SAN ANTONIO-SBC Communications Inc. last week introduced a one-stop telecommunications and entertainment services package in what many speculate is a competitive strike against similar packages in the works at rival AT&T Corp.
AT&T today offers its Personal Network package, which includes long-distance, wireless and calling card calls made from a customer’s home calling area for 10 cents per minute.
SBC’s plan includes local phone service, local toll service, wireless, dial-up Internet access, a second phone line and DIRECTV programming billed on one invoice. Customers may purchase all of the services or choose from individual packages.
Pricing begins at $35 per month, and savings range from 6 percent to 35 percent off retail prices for each service, said the company.
The company’s subsidiaries, Southwestern Bell and Pacific Bell, are offering the package under the Simple Solutions tag in Dallas and Fremont, Calif.
SBC said the complete Simple Solutions plan will be available in metro areas in both of those regions during the next few months, and the company plans to expand the offer to other markets later.
“Our offering includes telecommunications choices that are the most attractive in the industry, and we’re making it easy for our customers to buy-and pay for-those individualized groupings based on their needs,” said Royce Caldwell, president of SBC Operations. Caldwell noted the DSL Internet access offering is likely to be popular.
SBC signed a strategic marketing and distribution agreement with DIRECTV in July, under which SBC will sell and support the DIRECTV system for its customers. Initially, DIRECTV service will be billed separately, as will wireless in Pacific Bell’s territory, although SBC said all customers should receive one bill by the end of the year.
