Cingular Wireless

Cingular Wireless LLC is the largest United States mobile phone company, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

Related Topics:
United States - Mobile phone - Atlanta, Georgia

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Cingular, formed in 2001, is a joint venture of the American landline telephone companies SBC and BellSouth. The two companies hold 60% and 40% stakes in Cingular, respectively, based on the value of the assets each company contributed to the venture.

Related Topics:
2001 - Joint venture - SBC - BellSouth

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Cingular was the second largest mobile phone carrier in the United States. On October 26, 2004, Cingular won regulatory approval from the FCC to acquire AT&T Wireless, and completed the acquisition of 24 million customers giving them 48 million customers, which surpasses Verizon Wireless, and is now the largest mobile phone carrier in the United States. Q2 2005 numbers, released on July 20, 2005, showed 51.6 million Cingular subscribers.

Related Topics:
Second largest - Mobile phone - United States - October 26 - 2004 - FCC - AT&T Wireless - Verizon Wireless - July 20 - 2005

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Cingular operates a mixed network consisting of GSM (from the former Pacific Bell Wireless and BellSouth Mobility DCS networks), and TDMA and AMPS (from SBC's Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems network, BellSouth's BellSouth Mobility network, a Mobitex-based network used for paging and remote telemetry, and various acquisitions, including some SBC-owned systems operating under the Cellular One name), which they are working to convert to pure GSM/GPRS. Cingular is also experimentally deploying EDGE data services in certain areas, and with the acquisition of AT&T Wireless now supports EDGE nationwide. Cingular will be rolling out UMTS or W-CDMA High-Speed network, to counter Verizon's Ev-DO network. UTMS is avaliable now in selected cities - Seattle, Dallas, Detroit, Phoenix, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay, while it should be rolled out in every major market sometime in 2006. The network runs GSM-1900 in the former Pacific Bell Wireless and BellSouth Mobility DCS areas. The areas that have been converted to GSM from TDMA are mostly GSM-850, but there are some exceptions where the pre-Cingular companies had only licenses in the 1900MHz PCS band.

Related Topics:
GSM - Pacific Bell Wireless - BellSouth Mobility DCS - TDMA - AMPS - SBC - Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems - BellSouth - BellSouth Mobility - Mobitex - Cellular One - GPRS - EDGE - AT&T Wireless - UMTS - W-CDMA - Ev-DO - PCS

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In California, Nevada, northern New Jersey and New York City, Cingular and T-Mobile USA maintained and shared a GSM-1900 network prior to the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, through a joint venture known as GSM Facilities. The network sharing agreement allowed Cingular to offer local service in northern New Jersey and New York City and T-Mobile to offer service in California and Nevada. On May 25, 2004, Cingular and T-Mobile USA announced their intention to dissolve the agreement contingent on Cingular's successful acquisition of AT&T Wireless.

Related Topics:
California - Nevada - New Jersey - New York City - T-Mobile USA - AT&T Wireless - May 25 - 2004

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First announced on June 23, Cingular Wireless announced the intention to divest its Caribbean and Bermuda operations and licenses which it acquired from the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, to Bermuda-based Digcel Group under undisclosed financial terms.

Related Topics:
June 23 - Caribbean - Bermuda - AT&T Wireless - Digcel Group

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Cingular outsources some of their Customer Care to companies in Canada and overseas.

Related Topics:
Customer Care - Canada

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