At&T Merger.

Does any one know what will happen when Cingular and AT&T merges. They are
using the same technology, but in some areas different bands. In Texas
cingular is using GSM 850 where AT&T is using GSM 1900.

---

› See More: At&T Merger.

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Does any one know what will happen when Cingular and AT&T merges. They are
> using the same technology, but in some areas different bands. In Texas
> cingular is using GSM 850 where AT&T is using GSM 1900.
>
>
>
I sure hope they keep the Cingular system in DFW. Everyone I know who
has ATTWS here has problems with dropped calls, noise, echos, going
straight to VM, and system busy messages. I never have any of that on
Cingular.
--
Jud
Dallas TX USA

On Tue, 17 Feb 2004 12:05:53 -0600, "geraldo.cc.utexas.edu"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Does any one know what will happen when Cingular and AT&T merges. They are
>using the same technology, but in some areas different bands. In Texas
>cingular is using GSM 850 where AT&T is using GSM 1900.

If they're not on the right band cingular will just disconnect them
and tell them to find service someplace else.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
remove NONO from .NONOcom to reply

"geraldo.cc.utexas.edu" <[email protected]> wrote
> Does any one know what will happen when Cingular and AT&T merges. They are
> using the same technology, but in some areas different bands. In Texas
> cingular is using GSM 850 where AT&T is using GSM 1900.

Then Cingular will have much more bandwidth to work with. Depending on
phone capabilities users can be set to alternate between the two
frequency bands, looking for free channels, or Cingular could program
half the phones to prefer one band, and the other half to prefer the
other band. Alternatively, Cingular could move "most" users to one
band, and reserve the other for data applications.

If Cingular decides they have enough bandwidth in one band or the
other, then they could sell he excess spectrum for cash or bandwidth
in another market.

Personally I'd like to see them beef up their data offerings.
Cingular's been slow to deploy new data technologies. Extra bandwidth
will allow them to deploy EDGE, and hopefully drop pricing to the
point where we peons can afford to use it.

tg.

> >Does any one know what will happen when Cingular and AT&T merges. They
are
> >using the same technology, but in some areas different bands. In Texas
> >cingular is using GSM 850 where AT&T is using GSM 1900.
>
> If they're not on the right band cingular will just disconnect them
> and tell them to find service someplace else.

?????????????

Around here
Cigular has both (800/850 AMPS, TDM, and GSM)
And (1900 TDMA, and GSM).

Which one you use is up to you.
You can force it to PCS only, or cellular only.
And your call will be handled just the same, and billed the same.

When you leave the selection up to the phone, the tower will
normally send it to 1900 or 800 depending on band loading.
(ie) If the 800 band is packed, then it would send you to the
1900 band, if possible.

If Cigular is using 800 and ATT is using 1900, that means
your phone will have both bands to chose from after ATT
is finally integrated into cigular's system.
And loading can be balanced between the two.
If a person wants, they can force it to the band they want.
But the systems will not reject you as long as there is free space,
and you are a valid user.

tom glaab wrote:

> "geraldo.cc.utexas.edu" <[email protected]> wrote
>
>>Does any one know what will happen when Cingular and AT&T merges. They are
>>using the same technology, but in some areas different bands. In Texas
>>cingular is using GSM 850 where AT&T is using GSM 1900.
>
>
> Then Cingular will have much more bandwidth to work with. Depending on
> phone capabilities users can be set to alternate between the two
> frequency bands, looking for free channels, or Cingular could program
> half the phones to prefer one band, and the other half to prefer the
> other band. Alternatively, Cingular could move "most" users to one
> band, and reserve the other for data applications.
>
> If Cingular decides they have enough bandwidth in one band or the
> other, then they could sell he excess spectrum for cash or bandwidth
> in another market.
>
> Personally I'd like to see them beef up their data offerings.
> Cingular's been slow to deploy new data technologies. Extra bandwidth
> will allow them to deploy EDGE, and hopefully drop pricing to the
> point where we peons can afford to use it.
>
> tg.


Chatting with my bud the other day (again), Cingular is currently
testing their new EDGE network before deployment.

--
jer email reply - I am not a 'ten' ICQ = 35253273
"All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of
what we know." -- Richard Wilbur

"geraldo.cc.utexas.edu" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Does any one know what will happen when Cingular and AT&T merges. They are
> using the same technology, but in some areas different bands. In Texas
> cingular is using GSM 850 where AT&T is using GSM 1900.

