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 | clark252
join:2000-04-16
San Jose, CA | Re: Scrapping Cingular name good idea Ah, AT&T Wireless. Use of that brand will bring back some fond memories of great service and support (NOT).
I suspect the public's memory is not all that short. | |
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| | nonner9
join:2005-10-14
Charlotte, NC
| Re: Scrapping Cingular name good idea i still remember getting double billed which cause an overdraft protection fee, and then that cause my account to go negative, so I had $35 dollars in extra fees to pay, which ATT/Cingular decided wasn't their fault and wouldn't reimburse me, which was surprising since my contract ended 10 days later, of course I didn't renew it, but I probably would have, if they had fixed their mistake...
Yes, I'm bashing ATT/Cingular... and if I can keep a few people from not doing business with them, then it will make me feel better knowing that ATT/Cingular screwed themselves a little bit by having poor customer service
So, doesn't ATT Wireless have more recognition for poor customer service, than cingular? | |
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| | | the niTz
Premium
join:2004-07-05
Sahuarita, AZ
 ·Cox HSI
| Re: Scrapping Cingular name good idea yea ur telling me i liked att wireless but with the change to cingular my bill went up 10 bucks for no reason and then when i cancelled it cause my contract expired they billed me for not using my phone the following month ??? called them and talked calmly (yea right) with 5 reps and 2 supervisors who finally talked to someone above them and got the ok to credit my account and not charge me and this month i got another bill for 10 bucks called them again and the first rep credited me right away hope its over   | |
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NPGMBR
join:2001-03-28
Arlington, VA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Re: Scrapping Cingular name good idea I guess I was furtunate as my ATT Wireless service was flawless. Never a dropped call when they switched to GSM. But like a dummy I switched to Verizon last Dec and despite Verizon's every popular (can you hear me now) my moto would be "dammit.....dropped another one".
After two year contract is done. I'm going right back to ATT. | |
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tiger72
SexaT duorP
Premium
join:2001-03-28
Kansas City, MO
clubs: | Re: Scrapping Cingular name good idea come to t-mobile  | |
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| | | | | the niTz
Premium
join:2004-07-05
Sahuarita, AZ | att was good cingular isnt
sprint is decent | |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | Re: Scrapping Cingular name good idea I still have an AT&TWS phone (and plan).
I wonder how that will work out  | |
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metrodust
Hey Thats Mine
join:1999-12-10
Seattle, WA
| Re: Scrapping Cingular name good idea said by en102  :I still have an AT&TWS phone (and plan). I wonder how that will work out your service shouldnt change
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When you are leaving.. heaven is a distance not a place. --Carissas Weird | |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ | Cingular bites here. even with 4 bars, dropped calls are very common.
--
You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth | |
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| | | | | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| said by NPGMBR :After two year contract is done. I'm going right back to ATT. Why wait? Pay the term fee and move along! They don't learn otherwise that their fees can't stop people.
Why continue to pay for sub par service to avoid the cancellation fee just because there is a "contract" remaining. Sounds like you are not thinking in the right direction. If you had 8 months left and you pay $65 - $85 a month for service (or what ever) then you are spenind that amount for service that sucks.
Makes no sense to let the term fee stop you. | |
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| | | DSII
join:2005-11-21
Slinger, WI | I'm sure the amount of people you inform about the at&t billing system and the fact that they would leave, will bring at&t to their KNEES. By the looks of your bank account, that can't be too many people. Ha Ha at&t RISES AGAIN!!! | |
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Phattieg
join:2001-04-29
Jacksonville, FL
 ·Verizon Wireless B..
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| My credit is screwed up, and I won't pay a deposit if I can't "own" the phone they give me up front. So I went with AT&T GoPhone, and kept my plan thru the merger. I love hearing people complain about the new GoPhone rates. Here is a before and after comparison. Before, I would pay $43.99 a month for 400 anytime minutes, free nights & weekends, free incoming text messages, and $.01 per KB. Now, anyone new going on that plan has to pay $.10 per text message, only gets 1000 night and weekend minutes, and $.03 per KB. The plan is also more expensive too, I think they charge $49 for it. I just add minutes every 2 months to keep the plan. Gotta love it... | |
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| | | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Re: Scrapping Cingular name good idea You guys are shining examples of what SBC is thinking.
AT&T is *JUST A NAME* sitting on top of SBC, the company.
I can call myself AT&T but does that make me the AT&T we all know?
