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


                                    FORM 8-K

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


                                 October 6, 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 October 6, 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 October 6, 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: October 6, 1998            By:  /s/ J. Curtis Henderson
                                     -----------------------------------------
                                     J. Curtis Henderson
                                     Senior 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 October 6, 1998
</TABLE>