Well said WirelessWizard. However about the name changing and branding: while very confusing, if it could have been done differently, it would have. Remember Cingular used to be owned by SBC communications (60%) and BellSouth (40%). SBC wanted to purchase old AT&T for some time, but with old AT&T having a finacial intrest in AT&T wireless, it would prove to be a conflict of intrest to be finacially backing opposing wireless carriers. So they had to purchase AT&T wireless first. In that agreement they only had rights to the AT&T wireless name for 6 mths after purchase, hence the branding plan to Cingular. Some time Later SBC purchases the old AT&T as planned and keeping the better brand equity in the AT&T name, they create the new AT&T. a few months later the "new AT&T" (which is really SBC communications with a new name) buys out its partner BellSouth. Now Cingular is owned 100% by one communications company "The New AT&T". Bundling all of the New AT&T's communications services under one name, only makes sense. So while very confusing, and some might think a waste of about 500 million to fully rebrand Cingular. It was a ness. evil.
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Well said WirelessWizard. However about the name changing and branding: while very confusing, if it could have been done differently, it would have. Remember Cingular used to be owned by SBC communications (60%) and BellSouth (40%). SBC wanted to purchase old AT&T for some time, but with old AT&T having a finacial intrest in AT&T wireless, it would prove to be a conflict of intrest to be finacially backing opposing wireless carriers. So they had to purchase AT&T wireless first. In that agreement they only had rights to the AT&T wireless name for 6 mths after purchase, hence the branding plan to Cingular. Some time Later SBC purchases the old AT&T as planned and keeping the better brand equity in the AT&T name, they create the new AT&T. a few months later the "new AT&T" (which is really SBC communications with a new name) buys out its partner BellSouth. Now Cingular is owned 100% by one communications company "The New AT&T". Bundling all of the New AT&T's communications services under one name, only makes sense. So while very confusing, and some might think a waste of about 500 million to fully rebrand Cingular. It was a ness. evil.