If they keep the BUSINESS PRACTICES of AT&T, then that's another story.
But, if they think that the AT&T name will bring more business, I think they are wrong. People fled AT&T for copetition and the numbers show. They may gain recognition for the business world, but that's about it.
They should probably take the same path as Sprint & Nextel did with the Nextel name as a product line of Sprint. SBC, if they were smart, would stay SBC as the "company" and keep AT&T as a product name for business and enterprise services. | |
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| | | nonner9
join:2005-10-14
Charlotte, NC | Re: Scrapping Cingular name good idea i really haven't had any trouble with the actual service, aside from some spotty coverage here and there, but i choose to spend my money where a customer can be treated with some respect, which is not what i got from att wireless or cingular. | |
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N3OGH
Will it all be Obama's fault now?
Premium
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| I had a bad experience in with AT&T a while ago when I still had POTS. I don't care if they were selling the cure for the common cold and a machine that could turn tap water into gasoline, all in one. If it hat their name on it, I wouldn't touch it! | |
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| | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| said by clark252 :Ah, AT&T Wireless. Use of that brand will bring back some fond memories of great service and support (NOT). I suspect the public's memory is not all that short. NOTHING with the name AT&T will ever be graced with me as a customer.
When Media One became AT&T I went back to satellite. When they became comcast, I switched back.
I won't use their cellular, local, long distance, ANYTHING.
That company is a horrible shell of a business model gone wrong. They never respected their customer's wishes in regards to their over bearing marketing and their 7 am telemarketing calls. They have a history of, once you are a customer, of making you SPEAK to a computer for customer assistance. Ever tried getting an actual person (even from india) on the phone to get billing help - especially when their billing system would scew up all the time?
I know it's SBC taking the AT&T name, but in my view, AT&T WAS a good company at one time, but in their latter years was nothing more than the borg.
In today's world, I don't think the name matters as much any more. People aren't as stupid as the corporations give them credit.
The AT&T name did every thing possible to remove the two words, customer and service, from each other. Their attitude was that as long as they build a solid network, it would work - and no need to support customer because it was always THEIR fault anyway. (And then they built bug filled billing systems, and scam services) | |
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| grumpygeek
join:2004-12-14
Houston, TX
| But... they are recognized for being the worst possible communications company around! Yeah, a few of us older folks remember the day when AT&T was truly Ma Bell, the company that led the way to new technologies, had world-class customer service, and was expensive - but worth it.
That was 20+ years ago, though. Now, when I think of AT&T, I think of fraudulant billing, "stuffing", slamming, oversubscribed cell networks, FCC complaints, botched product development and releases, inept management, and bad investments.
This is just plain stupid. I used to regard SBC as a good investment, if not a good supplier. Now I seriously question their judgement. | |
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biggbrother
Premium
join:2001-11-07
Providence, RI
| I don't think it makes any sense. They spent millions on an AD campaign to inform the public that Cingular was formerly AT&T wireless. Now their going to do the same to make Cingular to AT&T Wireless?
In the meantime, companies like Verizon Wireless to continue to gain marketshare with a consistent message of a better quality network. "Can you hear me now?" | |
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Bill Bagg
@comcast.n | So this means So does this mean that the BellSouth states will sell the service as Cingular and other states will sell it as AT&T Wireless?
Bill | |
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schweb
Premium
join:2003-06-27
Lakewood, OH
 ·AT&T CallVantage
| Re: So this means No I think it will be AT&T everywhere. When I read the article BellSouth was not fighting the name conversion and decided that anything that helps sell the service is good for BellSouth.
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bryan | voipboards.net | |
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cooperaaaron
join:2004-04-10
Rockford, IL
·AT&T Yahoo
edit:
November 21st, @11:23AM
| The new logo.... looks 3D to me..... | |
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vliktor
join:2005-07-27
Philippines | Re: The new logo.... Now it looks more & more like the Death Star. | |
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FTCXtreme
join:2005-03-14
New Braintree, MA
| Now if only someone can photoshop in AT&T | |
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dogtech
Let Us Build It
join:2002-06-08
Monroe, MI | Re: The new logo.... Please somebody photoshop the att stripes on the deathstar! | |
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| | | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
edit:
November 21st, @05:05PM
| Re: The new logo.... It shall be done. | |
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bigunk
Gort, Klattu Birada Nikto
join:2001-02-10
Santa Clarita, CA |  Re: The new logo....
