Where Are They Now?

Don Nelson

Then: U.S. Cellular president & CEO (1987-2000). Nelson also served as board member, executive committee and treasurer of CTIA.

Now: Now: On the board of directors for five start-up companies: Infoplus, Learning Insights (www.learninginsights.com), an e-learning company, Loudfire (www.loudfire.com), a broadband middleware company, Profitlab (www.profit-lab.com), a telecommunications auditing and management group and 10Best (www.10best.com), an Internet provider of location-based reviews of a variety of businesses. Also working with clients through SCORE, a group of retired executives that counsels small businesses in Greenville, SC.

Best of my wireless times: Oct. 13, 1983, in Chicago: the first commercial call made to Alexander Graham Bell's great-great-great grandson; the first U.S. Cellular system on air in Knoxville, TN; and the start of CTIA in 1985.

Worst of times: Losing at lottery when we knew we could have won the comparative hearing — the FCC changed the rules.

Most proud of: Having been the first full-time employee of U.S. Cellular, and that it is still growing and serving a viable niche as a rural service provider.

Wish I'd known then: That penetration could be 40%, and churn wouldbe 20% to 25% per year.

I'd do differently: Try to be a license holder and sell it to an operator.

Biggest surprise: The continued growth of the industry — awesome! Also, the size of phones and length of battery life.

What I miss: The great people who helped start and grow U.S. Cellular and the wireless industry.

Most exciting thing about wireless today: Growth, change and new services.

Current wireless carrier and type of phone: Verizon Wireless, Audiovox CDM-130.

Do you wonder what a former wireless colleague is doing? E-mail suggestions for Where Are They Now? to jrockhold@primediabusiness.com.