whichwayup.org

01/12/07 09:52 PM: Cingular to become AT&T, again

So lately I’ve been doing a lot of research into cell phone companies and plans, as my contract with Cingular expires next month. I haven’t decided what I want to do, but it threw me for a loop to hear that Cingular will once again be rebranded as AT&T

As you may recall, back in 2004, Cingular purchased AT&T Wireless and rebranded everything under the Cingular name. I was a former AT&T Wireless customer who unfortunately thought it would be neat to get another new phone and signed a 2-year contract with Cingular right after the merger. I got a new phone (which has since broken) but lost many of the nice features of AT&T (such as unlimited incoming text messages).

Anyhow, back to 2006, and in December the new “AT&T” (a rebranding of SBC Communications) acquires BellSouth (part of Cingular) and now owns Cingular. I realize this is difficult to understand, and at first glance it somehow looks like Cingular bought itself and changed it’s name.

I invite you to read Cingular’s entry in Wikipedia for a better explanation.

Starting next week, AT&T will begin to assimilate Cingular, starting with an aggressive advertising campaign. I don’t know what impact the change will have on pricing, and the changeover isn’t expected to be completed until mid-year. Just in time for the iPhone.

I’ll probably just end up staying with Cingular/AT&T, but we’ll see. It’s frustrating to keep track of this, not to mention all sorts of questions surrounding the dubious nature of AT&T quickly on the road to being the #1 telecommunications company in America (again).

A side note, though, Cingular Wireless has been recognized for excellence as a union employer. Verizon, on the other hand, was singled out as being very union-unfriendly.