Rocco Augusto
10-05-2006, 09:48 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/10/05/cingular-claims-gsm-network-integration-complete/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/10/05/cingular-claims-gsm-network-integration-complete/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Just two short years after digesting AT&T Wireless to the tune of $41 billion, Cingular has triumphantly announced that the two company's networks are now one. Of course, they'd promised all along that the integration process would take two years, so whether the announcement has basis in reality or is nothing more than a dog-and-pony show to keep the investor types happy is anybody's guess. For their part, Cingular says the "completion" (their phrasing, not ours) will allow them to devote more attention to building out their fledgling HSDPA network, presumably in an effort to narrow the coverage gap with its EV-DO competitors -- but we suspect we know a few people that would like to see a little more elbow grease put into that integration stuff first."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/augusto-20061005-jack.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/><br /><br />Hopefully they start work on their HSDPA network soon. I live in one of the metropolitan areas that was lucky enough to be a launch city for UMTS/HSDPA. The bad news here is that the network isn't that strong. When I was working the sales floor of Cingular Wireless not to many months ago, there was a flood of complaints from customers that were having problems with their 3G devices. I would love to scoop up the Samsung i607 the moment it hits stores shelve but I really don't see the point in grabbing one if the 3G network is going to be choppy in Portland as it is now. :(