CellOne chief operating office Frank Amaral has taken over the role of CEO after the retirement of Kurt Eve.Bermuda Digital Communications, operating as CellOne in Bermuda, said founder and CEO, Kurt Eve has retired after 15 years of service.Noted as a pioneer in the local telecoms industry, Mr Eve will continue on in his capacity as chairman of BDC’s board of directors.“It is a bittersweet time for me to step aside from my role as CellOne’s chief executive officer,” Mr Eve said. “Since its inception, BDC Ltd, CellOne as it is branded today, has endeavoured to provide Bermuda’s residents with the latest wireless mobile services and the utmost in customer care satisfaction. We have achieved just that along with many milestones to which I am proud to have been a part of.”On July 2, 1999, BDC, then operating as CellularOne, launched its full commercial service on a $4 million state-of-the-art network.“The company started with only 12 employees,” a statement said. “Soon after the launch, CellularOne introduced Bermuda’s first prepaid service. In 2009, the company announced its 3G/UMTS network, offering customers the latest in smartphone devices plus international roaming on par with that of other major carriers around the globe. The most recent milestone to note was the successful merger of CellularOne with M3 Wireless. Combined, BDC Ltd rebranded from CellularOne to become CellOne.”Mr Eve noted: “BDC Ltd has grown to be the leading mobile carrier in Bermuda owing in large part to strong leadership and the commitment by its employees to deliver excellence in service. I now hand the reigns over to Frank Amaral. Frank joined us in 2009 as Chief Operating Officer, having worked with international drinks company Bacardi Ltd for almost 20 years in senior operations and finance roles. It is in his capable hands that I leave my post. I wish him well in his continued success with BDC Ltd.”Mr Amaral commented: “I welcome the opportunity to lead BDC Ltd into a new age of technology reform in Bermuda.” said Mr Amaral. “As the leading wireless mobile company on the Island, we look forward to the challenges of what has become a very dynamic and competitive market and maintaining our successful track record of innovation and service delivery.”