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                                 UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
   Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                               April 15, 1998
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              Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)


                   Heartland Wireless Communications, Inc.
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           (Exact Name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware                               0-23695                   73-1435149 
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(State or Other Jurisdiction    (Commission File Number)      (I.R.S. Employer 
of Incorporation)                                            Identification No.)

200 Chisholm Place, Suite 200, Plano, Texas                          75075   
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                           (Zip Code)

                                (972) 423-9494
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             (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)


                                     N/A
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             (Former Name, Former Address and Former Fiscal Year,
                        if Changed Since Last Report)


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ITEM 5.         OTHER EVENTS

         As permitted by General Instruction F to Form 8-K promulgated under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, Heartland Wireless
Communications, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Registrant") is filing as an
exhibit to this Current Report on Form 8-K that certain press release issued by
and on behalf of the Registrant on April 15, 1998, which such press release is
specifically incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 7.         FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND 
                EXHIBITS

         (a)    Exhibits.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                Exhibit No.         Document Description
                -----------         --------------------
                <S>                 <C>
                99.1                Press Release issued by the Registrant on April 15, 1998.
</TABLE>
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                                  SIGNATURE


         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the Registrant has duly caused this Current Report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                 HEARTLAND WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.



Dated:  April 15, 1998            By:      /s/ J. Curtis Henderson           
                                     -----------------------------------------
                                               J. Curtis Henderson
                                               Vice President and General 
                                               Counsel





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                                 EXHIBIT INDEX

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit No.               Document Description
-----------               --------------------
<S>                       <C>
99.1                      Press release issued by the Registrant on April 15, 1998
</TABLE>