03-06-2006, 06:00 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Cingular Users, You Are AT&T Again
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/05/AR2006030500501.html
Well, you'll be AT&T Wireless again soon anyway. It seems that SBC Communications, which recently purchased AT&T and then renamed itself AT&T, is buying Bell South. SBC, which is a combination of several baby bells from AT&T's government mandated breakup in the 80's, and Bell South, which is the last baby bell standing that hasn't been bought out or undergone radical changes, have been partners in Cingular Wireless. Cingular Wireless purchased AT&T Wireless last year. Well, now it is all AT&T again. 8O You can see more about the whole ordeal here.
AT&T Inc. said Sunday it will acquire smaller rival BellSouth Corp. for $67 billion in stock, in an apparent bid for total control of their growing joint venture, Cingular Wireless LLC. The deal would substantially expand the reach of AT&T, already the country's largest telecommunications company by the number of customers served."
Of course this requires FTC approval, and probably FCC approval as well, but I hope by now the government realizes how incredibly stupid the mandated breakup of AT&T was back then. No one can predict where any technology area is going, and other than Al Gore who was busy inventing the internet back then, no one was even dreaming of the fundamental shifts in our telecommunications that the internet and cellular services have wrought.
For those of you with Bell South landlines, expect to see all sorts of billing errors in the coming months as they try to switch you to whatever they dream up. :roll: Never before have I been so glad I kicked Bell South out of my house almost 2 years ago when we went with cable for the internet and cellular for our phone needs. I suspect those of you with Cingular Wireless though won't see many changes other than the logo. Hooray the Orange X Man is dead!
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03-06-2006, 06:51 AM
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Oracle
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 899
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How are they going to avoid the embarrassment of going from ATTWS (blue) to Cingular (orange) back to AT&T again?
Interesting how it'll dwarf Verizon as a whole. I'm not sure how it'll affect Sprint-Nextel, but won't it cause even more problems for T-Mobile (what with all the talk of triple-plays and quadruple-plays from these large combined companies)?
Quote:
http://news.com.com/2100-1037_3-6046081.html
AT&T said Sunday it will acquire fellow phone company BellSouth in a stock deal worth $67 billion, creating a telecommunications giant that dwarfs its nearest competitor Verizon Communications.
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AT&T's latest move will likely have repercussions throughout the industry. For example, it could force Verizon to make a play for Qwest Communications, the fourth surviving Baby Bell operating company.
Verizon announced its bid for long distance carrier MCI last year after SBC had announced its acquisition of AT&T. Verizon entered a bidding war with Qwest Communications , which offers local phone service and high-speed Internet access to customers in 14 western states. Eventually, Verizon paid $8.44 billion for the formerly bankrupt MCI .
AT&T's move to acquire BellSouth could also spur Verizon into action on the wireless front. Currently, it jointly owns Verizon Wireless with European carrier Vodafone. Verizon's CEO has mentioned on several occasions that he is interested in buying Vodafone's 45 percent stake in the wireless company.
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03-06-2006, 09:55 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,041
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Oh yes, and it's the same CRAPPY service too! 8O
I've been trying to work with SBC/ATT the last couple of weeks, trying to get a simple DSL working... It took a MONTH for them to get their act together. We can all expect phone rates to go up as well....
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03-06-2006, 12:42 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 429
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I'm sort of apathetic when it comes to Cingular. My phone works and I have a signal everywhere I need one, so I'm not really bothered. If I could jump I would, but staying with them doesn't bother me so much.
I too have kicked the landline to the curb. My experience with Verizon DSL was a flat disappointment, and I have no plans to use a telco for internet access again. Cable has always worked for me despite the fact that it always costs more. I definitely don't miss my landline. I was paying Verizon $50 a month for telemarketers to call me literally every 20 minutes, even though I had the call intercept. Somehow they still got through.
I can say I'm happy about the death of the orange x-man. Something about that whole advertising campaign really creeped me out. The one commercial which featured sort of an ultra-sound where several of those things were seen in a womb disturbed me for some reason. Perhaps because my wife was pregnant at the time; I can't say. All I know is that commercial was very revolting to me.