Tuesday, February 17, 2004 · Last updated 3:32 p.m. PT

Q&A on Cingular-AT&T Wireless deal

By BRUCE MEYERSON
AP BUSINESS WRITER

How the proposed merger between Cingular Wireless and AT&T Wireless
may affect cellular prices and services for the companies' 46 million
customers.

Q: By eliminating one cell phone company, will the deal stop the price
wars for wireless calling plans or even raise the cost of wireless
calls?

Although consumer advocates are worried the loss of one national
provider will hurt competition, market pressures are expected to
remain fierce in the U.S. cell phone industry.

Most of the nation's 100 biggest markets would still be served by up
to five national wireless companies, and possibly more in areas where
there are regional and local providers. By contrast, in many other
countries, there are often only three major wireless companies
providing service in any given market.

In addition, under the new federal rules allowing cell phone customers
to switch service providers without losing their phone numbers,
analysts say wireless companies will be hesitant to start raising
prices as they compete for subscribers.

Q: Will cell phone coverage improve with the combination of the two
companies' wireless networks?

In terms of national coverage, the deal will fill in some gaping holes
for Cingular, which doesn't own licenses to use the wireless spectrum
in 13 major markets including New York City, Denver, Phoenix and
Pittsburgh. As a result, Cingular customers may face roaming fees less
often when they use their phones in some of those markets.

The benefits are less certain on a local level in the markets where
the companies already provide service.

By combining their spectrum and capacity, the companies may be able to
cut down on dropped calls and network busy signals in high-volume
calling areas. Martin Dunsby, a consultant with inCode Telecom Group,
said the combined resources of the merged company could reduce the
frequency of dropped and blocked calls to between 1 percent and 3
percent vs. an industry average of 2 percent to 4 percent.

But the deal may not fill in all the "dead spots" where customers
can't get reception. While in some areas Cingular or AT&T Wireless may
have a wireless transmitter where the other doesn't, coverage gaps
often relate to a shortage of available locations to place a tower or
an antenna because the local community considers the equipment an
eyesore.

As a result, rival cellular companies often place their transmitters
on the same towers and buildings, providing coverage in roughly the
same area.

"This `not in my backyard syndrome' will perpetuate holes regardless
of these mergers," said Shiv Bakhshi, an industry analyst for the
research firm IDC.

Q: Will existing cell phones from AT&T Wireless and Cingular still
work after the merger, or will one of the companies' subscribers need
to get new handsets after the merger?

The companies offered no immediate answers on potential compatibility
issues, though analysts suggested that Cingular would need to develop
a network patch and revise the software and encryption on AT&T
Wireless phones.

While both companies use the same cellular technologies, known as TDMA
and GSM, the handsets are not automatically compatible with any
wireless network using those standards because cell phone companies
often build in security features to ensure that only their customers
use their service.

To ease the transition, Cingular may be able to transmit any necessary
software upgrades over the air to AT&T Wireless cell phones.
Otherwise, customers would need to come down to company stores for a
fix.

Q: If the combined company is to be named Cingular Wireless, does that
mean the AT&T brand name will no longer exist?

No. The name will still be used by AT&T Corp., the long distance
telephone company which spun off AT&T Wireless as an independent
company in 2001.

As part of that arrangement, AT&T Wireless was given the right to use
the AT&T brand, but did not own any rights to the name. The right to
use the name was also subject to revision if AT&T Wireless were to be
acquired by another company.

Ummmm as a longtime sufferer of Cingular and it's lack of coverage in
San Francisco City, I'd like to see less "whiz-bang" extra (really
extra) cost options and more coverage and the ability to actually make
and receive phone calls.

That's why it's called a cell phone and not a cell data thingy...

Coverage in San Fran is crap BTW. And getting ATT's towers will actually
fill some of the holes.

Course with our luck, Ching Ching Chingular will sell the ATT towers in
SF to T-Mob to raise money money money and still have us screwed in the
end.


In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (tom glaab) wrote:

> "geraldo.cc.utexas.edu" <[email protected]> wrote
> > Does any one know what will happen when Cingular and AT&T merges. They are
> > using the same technology, but in some areas different bands. In Texas
> > cingular is using GSM 850 where AT&T is using GSM 1900.
>
> Then Cingular will have much more bandwidth to work with. Depending on
> phone capabilities users can be set to alternate between the two
> frequency bands, looking for free channels, or Cingular could program
> half the phones to prefer one band, and the other half to prefer the
> other band. Alternatively, Cingular could move "most" users to one
> band, and reserve the other for data applications.
>
> If Cingular decides they have enough bandwidth in one band or the
> other, then they could sell he excess spectrum for cash or bandwidth
> in another market.
>
> Personally I'd like to see them beef up their data offerings.
> Cingular's been slow to deploy new data technologies. Extra bandwidth
> will allow them to deploy EDGE, and hopefully drop pricing to the
> point where we peons can afford to use it.
>
> tg.