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
| said by fiberguy :It shall be done. Reach out and crush someone...
Thank you for using at&t!
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008! | |
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FTCXtreme
join:2005-03-14
New Braintree, MA | Thats mint. BBR should use that as their new AT&T picture for the news about em. | |
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meskinct
This space for rent
Premium
join:2002-01-07
Danbury, CT
clubs:
·Comcast
| New Logo The new log is in. Big whoop. | |
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CO_Chris
Premium
join:2001-08-28
Broomfield, CO | where is the new logo? i thought they are going to show it today? | |
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| cooperaaaron
join:2004-04-10
Rockford, IL | Re: where is the new logo? Look up !!  | |
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CO_Chris
Premium
join:2001-08-28
Broomfield, CO | you 2 are to fast for me oh well | |
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sempergoofy
Premium
join:2001-07-06
Smyrna, GA
·AT&T Southeast
edit:
November 21st, @11:28AM
| Bad idea One of the reasons I went with Cingular many years ago was because of all of the bad experiences I have had with AT&T in various businesses. AT&T brings a bad taste to my mouth.
"Brand" people in businesses are the biggest and most disruptive force to productive work. "Ok everybody! Change all your documentation so that it conforms with (fill in blank) which is our new brand name."
--
nohup rm -fr /& | |
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See 9 replies to this post |
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| | 
brandon
Some truth included in this post.
Premium
join:2003-03-31
Hurley, MS
·AT&T Southeast
·CableOne
·Packet8
| Re: Hilarious said by r81984 :There is this testing/marketing website for cingular wireless called cingulartrendforce.com I just checked atttrendforce.com is still not registered and up for grabs. Someone could register it now and maybe make some good money selling it to them. It's mine now. | |
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| | | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Re: Hilarious That was a worthless purchase.
You obviously don't know much about the laws of internet domains and registering them "just because" or you hope to profit on them.
Good luck in your sale, if they ever want it - and won't. The most you will ever get for it is market value, or about $35.00. That is, unless you plan on establishing a web presence there with a legit operation. If AT&T really wanted that domain they could hurt you financially so bad, just for fun, that you'd never want to hear the word domain registration again.
Sorry, but domain squatters like you make me sick! 
Oh yea, and you just exposed all your personal information to everyone here on BBR too!
Good reading here: »www.ivanhoffman.com | |
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vincom
join:2005-02-01
Wayne, NJ
| Finally! Many people have wanted this to happen, and well it finally has! AT&T is still the one of the top 5 most valuable names in the WORLD, the proper marketing can definately make this a success - many people miss the customer service ATTWS provided, 24H people to talk to, people who knew what they were doing, and fairly considerate policies.
The fact Bell South doesn't openly stand against this name change is an indicator if the "New AT&T" were to try and buy them they wouldn't say no...
-Vincent | |
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Hangmn
Don't Fight It...It's Inevitable
Premium
join:2000-04-08
Philadelphia, PA | OMFG Can I get out of my contract now????????????
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»hangmn.com | |
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See 7 replies to this post |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | First Impression Ed Whitacre waves his hand in front of us and says... this isn't the cell phone company you're looking for.
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008! | |
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qdemn7
Smurf in My Loop
Premium
join:2003-09-16
Fort Worth, TX | At it again.... This is just more marketing ***holes at it again. | |
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jblake
join:2003-06-28
Birmingham, AL
| MBAs all around the world shed a tear This is crazy. All the money they have invested in the goodwill of the cingular brand (basically goodwill is the monetary value of brand recognition and reputation) is getting thrown out the window. I'm sure the SBC/ATT deal wasn't really in the works when cingular bought ATTWS, and I know ATTWS was a separate company from ATT, but they should have thought this out before doing all this name swapping. I think its really going to have a bad effect in the short term while long term it won't make a lick of difference | |
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kalphearion
In nomine Patri
Premium
join:2003-11-08
Denver, CO
clubs: | The att death star is back Here we go again, let the 2nd round begin! | |
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JoeyDee
Premium
join:2004-07-23
Las Vegas, NV
·Comcast
| There is nothing new in this world... Let's see if I can remember all of this...
I started with the old pac bell mobile phones before cellular. Then got a cell phone from Cellular One when is was owned by McCaw Cellular who used GTE's cell net to begin their service. Cellular one sold to AT&T Wireless who sold to Cingular who was mostly owned by SBC who used to be Pac Bell. Now SBC bought AT&T so I'm kind of back where I started in 1980.... I think....
