ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, January 25, 1997             TAG: 9701270087
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: A-5  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS STAFF WRITER 

PCS PROVIDERS INCREASE SERVICE AREA

A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION partnership purchases additional radio frequency licenses at an FCC auction.

CFW Communications Co. of Waynesboro and R&B Communications Inc. of Daleville said they have increased the size of their PCS wireless telephone service area, paying $4.9million to government regulators for additional radio frequency licenses.

Purchase of licenses in a recent Federal Communications Commission auction increases by two-thirds the service area of a partnership of the two phone companies.

The deal still must be approved by the FCC. It will increase the potential customer base served by the CFW-R&B partnership in PCS from 3 million to 5 million persons.

PCS is a form of wireless communication similar to cellular phone service. But, unlike traditional cellular service, PCS is based on digital technology and can provide text as well as voice communication. It operates at lower power and with smaller phone sets on the 1.8 to 2.0 gigahertz frequency band.

CFW is managing partner of the PCS business partnership. It and R&B are the two largest partners in the Virginia PCS Alliance, a consortium of 10 phone companies expecting to own licenses covering most of the partnership's Virginia service area. The licenses for areas in West Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania will be owned by CFW, R&B and Hardy Telecommunications Inc., a West Virginia company.

CFW plans to unveil its PCS service to consumers in the second half of 1997. Among communities to receive the service first are Roanoke, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg, Winchester, Danville and Martinsville.

The licenses acquired by the PCS partners in the most recent auctions cover the areas of: Harrisonburg; Hagerstown, Md., Chambersburg, Pa., and Martinsburg, W.Va.; Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol, Tenn., and Bristol, Va.; Fredericksburg; Wheeling, W.Va.; Clarksburg and Elkins, W.Va.; Fairmont, W.Va.; and Cumberland, Md.

Both CFW and R&B offer traditional telephone services in parts of Virginia, as well as cellular, paging, Internet-access and other services.

LENGTH: Short :   48 lines
ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC:  Map by staff.