I hope they keep GSM 850 where they have it .

On Tue, 17 Feb 2004 12:05:53 -0600, "geraldo.cc.utexas.edu"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Does any one know what will happen when Cingular and AT&T merges. They are
>using the same technology, but in some areas different bands. In Texas
>cingular is using GSM 850 where AT&T is using GSM 1900.
>
>

1. It may take a year for merger to go through.

2. New company will be Cingular

3. Most AT&T employees will be redundant,
from John Zeglis down.

4. Both companies are now moving off TDMA to GSM. So initially your phone will
work as always, although you will be migrated to Cingular Support and Cingular
billing (say 6 months?).

5. Any Minutes plan you now have will be honored till end of contract,
undecided whether you will in all cases be able to keep a current plan after
contract expires.

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on 19 Feb 2004 19:30:22 GMT,
[email protected] (Cell merger) wrote:

>1. It may take a year for merger to go through.

It's expected to be completed by the end of the year.

>3. Most AT&T employees will be redundant,
> from John Zeglis down.

ATTWS management is probably at risk, but I expect layoffs at Cingular as well
as ATTWS -- Cingular needs to keep the ATTWS system working at least as well
as it is now, if not better.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

In article <[email protected]>,
John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:

> Cingular needs to keep the ATTWS system working at least as well
> as it is now, if not better.

You forget the NIH syndrome takes over for what procedures to use.

NIH = NOT INVENTED HERE

So you may expect when given a choice a Cingular manager or Engineer to
use what they know, rather than what AT&T used.

I saw an interesting program on satellite tv the other night about why the
coverage stinks in your city. Its because the people of the city keep
petitioning the city to keep cell antennas out of their neighborhoods. You
may want to research this before going on to blame any particular cell
company. The coverage wont work if you cant get the antennas where they are
needed.
B

"Yazzan Gable" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ummmm as a longtime sufferer of Cingular and it's lack of coverage in
> San Francisco City, I'd like to see less "whiz-bang" extra (really
> extra) cost options and more coverage and the ability to actually make
> and receive phone calls.
>
> That's why it's called a cell phone and not a cell data thingy...
>
> Coverage in San Fran is crap BTW. And getting ATT's towers will actually
> fill some of the holes.
>
> Course with our luck, Ching Ching Chingular will sell the ATT towers in
> SF to T-Mob to raise money money money and still have us screwed in the
> end.
>
>
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] (tom glaab) wrote:
>
> > "geraldo.cc.utexas.edu" <[email protected]> wrote
> > > Does any one know what will happen when Cingular and AT&T merges. They
are
> > > using the same technology, but in some areas different bands. In Texas
> > > cingular is using GSM 850 where AT&T is using GSM 1900.
> >
> > Then Cingular will have much more bandwidth to work with. Depending on
> > phone capabilities users can be set to alternate between the two
> > frequency bands, looking for free channels, or Cingular could program
> > half the phones to prefer one band, and the other half to prefer the
> > other band. Alternatively, Cingular could move "most" users to one
> > band, and reserve the other for data applications.
> >
> > If Cingular decides they have enough bandwidth in one band or the
> > other, then they could sell he excess spectrum for cash or bandwidth
> > in another market.
> >
> > Personally I'd like to see them beef up their data offerings.
> > Cingular's been slow to deploy new data technologies. Extra bandwidth
> > will allow them to deploy EDGE, and hopefully drop pricing to the
> > point where we peons can afford to use it.
> >
> > tg.

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Fri, 20 Feb
2004 04:09:57 GMT, "Robert M." <[email protected]> wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>,

> John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Cingular needs to keep the ATTWS system working at least as well
>> as it is now, if not better.
>
>You forget the NIH syndrome takes over for what procedures to use.
>
>NIH = NOT INVENTED HERE
>
>So you may expect when given a choice a Cingular manager or Engineer to
>use what they know, rather than what AT&T used.

Not necessarily, and I personally don't think the management of Cingular is
that stupid.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>