publicly traded equity units are listed on the New York
Stock Exchange.
ALLTEL makes a public offering of senior notes in the principal amount
of $1.5 billion to help finance pending acquisitions. The senior notes
are rated by Standard & Poor's, Moody's Investors Service and Fitch
Ratings at "A/A2/A."
Third Quarter
Joe T. Ford retires as CEO after 43 years of service, retaining his position
as Chairman. Scott Ford assumes the CEO role as part of a previously announced
succession plan.
ALLTEL gains 1.35 million new communications customers with the completion
of two transactions. New local telephone properties are added in Kentucky,
and new wireless operations are added in Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan,
Mississippi, Texas and Wisconsin.
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Fourth
Quarter
ALLTEL increases its regular quarterly dividend from 34 cents to 35 cents,
the 42nd annual dividend increase since the company's founding. The
new indicated annual rate is $1.40 per share.
ALLTEL launches DSL Lite, high-speed Internet access that can be bundled
with Internet services from ALLTEL, for a lower price than other high-speed
connections.
ALLTEL begins offering wireless customers a variety of downloadable games,
e-mail, ring tones and picture-sharing applications via QUALCOMM's BREW
platform. Color-screen handsets debut to support this service.
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