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News Article Correction: Cingular NOT changing its name to AT&T

Discussion in 'Wireless News' started by ComicalMoodyDan, Nov 21, 2005.

  1. ComicalMoodyDan

    ComicalMoodyDan Gold Senior Member
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    New AT&T planning wireless service using Cingular network
    By Dan Meyer
    Nov 21, 2005

    SAN ANTONIO-SBC Communications Inc. is reportedly planning to launch an AT&T branded wireless service that will use the network of SBC's current wireless joint venture, Cingular Wireless L.L.C. SBC's plans follow the closing last weekend of its $16 billion acquisition of AT&T Corp.

    Contrary to published reports, Cingular said it is not changing its name to AT&T.

    "We are continuing with the strong Cingular brand that we have spent the past five years building and promoting," said Cingular spokesman Clay Owen.

    SBC's chairman and chief executive officer Ed Whitacre said in an interview over the weekend that Cingular would drop its brand name for the AT&T brand in most of its markets. BellSouth Corp., which controls the 40 percent of Cingular, said in the story that it did not have any objections to the name change.

    Owen said Whitacre's comments were related to SBC-which changed its name to AT&T following the purchase-and its plans to launch an AT&T branded wireless service that it would sell in select markets using Cingular's network. Owen likened the set-up to Sprint Nextel Corp.'s extensive mobile virtual network operator agreements.

    Cingular was formed by the combination of SBC and BellSouth's wireless businesses in 2001 and quickly became the industry's second largest player, standing behind Verizon Wireless and ahead of AT&T Wireless Services Inc. Owen noted that when the Cingular venture was formed, both SBC and BellSouth reserved the right to launch separately branded wireless services.

    Cingular pushed past Verizon Wireless last year as the industry's largest operator following its $41 billion acquisition of AWS. However, as part of the agreement, Cingular was forced to sign away rights to the AT&T brand name back to AT&T, which had announced plans to launch a wireless service using Sprint Nextel CDMA network.

    AT&T then scuttled those plans earlier this year when SBC announced plans to acquire AT&T. AT&T said at the time it was still looking at launching an AT&T branded wireless service, but would instead use Cingular's network.

    Analysts have noted that the AT&T brand is one of the most recognized names in the world, and was the main reason SBC decided to change its name to AT&T following its acquisition.

    http://www.rcrnews.com/news.cms?newsId=24896
     
    #1 ComicalMoodyDan, Nov 21, 2005
  2. Yankees368

    Yankees368 Compulsive Signal Checker
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    GOOD! That would be a very dumb idea
     
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    #2 Yankees368, Nov 21, 2005
  3. Gideon H

    Gideon H Quase Três Anos Com WA!
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    WOW they responded quickly to the outpouring of bad responses to that...
     
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    #3 Gideon H, Nov 21, 2005
  4. jones

    jones Silver Senior Member
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    They realize it cost lots of Money
    to change Names.
     
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    #4 jones, Nov 21, 2005
  5. Andy

    Andy Diamond Senior Member
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    They did respond fast, but I was very surprised at them changing the Cingular name back to AT&T when I read other articles this morning.
     
    #5 Andy, Nov 21, 2005
  6. ShoresGuy

    ShoresGuy Euer WA Experte in Europa
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    It makes you wonder: What the heck for?!! What amazes me even more is that SBC wants to market an AT&T MVNO on Cingular in certain markets.
     
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    #6 ShoresGuy, Nov 21, 2005
  7. Critic

    Critic The Digital Ruler
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    There are people for whom the AT&T name still carries a lot of weight. That said, it does seem somewhat counter-intuitive to throw money (through promotion and branding, primarily) at a product that would have to, essentially, be Cingular dressed in its father's clothes. The only upside I see here is that the ATTWS MVNO allows the "new" AT&T (a/k/a the "old" SBC) to sell wireless to their wireline customers as a bundled product without 'competing' against Cingular.
     
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    #7 Critic, Nov 21, 2005
  8. KevinJames

    KevinJames WA's 1st retired mod
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    Actually, the focus is not concern over consumers like you and I at all. It is concern about the business customers.

    Well, we'll have to see. All the internal announcements at the new at&t are indeed pointing to renaming the company. Ed is CEO of of the new at&t and the "biggest" name in the company right now. So any other comments from other sources I would take with a grain of salt.

    And Mr. Clay Owen is no one in any position to challenge Mr. Ed. He is just a "media contact"

    http://www.cingular.com/about/latest_news/03_03_18
     
    #8 KevinJames, Nov 22, 2005
  9. Critic

    Critic The Digital Ruler
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    This just in - Generalismo Francisco Franco is STILL DEAD.

    Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow.

    =)
     
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    #9 Critic, Nov 22, 2005
  10. jones

    jones Silver Senior Member
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    will Generalismo Francisco Franco rise?
     
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    #10 jones, Nov 22, 2005
  11. Fire14

    Fire14 Easy,Cheap & Sleazy
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    I guess part of it had to do with AT&T was planning on selling a wireless service as an MVNO thru Sprint & I am sure SBC/AT&T are looking for people that want to go back to the AT&T name, even though it's service is Cingular and it would bring in more money for both companies if people do go this route.
    Also as critic stated, they can sell bundled services with the AT&T name depending on how they want to market it.

    I have been seeing alot of SBC commericals on TV lately (mainly on Spike TV), and as of Sunday they are mentioning they are now the new AT&T and the commercials talk about bundle service's.
     
    #11 Fire14, Nov 28, 2005
  12. bobolito

    bobolito Diamond Senior Member
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    Well, if they bundle AT&T MVNO with a VoIP service, they can count me in.
     
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    #12 bobolito, Nov 28, 2005
  13. Fire14

    Fire14 Easy,Cheap & Sleazy
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    Well since I have AT&T VoIP service already and an AT&T Landline, and am still a Blue customer, I am 75% there. :browani:
     
    #13 Fire14, Nov 28, 2005
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