Good old Minneapolis, how are the Gophers lookin this year? Too bad they aren't Playin my Buckeyes this year...

You've got it. That's where I am.

At this time we are prohibited from competing against ATTWS and a Regional carrier there. We offer service through a roaming agreement with ATTWS. This will change once our buyout of ATTWS is completed sometime in the 4th quarter of this year.

Companies Licensed for that zip code:

Cell-a: ATT
Cell-b: Verizon
PCS-a: SprintPCS
PCS-B: t-mobile
PCS-C-15: nextwave
PCS-15b: Nextwave
PCS-d: Qwest
PCS-E: ATT
PCS-f: Verizon.


So no, at this time Cigular isn't aloud to sell there at this time, but if the ATT buy out goes through, I guarantee you'll see those ATT stores switching over to being Cigular stores. (unless they do like making ATT a reseller to keep a known brand name out there like what Sprint did to Qwest.)

Thanks for backing me up there, Wynne!

No problem, I honestly think that getting selling Licenses for a particular market is probably the 2nd hardest thing for a cell company to try to do next to getting a zoning permit for a tower... it actually is probably harder because the FCC only allows so many slots for an x area and once all those slots are sold-out then no more carriers are aloud there until the FCC opens up more slots.

What hurt us for a while is that when SBC and BellSouth integrated their wireless properties to create Cingular in 2000, it was thought it would hurt competition, so there were markets we were unable to be in. With the ATTWS buyout, it seems that's finally behind us.

I think the biggest hurdle you guys have ahead of you after the merger is approved that I see is the merging of billing systems. I have heard rumors that ATT wireless is going to be kept as reseller due to it's strong brand name, which I can't see causing to much trougle for cingular customers/reps but will be a pain for ATT customers/reps (human nature naturally resists change) but if Cingular decides to just completely get rid of ATT, then you will have to be learning to use 2 billing systems for a while.

I know here in verizon at one time I was using 3 different billing systems, and the guys before me had to know 5. Then they bring in this new one (one of the 3 I know) that they started merging everything into.

That is probably the worst, I agree. My understanding is that the AT&T Wireless name reverts to ATT Corp. after 6 months, and they have inked a deal with Sprint to function as a VMNO on Sprint's network.

On our side, ATTWS customers can continue on their contracts unchanged, move to a Cingular plan, or select what they are calling a Common Service Experience plan. So ATT CC folks will still be there for support on those, and we will crosstrain as well.

sounds good for you guys for sure. Funny to hear that ATT to do that. Sprint is doing reselling for Qwest and Virgin mobile... then ATT if I understand right? man, sprint is takeing on a load. 😛

Yup, they are. Guess they have to use all that wasted spectrum somehow.

lol 😛 🤣

I didn't think Cingular can use the ATT name. When ATT was spun off, it was my understanding the name "ATT" and the logo was "borrowed' for four years only. The real ATT is going back inot the wireless business and may want their name back.

Thanks, guys.

Anytime!