Austin, Texas — The Wireless History Foundation announced four new inductees to the Wireless Hall of Fame.
The four will be honored during the Foundation’s Sept. 8 dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas.
The inductees:
• John Kelly: An industry leader at the forefront of expansion and consolidation in the infrastructure sector, John Kelly began his career in the carrier community. He served as president and COO of several Atlantic Cellular Company affiliates from 1990 to 1998, moving to the infrastructure sector by joining Crown Castle International in 1998. At Crown Castle, he held positions including president, CEO and executive vice-chairman through 2008.
In 2007 Forbes magazine listed him third among the best performing CEOs over a six-year period, noting that Crown Castle revenue had jumped 74 percent to $1.4 billion during his tenure. He currently serves as a director of Crown Castle, NEW Asurion Corporation, Telx and Torres Unidas.
• Brian McAuley: The co-founder of Nextel Communications, McAuley wove a patchwork of Specialized Mobile Radio licenses into a nationwide wireless company to challenge the cellular duopoly market structure in the 1990s. Nextel convinced the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt rule waivers that effectively allowed Nextel to build a digital communications system to compete with cellular providers. McAuley served seven years as Nextel president and CEO, and also founded NeoWorld Communications.
At both start-ups, he was instrumental in developing financing and business plans, making acquisitions, raising capital, and executing day-to-day operations. He is a certified public accountant and a frequent lecturer at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He currently serves as chairman of Pacific DataVision.
• Larry Movshin: A partner in the law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer, Larry Movshin has served the wireless industry for over 40 years. In the initial cellular licensing phase, he worked closely with clients and competitors to negotiate the initial top 30 market settlements, and then to develop the process that resolved non-wireline ownership of Markets 31-90.
He has counseled clients in numerous mergers and acquisitions, business and financing transactions and on a wide range of regulatory issues and proceedings. His clients have included major wireless carriers as well as private wireless interests.
He is recognized as an expert on the FCC’s spectrum auction procedures and policies. He has also held leadership positions in the Federal Communications Bar Association and the FCBA’s Foundation.
• Sue Swenson: She began her telecom career with Pacific Telesis, serving in various executive positions from 1979 through 1994. Under her leadership as president and COO, PacTel Cellular became the first carrier to commit to CDMA technology in 1992. This support led to the development of CDMA as a second industry-wide standard for digital wireless systems.
She later served as CEO and president of Cellular One in the Bay Area, as president of Leap Wireless, and as COO of T-Mobile USA. Beyond her roles with major carriers, she served as CEO of the software firm Sage. She currently serves as chairperson of FirstNet, the First Responders Network Authority, tasked with building a nationwide LTE network dedicated to public safety.
“These are outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions in all aspects of wireless development, and we are honored to induct them into the Wireless Hall of Fame,” said Rob Mechaley, CEO of Mobilesphere Holdings, and chairman of the 2015 selection committee.