I have all that right?
Does Ted Kennedy know about this?
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| BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Everett, MA
clubs: | Re: There is nothing new in this world... Yeah i think he does and he wants to take you for a car ride on the cape | |
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N3OGH
Will it all be Obama's fault now?
Premium
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs | Re: There is nothing new in this world... Oh SHIT, where's my life jacket.
At least if my cellular phone works, I can call the cops. Ol' Teddy won't call, that's for sure!!! | |
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taar
join:2000-11-21 | AT&T rises again! I love that name. Great to see it make a comeback. | |
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inzomniaq
join:2003-01-12
Houston, TX
| SBC Wireless, ATT Wireless, Houston Cellular, Cing Ay yay yay...
If my memory serves me right, I believe once upon a time SBC had their own wireless service before they acquired Pac Bell, Ameritech, etc.
I believe they sold their wireless service to ATT and it became part of ATTs overall wireless network.
Then ATT wireless, I believe, sold its Texas service area to Houston Cellular.
Houston Cellular sold out to Cingular, co-owned by SBC and Bell South. A few years later ATT broke off its wireless division, which then expanded back into Texas, or maybe the other way around?
Then Cingular acquires ATT Wireless, still being owned by SBC and Bell South.
Then SBC acquires the non-wireless part of ATT, so in effect, it has all of and/or at least co-owns what ATT was, at least just before the ATT/ATT Wireless split?
Then SBC renames itself to ATT. Kinda makes ya wonder why the hell ATT/ATT Wireless split to begin with.
Now Cingular may, at least in some markets, adopt the ATT brand?
So what did all of this merger/breakup/re-merger nonsense get any of us? What did it give the shareholders of any of the above named corporations? Or were the CEOs and lawyers involved in the above transactions the only beneficiaries of these head-spinning decisions?
I'm sure I have my time-line screwed up some or some key details missing and I hope someone does correct my storyline, but I'm sure even when my time/story line is corrected, it still leaves ones head spinning like mad.
Seems like a crazy shell game with other people's money. | |
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roamer1
sticking it out at you
join:2001-03-24
Atlanta, GA
clubs:
·VoicePulse Connect
·Teliax VOIP
·Speed Factory
·Cingular Wireless
| Re: SBC Wireless, ATT Wireless, Houston Cellular, said by inzomniaq :Ay yay yay... If my memory serves me right, I believe once upon a time SBC had their own wireless service before they acquired Pac Bell, Ameritech, etc. I believe they sold their wireless service to ATT and it became part of ATTs overall wireless network. Then ATT wireless, I believe, sold its Texas service area to Houston Cellular. Houston Cellular sold out to Cingular, co-owned by SBC and Bell South. A few years later ATT broke off its wireless division, which then expanded back into Texas, or maybe the other way around? Southwestern Bell Mobile (which also took over Comcast Metrophone in Philly, and operated as CellOne in Chicago and Boston) and SNET/Linx in Connecticut became part of Cingular outright.
Ameritech Cellular was mostly sold to GTE (because of overlap between SBMS and Ameritech Cellular in Chicago...SBC had to sell one or the other when they took over Ameritech) and became part of Verizon Wireless.
The situation with PacBell is much more complicated: the original PacTel Cellular, way back when before SBC took over PacBell, got spun off into AirTouch, who merged with Vodafone and combined their domestic systems with Bell Atlantic's and GTE's systems (and the systems owned by PrimeCo, which was a JV of AirTouch and BA) to form Verizon Wireless. PacBell, under SBC, later came back into the wireless business with Pacific Bell Mobile, which became part of Cingular. The original PBMS network was sold to T-Mobile as part of the dissolution of their CA/NV network sharing arrangement; Cingular customers in CA/NV now primarily use the old AWS network...which used to be L.A. Cellular, a partnership of McCaw/AWS and BellSouth.
Houston Cellular was controlled by BellSouth up until they became part of Cingular; I don't remember if McCaw/AWS or SBC ever owned part of Houston Cellular or not.
I agree this "AT&T to Cingular and back again" idea is nuts...it will lead to mass confusion and frustration. I went through something like this a few years ago, when Comcast sold the cable system serving northern DeKalb County, GA (where I lived at the time) to AT&T Broadband only for it to become Comcast again a couple of years later.
