History or “About Autophone of Laredo”
The amazing evolving company
In the beginning - - -
Before the days of satellites, cell-phones and the Internet, what did a “hi-tech” communications company look like? It looked a lot like Autophone of Laredo, circa 1972.
That was the year Paul and Mary Russum decided to move back to the US, after launching their first Motorola dealership in Mexico. Once back in Laredo, they wasted little time in building West Texas’ premier trunked mobile radio system, offering business and consumers the ability to communicate while ‘on-the-road’ for the first time. Autophone of Laredo was on its’ way.
To round-out the business and offer a ‘full service’ messaging system, Autophone of Laredo added a paging system that would ‘track-down’ a subscriber, by dialing a number of pre-selected contact numbers, until the subscriber was found. A full-service answering service was also added to the list of service offerings.
Considerable infrastructure was required to support Autophone of Laredo’s wireless activities, and as the years passed a number of towers were erected for radio and pager transmission. As with all things Autophone, no expense as spared to ‘do-it-right’. Tower sites were built with room to expand, emergency power generation and dual-zone air conditioning. Transmission sites were established to cover Webb County, Zapata, and as far north as Pearsall.
Technology waits for no man - - -
But technology didn’t stand still. By the end of the century, the ‘traditional’ 2-way radio was being threatened with extinction by a ‘new’ technology ... the cellular telephone. 
By 2002 Nextel Partners had obtained the ‘space’ (frequencies) formerly used to operate Autophone’s two-way radio business, and it was time for Autophone to seek a new direction ...
In November, 2002, after more than 30 years at the helm, Mr. Russum decided to retire, and Autophone was acquired by KK Telecom, LLP.
A new team, and a new look at the business ...
What do we have?
Some of the best wireless infrastructure money can buy, with excellent coverage of Laredo’s industrial complexes. 
What does the market need?
Absolutely reliable Internet service.
When capability meets need, you have - - - -
Autophone of Laredo’s “Always On” Internet service
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