SAN FRANCISCO-Cingular Wireless L.L.C. provided another round of updates on the progress it is making in integrating the former AT&T Wireless Services Inc. operations. An executive Wednesday said the integration is still on track to be completed in 2007.
“We are entering into the most critical phase of the integration process,” Mathy said, adding that the carrier was moving from “13 good networks” toward “four great ones.”
Cingular noted that significant progress has been made on integrating the GSM operations, which after the merger included 63 overlapping markets. Mathy said the carrier would have 35 of those overlapped markets completely integrated by the end of the year and that some of those markets will include up to 60 percent more cell sites than competing carriers.
“This will ensure great coverage and robust capacity,” Mathy said.
Cingular also is cutting down the 47 overlapping TDMA markets it controlled after it acquired AWS last October. Mathy added that despite the downturn in total traffic and customers, Cingular actually would begin providing better TDMA coverage in some markets.
Cingular also said it was on track to launch higher-speed UMTS/HSDPA services across 20 markets by the end of the year and in more than 100 markets by the end of 2006. The carrier added that it was conducting call trials in the 20 initial markets and that the data capabilities would provide network speeds of between 400 kilobits per second and 700 kbps.
Cingular did not provide an update on the markets included in the initial launch, but they are expected to include the six markets currently offering UMTS services launched by AWS last year.
The launch is seen by many analysts as strategic for Cingular as rivals Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. aggressively have rolled out competing CDMA2000 1x EV-DO services that provide data network speeds similar to the 400 kbps to 700 kbps Cingular claims for its impending launch.
Cingular also is ramping up the unwinding of its network-sharing arrangement with T-Mobile USA Inc., which was reconfigured prior to Cingular’s acquisition of AWS.
The deal originally called for Cingular to provide service in New York City using T-Mobile USA’s network in exchange for T-Mobile USA having access to Cingular’s California and Nevada networks. Mathy said the unwind would be completed by the end of 2006, though T-Mobile USA will continue to provide roaming services to Cingular in California and Nevada for several years.
