Cingular Wireless L.L.C. plans to cut at least 10 percent of its newly combined staff, or around 7,000 of its 68,000-strong workforce, chief Stan Sigman said.
In an interview with the Associated Press, the carrier’s chief executive officer said Cingular will start making the cuts next year. He said the carrier, which is working to merge with AT&T Wireless Services Inc., plans to hold off on any job cuts until after the critical holiday shopping season.
Sigman said most of the cuts would come from Cingular’s administrative division, while few if any would come from its customer service workers.
Cingular completed its $41 billion acquisition of AT&T Wireless last month. The combination created the nation’s largest wireless carrier with 46 million subscribers.
Sigman said he would work to retain Cingular’s lead in the market. Verizon Wireless, the former market leader, has been adding subscribers at a faster pace than Cingular.
“If Verizon overtakes our customer count in the next six to 12 months, then I’ve failed,” Sigman told the AP. “I’m a very competitive person.”