-SC
--
"it seems like all you ever buy is Abercrombie and cell phones" --a friend | |
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gteman
@dsl-w.verizon
| Re: SBC Wireless, ATT Wireless, Houston Cellular, most of GTE wireless divisions were force to sell off in the Verizon/Verizon Wireless merger.
Alltel bought most of the GTE markets and cingular picked up the rest.
When ATTWS and Cingular merger and the fcc force the sell off of some overlaping markets alot happended to be in old gte areas alltel again bought markets, like OKC. | |
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roamer1
sticking it out at you
join:2001-03-24
Atlanta, GA
clubs:
·VoicePulse Connect
·Teliax VOIP
·Speed Factory
·Cingular Wireless
edit:
November 21st, @08:48PM
| Re: SBC Wireless, ATT Wireless, Houston Cellular, said by gteman :
most of GTE wireless divisions were force to sell off in the Verizon/Verizon Wireless merger.
Alltel bought most of the GTE markets and cingular picked up the rest. Went to Alltel: Tampa, Cleveland, Mobile/Pensacola; BAM's network in Phoenix was also divested to Alltel
Went to AWS/Cingular: Austin/San Antonio, San Diego, Seattle (PCS)
Went to VoiceStream/T-Mobile: Cincinnati/Dayton (PCS)
Unbuilt PCS license sold to Powertel/VS/T-Mobile: Atlanta (this predates VZW by several years, but is interesting in that GTE Mobilnet had their HQ here in Atlanta at the time yet divested anyway; that'd be like USCC dumping Chicago)
In all of the above markets, AirTouch or PrimeCo networks were kept, *even when they were inferior* such as in Tampa and Mobile (VZW has improved Tampa, but Mobile is still terrible, and is arguably one of VZW's worst markets.)
Ex-GTE markets that are still VZW: the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky (Lou/Lex), northern/central Alabama, San Francisco/Santa Rosa/Ukiah, Houston, Bakersfield/Fresno, Indianapolis/most of Indiana, Richmond (Alltel Richmond is ex-BellSouth, not ex-GTE), Oregon, Hawaii, Chicago (ex-Ameritech market that went to GTE and not SBC), St. Louis (ex-Ameritech market that went to GTE and not SBC)
-SC
--
"it seems like all you ever buy is Abercrombie and cell phones" --a friend | |
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| | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| I went through something like this a few years ago, when Comcast sold the cable system serving northern DeKalb County, GA (where I lived at the time) to AT&T Broadband only for it to become Comcast again a couple of years later. -SC
You're not the only one that went through the comcast-dance. In Sacramento, we went from the originating cable operator of Sacramento Cable to Comcast in 1996 then to AT&T Broadband then back to Comcast. (A side note, the system started as Cable Vision of Sacramento and was called that for about a day before coming Sacramento Cable)
Seems that AT&T has a SERIOUS identity crises. The only problem is with all this - AT&T, as we KNEW it, doesn't exist any more. AT&T is GONE! SBC just has a new recycled name; and not a very good one. | |
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insomniac84
join:2002-01-03
Schererville, IN
edit:
November 21st, @12:32PM
| This is stupid They made everyone who had att wireless switch over to cingular when they bought out att wireless and now everyone is going back to it.
Not the mention that att wireless was falling apart at the time and I wouldn't trust anything under its name. Also that means they just wasted a crap load of money advertising cingular over the past 2 years. They should have just taken the name from the initial buy out. | |
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Heterman
Premium
join:2004-02-28
Fayetteville, AR
| Re: This is stupid said by insomniac84 :They made everyone who had att wireless switch over to cingular when they bought out att wireless and now everyone is going back to it. They didn't make me change. Actually, they didn't make anyone change; you made the change for yourself if you wanted a new phone, features, etc. | |
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Fatal Vector
@aol.com
| Re: This is stupid
I just stayed with the AT&T wireless plan I had, since it was $10 less than anything I could get from Cingular. The only real changes for me were now my phone says Cingular on the display and my bill says cingular.
I dumped Sprint years ago because of their ripping me off for useage which was on their network, but they claimed was roaming and went to AT&T wireless, which has allways provided me with good service, without problems and still does as cingular.
I'm sure that now, once again, the only change will me my phone will say AT&T again, as will my bill. I'l keep the plan I have untill my Motorols phone dies, then, we'll see. | |
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Cingular Name Scrapped
Scrapping Cingular name good idea
