SAN ANTONIO-SBC Communications Inc., which controls 60 percent of Cingular Wireless L.L.C., said it will adopt the AT&T Inc. brand name following the completion of its $16 billion acquisition of AT&T later this year. SBC said it will use the AT&T brand in a broad array of services offered by its family of companies and that the transition would begin immediately after the acquisition closes.
SBC cited strong awareness of the AT&T brand for its decision. Surveys show that 98 percent of U.S. consumers know the brand and 100 percent of businesses know the brand, SBC said.
“No name is better suited than AT&T to represent the new company’s passion to deliver innovation, reliability, quality, integrity and unsurpassed customer care,” explained SBC chairman and chief executive officer Edward Whitacre. “This is the brand that will lead the industry in delivering the next generation of communications and entertainment services.”
Cingular acquired AT&T Wireless Services Inc. last year for $41 billion but has so far maintained the Cingular brand for its wireless service.
