Goodbye Cingular, Hello AT&T

Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:40AM EST

See Comments (23)

American wireless networks never cease to amaze and surprise, and starting yesterday, the latest twist in keeping up with the U.S. mobile industry started to spin: Cingular, a multi-billion dollar brand, is taking on the name of the company it recently purchased: AT&T.

IDG has the full story of how this all happened. Here's a refresher: A few years ago, AT&T spun off AT&T Wireless, which Cingular then purchased (roughly doubling its size overnight). SBC (which owned part of Cingular) bought AT&T, and changed its name to AT&T. Then the new AT&T bought BellSouth (which owned the rest of Cingular), and thus Ma Bell was reunited.

You may not even notice the change immediately, but ads touting both Cingular and AT&T have already begun to appear. There's no timeline for when the transition to the new name will be complete (or even if AT&T wired and wireless customers may someday start to receive a single bill), but most expect the work to be done by the end of the year.

This of course has some minor impact on the upcoming Apple iPhone, which is tied to the Cingular network exclusively. Since this is just a name change and not a technology change, this will really amount to little more than a logo change on the iPhone splash screen.

Nonetheless, expect years of confusion over this issue as you start to see AT&T bills in your mailbox, and that little orange X-shaped guy turns into a familiar old globe.

Update: Confused? Stephen Colbert has the lowdown.

Comments on Goodbye Cingular, Hello AT&T

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  • 6 Posted by ka7aok831 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    We started out as a AT&T customer (our Cingular page as a link for "former AT&T accounts." Now I guess I can call myself a "former Cingular, former AT&T, new AT&T customer." If I stay with the company.

  • 7 Posted by pk_imobile on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    I would have thought that being a communications giant, AT&T would have had things figured out years ago with their wireless carrier; in fact, it was so bad that my parents dumped it for Verizon. The marriage with Cingular didn't really help, and now that it's going back to ownership under AT&T, who knows?

  • 8 Posted by mcdchaz on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:13PM EDT Report Abuse

    heys guys i think you are all wrong.i was a att wireless cuctomer and service has improved since then.plus now that att is together we can have just one bill!! plus now that they can pool their r&d money together new stuff will come faster!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • 10 Posted by edula1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    I like the little orange x-shaped guy better!!!

  • 11 Posted by erod45 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    I left AT&T Wireless just months before the first merger. I am glad I did, becaue I couldn't have been happier with T-Mobile !

  • 12 Posted by nychick86 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    Sorry that the merger is so confusing for you guys. Cingular Wireless bought AT&T Wireless. Afterwards AT&T and SBC (BellSouth and others) merged to become one company. AT&T and Cingular both have decided to become one company in order to help customers with wireless, landline, and dish. And in the near future hopefully go global. So guys don't be worried...It's just a name change. No issues, no replacement sim cards, and you don't have to get new phones. LOL! Unless you want 2!

  • 13 Posted by revenant_dream on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    It matters little how their name changes. If Cingular had the same congested network then as they do now, then chances are you'd still get delayed Text messages (if at all), calls that get routed to some other number (not your intended one), and so forth.

  • 14 Posted by sdf632 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    isn't it ironic that att is now reincarnated despite years of effort in taking it apart?

  • 15 Posted by rae_49 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    The more companies merge the worse it gets. If it aint broke dont fix it. first it was at&t now cingular now att&t again go figure

  • 17 Posted by mamawindham on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    Didn't like ATT when I had it years ago so went with SBC Cingular. Love Cingular since they were the only company that had service where I lived. Moved back to civilization and once my contract is up, I'm gone.....what's up with this?

  • 18 Posted by alice79762 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    AT&T is AT&T and somebody will come along and split it up again and it will bond back together and become bigger and pretty soon the only people in town will be AT&T and everything will skyrocket and is all you can do is watch and wonder.

  • 19 Posted by hccrle@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:17PM EDT Report Abuse

    Well at least let's give AT&T points for supporting free speech by allowing all this anti-AT&T stuff on their web site!

  • 20 Posted by psprotogo on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:20PM EDT Report Abuse

    My issue is the phone systems. Cingular took over AT&T, system was down during transition. Then again w/ Voice mail system of outgoing message sequence... Then we all think OK more towers better coverage Wrong. Consumer short ended AGAIN...Customer service thing of the past. One thinks well been AT&T wireless customer since '98' some benefits NOT. Change phone hardware loose Cingular roll over minutes very tricky...read fine print kids- - - Big Business buggers

  • 21 Posted by kanditam2001 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    Cingular has better btand name equity........ The ATT name is old out of date. It is the name associated with overpriced long distance and outdated technology. Why they would change to such a name us beyond me.

  • 22 Posted by rickydanminton on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm being forced to switch from my good AT&T contract and phone to a new cingular contract/phone. Two weeks ago all of a sudden I could not receive calls...got that fixed. This week discovered that for days incoming text was not getting to me. They (Cingular) say they are tearing down the AT&T towers and if I do not switch I will continue to have problems. Sounds like they are breaching my contract. Any help out there?

  • 23 Posted by mltnchrl on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    You haven't lived until you've had the following conversation with a customer service rep. "No, that's not our problem. You need to contact AT&T." "You are AT&T." "No, we are not AT&T. We are AT&T."

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