RSSNo Longer Cingular, The Transition Begins to AT&T
By Scott M. Fulton, III | Published January 12, 2007, 11:44 AM
Proving that Apple will indeed have to change at least one name on its iPhone advertising in the immediate future, Cingular announced today what many analysts had expected: The company waited until after CES to begin changing its division name to AT&T.
In a press release this morning, the newly merged entity stated that, in coming weeks, television advertising will feature Cingular's "Jack" logo doing such gracious things as writing the AT&T globe logo in the sky, and directing a troupe of harvesting tools as they cut the globe logo into a wheat field, next to Cingular's subsidiary "five bars" logo. AT&T's new slogan for now, for its wireless division, will be "Raising It Higher" - the "it," in this case, referring to "The Bar," which was prominent in former Cingular ads.
The merged branding represents the closing of a strange and awkward loop that is the short but eventful history of AT&T Wireless - a phrase which will curiously not be used to describe the new wireless division of The New AT&T.
In 1994, AT&T Corp. purchased the assets of what was then one of the US' up-and-coming cellular carriers, McCaw Cellular, for $11.5 billion. It then took that company's two million subscriber base - which back then was a fair sum - and grew it into the nation's largest cellular service, and by 1997, the best rated.
To compete, former AT&T regional Bell carriers (RBOC) BellSouth and SBC joined their efforts together to create Cingular Wireless; while RBOCs NYNEX and Bell Atlantic and former AT&T competitor GTE merged to create Verizon, and then joined forces with the European telecom company Vodafone to create Verizon Wireless. Both new entities surpassed AT&T Wireless in both customer base and customer service, in an incredibly short period of time.
While AT&T Wireless regrouped and started what seemed to be a workable catch-up plan in 2002, a new federal rule allowed customers of one carrier service to switch to another with a guarantee that they could keep their earlier mobile phone numbers. The law triggered a mass exodus, with Verizon Wireless and Cingular welcoming the emigres. In 2003, after the death of AT&T's beloved former chairman and corporate conscience, Charles R. Brown, new leadership decided to break up the company yet again. AT&T Wireless was spun off, originally to retain its identity. But in a $41 billion takeover the very next year, Cingular acquired AT&T Wireless.
What goes around - especially around that AT&T globe logo - comes around. Conceivably using some of the assets gained through the sale of AT&T Wireless, last year, the newly merged AT&T, Inc. - the former AT&T Corp., acquired by its Baby Bell, SBC - placed a bid to acquire BellSouth. That deal was given the final green light by the FCC just two weeks ago.
As current AT&T Inc. chairman Ed Whitacre said this morning, "AT&T, BellSouth and Cingular are now one company, and going to market with our services under one brand is the right thing to do." As the 1984 breakup of the original AT&T has been credited with spawning the Era of Communications Convergence, today's move is evidently in that same spirit.
Blue, orange, blue...make up your minds! And get some decent phones for crying out loud..even Verizon has superior mobiles now (although their crippled beyond belief).
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|I probably shouldn't have gotten that "Jack" tattoo on my ass.
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|At least it was in the right place...
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|Well, what goes around, comes around. Strange, a few short years ago, Cingular had a mediocre reputation on quality and customer service. Of course AT&T Wireless was at the absolute bottom of the list for wireless carriers at the time. To have these carriers merge and become the largest was no big surprise, but the transformation from mediocre service and support to fairly respected took a great deal of work in a short time.
Yeah, they have coverage issues in some areas, but hey all carriers do - whether you experience it or not. Traditionally the 1900 GSM band used in the US are rather poor for penetrating buildings so both Cingular and T-Mobile have issues with this problem depending on the structure of the building and the proximity of the closest tower. However, the new 850 band will help to solve this as it is rolled out (the old AT&T was on an 800 TDMA band).
For nostalgia's sake, it's nice to see 'ma bell' around yet. Kind of like I expect to see IBM around in one form or another for the rest of my life - don't know why, 'cause I don't use their products much.
-Rick
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|Their TDMA band is hardly old, it's still their biggest coverage area :/
Hopefully AT&T managment will "fix" the now extremely tardy GSM rollout. If they do, I might consider switching from sprint
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|If they change the name you can cancel your contract without paying the fees. You will have one month for that.
But if you pay your bill after the change of name you will have agree to change and you will have to pay the fees to cancel your contract.
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|That's not accurate. If memory serves, that's what the class action suit was about. I would have loved to get out from under them, but they wouldn't allow it. Not without the Early Term fee.
