GTE celebrates the introduction of its bundled telecommunications services in Fort Wayne by asking residents

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Taking a vacation? Log onto the Internet for travel information. Got a flat tire? Grab the cell phone and call for help. It's your out-of state relative's birthday? Pick up the phone and send a long-distance Happy Birthday greeting.

Telecommunication services are an integral part of our lives today. But how would history have changed if:

Just in time for Independence Day, GTE Communications Corporation (GTECC) and WAJI radio are sponsoring the GTE History Game, which asks Fort Wayne residents to think about how history would be different if telecommunications were part of historical events. It's all part of GTECC's celebration of the introduction of bundled telecommunications services in Indiana.

What Is A "Bundle?"

A bundle is a package of telecommunications services. GTECC, a subsidiary of GTE, offers competitively-priced bundles designed to meet the telecommunication needs of customers. The basic bundle includes local and long distance telephone service and two calling features such as call waiting and caller ID. Customers may add wireless, Internet, and paging services to the bundle as well. All services are provided by from GTECC for a flat rate and appear on one monthly bill.

The Bundle And History: What If?

From July 5 through July 30, everyone who logs onto WAJI-FM's web site at www.waji.com and answers the questions to GTE's History Game will get a complimentary GTE Long Distance calling card just for playing.

At a recent meeting of the Allen County/Fort Wayne Historical Society, members pondered the changes telecommunications services could have brought:

Fort Wayne Grabs National Spotlight!

"The opening of the Wabash and Erie Canal in Fort Waynethen the longest man-made waterway in America, would have gotten national attention, much like the driving of the Golden Spike, signaling the completion of our country's first transcontinental railroad."

--Joy Poole, Director, Fort Wayne Old City Hall Historical Museum

Lives Spared!

"The Battle of New Orleans would not have been fought if news of the peace agreement to end the War of 1812 had reached the soldiers immediately. Though the Treaty of Ghent was signed in England in December 1814, the war in the field continued until mid-February the next year."

--Jack Wells, Fort Wayne resident

WAJI radio will broadcast some of the submitted stories throughout the month. And in celebration of Fort Wayne's own history, GTE Communications Corporation is donating money to the Old City Hall Historical Museum.

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