Thumb Cellular Revenue and Competitors

Pigeon Telephone Company is the cornerstone of the communications operation based in Pigeon. Over the years it has created various communication companies that continue to help advance the economic development of Pigeon and surrounding areas. Pigeon Telephone now has almost 4,000 customers in four exchanges: Pigeon, Twining, Alba and Lakes of the North in five counties in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The company continues to reflect the changing telecommunications scene. In the 1970s, the owners of Pigeon Telephone purchased Twining and Alba Telephone Companies. In the 1980s, the companies were merged into one: Pigeon Telephone Company. In 1981, John Eichler and James J. Christner bought out the portion of the company owned by Willis Hengy. Karl J. Leppien continued to serve on the board, having started in 1972. The late 70s and early 80s saw many communication advances. Pigeon Telephone stayed at the front of those advances, installing digital service in its exchanges starting in the late 70s and ending in the mid 80s. During this time Pigeon Telephone also looked at how it could provide additional communications services to customers in its various service areas. This led to providing Improved Mobile Telephone Service (IMTS), starting in the mid '80s, until what is known as cellular telephone service came into being in rural America in the '90s. IMTS provide an important niche wireless service in the Thumb of Michigan. It was maintained long after what was perceived as useful because IMTS was used by Great Lakes Carriers while providing shipping services on Lake Huron.