June 2013
| Business World Magazine | 175
nation’s largest metropolitan statistical ar-
eas would secure cellular first. The Pioneer
Cooperative Board of Trustee’s determined
to cast its luck in the lottery involving the
MSA of Enid, Oklahoma. Ruhl says lottery
participation was limited only to licensed
telephone companies who had existing pres-
ence in the market area. At the time, Pio-
neer was competing against Southwestern
Bell and another enterprise known as Kan-
Okla Telephone Association. With only one
company capable of claiming the one license
up for draw, principals from Pioneer nego-
tiated with principals from Kan-Okla about
forming an alliance. By working together,
they could improve their chances of securing
the license. As it turned-out, this alliance ap-
proached Southwestern Bell who, for a small
fee, would step away from the Enid, Okla-
homa lottery and set sights on more lucra-
tive markets in directions of Oklahoma City,
Tulsa and Dallas, Texas. Having reached that
settlement, Pioneer Cellular would go on
to be the first to launch Cellular Service in
Enid, Oklahoma in 1988.
“Our whole intent was to respond to the