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Current devices: iPhone 3G. Previous devices: Samsung Epix and 1st gen 32GB iPod Touch BlackJack II, iPaq 6945, iPaq hx4705, Dell Axim x30 high, iPaq 3765.
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03-06-2006, 01:49 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 147
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The announcement of the BellSouth purchase raises a few questions for me (which are pretty obvious).
How in the world is the FCC going to approve this after the "Bell Breakup" of the 80s? I just don't see how they could justify it - but then again, I've learned never to be shocked by anything in the industry these days.
I ditched my SBC landline a couple of years ago for Comcast cable Internet and Vonage phone service & haven't looked back. The Comcast will be ditched as soon as someone sparks up the fiber that is now run to my curb. 
Suckular is my cell provider but that may not be the case for long regardless of what name/logo/icon is on the bill each month.
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Clinton Fitch ~ MVP-Mobile DevicesPrincipalClinton Fitch (Dot) Com!
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03-06-2006, 02:25 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 87
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THE WOOL HAS BEEN PULLED OVER ALL OF YOUR EYES!
HAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Now back to you�
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03-06-2006, 02:31 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,520
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by clintonfitchdotcom
How in the world is the FCC going to approve this after the "Bell Breakup" of the 80s? I just don't see how they could justify it - but then again, I've learned never to be shocked by anything in the industry these days.
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Some would argu that this new ATT is not a monopoly in any particular market they compete in.
On another not, as one of the few ATTWS hold outs, I knew I was making the right decision. :wink:
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Phone: Nexus one Backup Phone: AT&T Samsung Jack; Future Phone: I'm Watching WP7; Media Player: Platinum Zune HD 32GB; Home Server: HP MediaSmart Server LX195 Console: XBox 360, PS3, Wii |
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03-06-2006, 02:37 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 24
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Cingular or AT&T(WS)
I must have missed something. Where is the information that Cingular would go back to the AT&T branding for wireless? :?:
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03-06-2006, 03:58 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 57
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Re: Cingular Users, You Are AT&T Again
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
Of course this requires FTC approval, and probably FCC approval as well, but I hope by now the government realizes how incredibly stupid the mandated breakup of AT&T was back then. No one can predict where any technology area is going, and other than Al Gore who was busy inventing the internet back then, no one was even dreaming of the fundamental shifts in our telecommunications that the internet and cellular services have wrought.
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Without the breakup of AT&T in 1984, we would not have the communications systems we have today. Prior to the breakup, there was basically only one place where you could buy a telephone for your house and it cost more than a cheap phone from Walmart cost today. Local and long distance services were far more expensive than they are now.
Business were at the mercy of AT&T. They only communication service available were those offered by AT&T. The 4800 baud modem was a premier service for many years and there really wasn't anything new on the horizon. Opening up the comminications world to competition drove new services at cheaper rates. The laws of supply and demand apply very well here.
No doubt that other technology would have driven AT&T to make changes but would they have been as quickly brought to market? Would they be at a price that the average homeowner could afford them? Probably not.
The breakup was messy and created problems but the alternative would have been worse.
Rob
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03-06-2006, 04:54 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 316
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Re: Cingular Users, You Are AT&T Again
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Originally Posted by robshobs
No doubt that other technology would have driven AT&T to make changes but would they have been as quickly brought to market? Would they be at a price that the average homeowner could afford them? Probably not.
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While no analogy is ever perfect, IBM once had near-complete control over personal computing. Their "monopoly" was never judicially broken up, but their field nevertheless developed and expanded at a phenomenal rate... and in the process placed a tremendous amount of pressure on the telecommunications industry (hmmmm). IBM, once appearing as invincible as AT&T, is now engulfed in a sea of competition and wields less influence than many of its much younger rivals. You say the breakup was better than any alternative. I ask if North America would still lag Europe and Asia in wireless technology today if resources spent on that mess had instead stayed where they belonged.
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