telephone service to the navajo began in 1928 when the bureau of indian affairs began building telephone lines to connect its facilities. in 1969, the bia sold the system to great southwest telephone co. in 1981, great southwest telephone was acquired by cp national. in 1988, cp national was acquired by alltel. in 1994, alltel sold off its operations for the navajo to citizens communications. citizens later changed its name to the current frontier communications.