Dobson teams with Ericsson for ringbacks, content downloads

Cellular One customers will now be able to entertain callers with more exciting sounds than the traditional ring.
The No. 11 carrier, Dobson Communications Corp., which is behind the Cellular One brand, signed a pair of deals with L.M. Ericsson for AnswerTunes, a ringback tones service, and content downloads. Ringback tones replace the standard ring-ring a caller hears with songs and other jingles.
Interestingly, Dobson recently agreed to be acquired by AT&T Mobility for about $2.8 billion in a sale expected to close by the end of the year. AT&T Mobility already offers its own variant of a ringback tones service, called Answer Tones. It’s unclear if or how AT&T Mobility’s acquisition of Dobson would affect the smaller carrier’s deal with Ericsson for the service.
None of the companies involved was available for immediate comment.
Dobson, which serves 1.7 million customers in more than 60 rural and suburban markets in 17 states in the Midwest and South under the Cellular One brand, already has managed services hosting contracts with Ericsson for content and game downloads, including Napster Mobile. AT&T Mobility also offers Ericsson’s Napster service.
When AT&T Mobility announced the acquisition of Dobson in early July, the companies said former Dobson customers will gain access to AT&T Mobility products and services, including the new Apple Inc. iPhone.