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|Hmmm...Since Southwestern Bell already owned Cingular before acquiring AT&T and adopting the name...
I can understand their desire to rebrand. From the negatives that Southwestern Bell 'had' to the wonderful positives of the AT&T trademark that went from being the world's most recognized brand to a mismanaged and failed entity.
I can see why SWB overpaid for essentially a customer list and a name and a incompatible duplicate network...
Yep, it's an improvement for SWB/Cingular.
And Cingular service is great?!?
You must not need to make many calls from within buildings! And I am referring to the situation within the DFW Metroplex - not out in the 'outback'! If you are happy with their service (I dumped it), you must be very easily pleased. Enjoy.
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|Cingular (and AT&T Wireless before the merger) has the highest quality and most reliable network in the USA. If you want bad service all the way around then go with Verizon. Even T-Mobile (with their smaller network) has better quality of service on their network and better customer service than Verizon Wireless.
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|It was great as I sat in my car, using the vehicle as a sympathetic antenna in order to adequately boost signal strength!
Unfortunately that wasn't very convenient as I attempted to do business in the greater Dallas area.
I am glad that some poll or commercial says that.
Experience did not.
Nor does it explain why a company with such 'wonderful' metrics and perceived quality of service would change their name to a company with decidedly less attractive associated quality of service.
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|I've tried VoiceStream (Years ago, I belive is now T-Mobile) SprinT, and Verizon. Of the three, I have had the best service with Verizon. Sprint's customer service was average, it seemed to depend on who I reached on the other end of the telephone. My coverage was dismal, but the local techs claimed that it was because most of my usage was on a large military instalation that the techs claimed would not alow cell towers, which I am unable to dispute, so I will give them the benifit of doubt, (even though my co-workers Verizon phone worked fine). I have been with Verizon for 2 years from east coast to west coast and have found almost no area where I cannot get a signal (The exceptin being in the backwoods of Pennsylvania where I couldn't get any signal, for obvious reason). All three companies seemed to take the same long wait to get someone on the phone, but I have come to expect that with any customer service these days. So far, Verizon seems to have the most knowledgeable people, if you get the right one on the phone, or in the store. I can't really say much for VoiceStream / T-Mobile, as that was many years ago. (The VoiceStream name should give that away ;->)
My contract with Verizon is up, and now the decision is weather to try ATT / Cingular or get a new Verizon Phone. I'm trying to decide between the Motorola Q or the Treo 700p/w. Verizon will give me the Q as an upgrade for free after rebates / new every 2.
Decisions Decisions Decisions
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|When I was in Dallas, TX about a year ago I had full bars and perfect call quality on my Motorola V551 phone. Now I have an LG CU500 HSPDA phone through Cingular and this phone gets perfect call quality even when it shows Cingular on the screen with no signal bars. The only time the LG CU500 phone has had no signal bars (but still had perfect call quality) is in a few isolated areas in Portland, Oregon. Otherwise I've had full signal bars throughout Salt Lake City, UT and Las Vegas with the LG phone.
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|I had wireless service with AT&T about 3 years ago and their customer service was terrible at best and service was sketchy, then they changed to Cingular and everything has been great, great service, great reception, no dropped calls.
Life was good so I signed a new contract two months ago and now the announce they will be changing back to AT&T! If everything goes down hill again I will happily pay the fee to end my contract early.
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|In theory, it's just a name change. But since I had the exact opposite experience in 2003, I can't help but think you may be right -- it's name changes that cause awful things to happen in mobileland.
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|In the Bay Area, I was on ATT Wireless, and then switched to Cingular with the merger. Coverage seems to be about the same. Can't speak for service, but call quality was better on ATT. Also, Cingular does not seem to work too well inside, but outside its usually fine. (Similar to comment from DFW Metro)
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|I have been a AT&T customer since 1999, I did not change my plan when they became Cingular, and my phone still has the AT&T label on it.
For work, I have the Blackberry Pearl with T-Mobile. Their signal is poor in So Cal. Prior to switching my cell service to T-Mobile, I had a Sprint phone. Their service was better, but not much. Some of my colleagues have Verizon, their service is not bad in our area.
I'm not a fanboy of any provider, so I can say this without being a fanboy....
In Southern California, AT&T has the best coverage of any of the services that I have had.
I also have traveled to just about every other state, including AL and HI, in which my AT&T coverage has not had any issues.
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