EnterpriseMobileToday BlackBerryToday

Home | News | Reviews | Features | Tips | Mobile Product Watch | Forums



Internet.com's premiere site for mobile managers and IT professionals is where wireless meets business. Our expert analysis and tips will guide you in buying, deploying, securing and managing mobile technology in the enterprise. You'll find strategic analysis, best practices, news, buyer.s guides and practical advice on how to evaluate and support a wide range of devices in the workforce.


  BlackBerryToday > News > AT&T/ BellSouth Merger Heralds End of Cingular Brand

AT&T/ BellSouth Merger Heralds End of Cingular Brand

By James Alan Miller
January 2, 2007

On Friday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the $85 billion merger between BellSouth and AT&T. The combined company will operate under the AT&T banner, of course.

As a result of the coming together of these two telecommunications companies, AT&T now owns 100 percent of the Cingular Wireless brand. Cingular, the largest wireless operator in the U.S. - with 57.3 million subscribers - had been managed by both AT&T and BellShouth before the merger.

With FCC approval, AT&T can now put into motion its plan to rename Cingular as AT&T, returning the AT&T brand to the wireless world after a two year absence. Late in 2004, Cingular purchased AT&T Wireless for $41 billion dollars. That merger vaulted the carrier ahead of then mobile operator leader Verizon Wireless.

Currently, Cingular offers what is perhaps the largest swath of smartphones and cellular-wireless handhelds in the United States. Over the last few months, for example, the carrier added the Nokia E62, Palm Treo 680, Samsung BlackJack, HTC-built 3125 and 8525, HP iPAQ hw6920, and the RIM BlackBerry Pearl.

The carrier's 3G wireless network (for Web access, e-mail, MMS, music, video, etc.), which it has been rolling out over the past year, is among the country's fastest high-speed data offerings. Unlike Sprint and Verizon's EV-DO networks, Cingular - a GSM carrier - leverages HTMS/HSPDA technology.

Cingular is also far ahead of fellow GSM carrier T-Mobile, the fourth largest operator in the U.S. It wasn't until October 2006 that T-Mobile announced it would start rolling out its 3G network - after turning out to be the big winner in the FCC's recent spectrum auction, paying $4.2 billion for 120 licenses. T-Mobile said country-wide rollout won't be completed until next year.

For more on the AT&T/BellSouth merger click here.



Related Links:

  • DoJ: Cingular Free to Buy AT&T
  • T-Mobile to Roll Out 3G Services
  • Cingular Plots 3G Course
  • AT&T Wireless Seeks More Bidders
  • Cingular, AT&T Wireless Talking Merger

     
     Printable Version
     Email this Story to a Friend






  • The Network for Technology Professionals

    Search:

    About Internet.com

    Legal Notices, Licensing, Permissions, Privacy Policy.
    Advertise | Newsletters | E-mail Offers