BROWSING: SBC Communications
Old ban lifted so Cingular can buy AWS properties in L.A., Indianapolis
WASHINGTON-The Department of Justice, SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp. have agreed to change certain aspects of an antitrust consent decree to allow Cingular Wireless L.L.C. to purchase AT&T Wireless Services Inc.'s licenses for Los Angeles and Indianapolis.When SBC and BellSouth created Cingular in...
DOJ agrees to Cingular buys in L.A., Indianapolis
WASHINGTON-The Department of Justice, SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp. have agreed to change certain aspects of an antitrust consent decree to allow Cingular Wireless L.L.C. to purchase AT&T Wireless Services Inc.'s licenses for Los Angeles and Indianapolis."The competition from new entrants that was...
CFA says AWS/Cingular merger will dilute intermodal competition
WASHINGTON-The Consumer Federation of America is quietly circulating a white paper arguing against the $41 billion merger of AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and Cingular Wireless L.L.C. saying that because Cingular is owned by two Baby Bells, it will dilute intermodal competition."The Federal Communications Commission...
SpectraSite, Crown Castle show financial improvements
Two tower companies, SpectraSite Inc. and Crown Castle International Corp., reported improved quarterly financials.SpectraSite reported improved second-quarter financial results and announced the search is on for a new chief financial officer.The company said revenues reached $87.4 million, up from $77.6 million from the second...
SBC launches Wi-Fi at Hopkins Int’l Airport
CLEVELAND-SBC Communications Inc. launched its FreedomLink Wi-Fi service at Cleveland's Hopkins International Airport, providing high-speed wireless Internet access to the facility's gates, ticket counters and baggage claim areas using more than 30 access points. In addition to providing access to passengers with Wi-Fi-enabled devices,...
SBC expands Wi-Fi network to Caribou Coffee shops
SAN ANTONIO-SBC Communications Inc. has signed several deals in an effort to expand its FreedomLink Wi-Fi network coverage area. The company will provide hot spots at 300 Caribou Coffee shops in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and the District...
Cingular/AWS tie-up plans test bed for gov’t
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission's thorough review of Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s $41 billion play for AT&T Wireless Services Inc. represents a new level of merger analysis likely to be applied to future blockbuster deals in the mobile-phone industry.The proposed marriage of Cingular Wireless and AT&T...
SBC to sell most of TDC stake
SAN ANTONIO-SBC Communications, an owner of U.S. wireless carrier Cingular Wireless L.L.C., said it plans to sell at least 69.4 million shares in Danish telecom company TDC. TDC owns the largest wireless carrier in Denmark, TDC Mobile.SBC holds a 42-percent stake in TDC.SBC said...
Consumer groups, dealers oppose Cingular-AWS tie-up
WASHINGTON-Consumer groups and cellular dealers asked the Federal Communications Commission to block the proposed merger of AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and Cingular Wireless L.L.C., while organized labor reiterated its support for the $41 billion transaction. "This merger proposes an unacceptable level of concentration...
Ritcher named new Cingular Wireless CFO
ATLANTA-Cingular Wireless L.L.C. appointed Peter Ritcher chief financial officer to replace outgoing CFO Rick Lindner, who was named CFO of SBC Communications Inc. last week. Ritcher, who will assume his new position at Cingular May 10, was vice president of corporate finance at SBC,...
Consumer groups, dealers against Cingular acquisition of AWS
WASHINGTON-Consumer groups and cellular agents petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to block the proposed merger of AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and Cingular Wireless L.L.C., while organized labor reiterated its support for the $41 billion deal. "This merger proposes an unacceptable level of concentration...
Verizon vs. Verizon
When a small state retains a multimillion-dollar tax break for the nation's largest telephone company out of sympathy and concern about attacks on the landline carrier's subscriber base by mobile-phone carriers, you know the wireless industry has arrived. Indeed, wireless competition was cited as...
Top Schwarzenegger adviser heads efforts against Calif. phone tax
WASHINGTON-The mobile-phone industry-already facing the prospect of new rules and hefty fines in trend-setting California-suffered a major setback last week with the announcement that enough signatures were collected to put on the November ballot a new 3-percent cell-phone tax to help fund 911 upgrades...
Challenges to Cingular/AWS merger due May 3
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission set a May 3 deadline for challenges to Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s $41 billion bid for AT&T Wireless Services Inc., a deal the two mobile-phone carriers want to wrap up by the end of the year.Both the FCC and Justice Department...
Cingular names new executives
ATLANTA-Cingular Wireless L.L.C. named David Christopher vice president of product management for voice products, devices and affiliate services, where he will be responsible for developing and managing the carrier's portfolio of voice products and enhanced services. Christopher previously served as vice president of product...
San Fran Giant baseball fans have free Wi-Fi access
SAN FRANCISCO-SBC Communications Inc. and Nortel Networks Ltd. installed 121 Wi-Fi access points at SBC Park in San Francisco, providing free wireless Internet access to San Francisco Giant baseball fans in all concourses and seating areas at the park. Intel Corp. has also partnered...
SBC inks Wi-Fi deal for mail retail locations
SAN ANTONIO-SBC Communications Inc. said its FreedomLink Wi-Fi service would be available in 1,500 UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. locations by the end of this year, with additional installations continuing through 2005. The service, which will be managed by Wayport Inc., costs $20...
Calif. healthcare bill would add 3% tax to cell-phone bills
WASHINGTON-As if battling a potentially new regulatory regime and the threat of hefty fines were not enough, California mobile-phone carriers now face a possible ballot initiative in November that could force them to add to monthly bills a surcharge to fund emergency-room care and...
S&P puts Verizon on CreditWatch
NEW YORK-Standard & Poor's Ratings Service Inc. has placed all entities related to Verizon Communications Inc., including Verizon Wireless, on CreditWatch with negative implications.The move follows S&P's decision last month to place SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp., including their Cingular Wireless L.L.C. affiliate,...
AWS' recent troubles likely pushed decision to sell
AT&T Wireless Services Inc.'s presence in the wireless industry is set to come to an end sometime later this year when Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s pending $41 billion acquisition of the nation's third-largest operator is set to close. Along with the reduction in number of...
D.C. Circuit says wireless industry competitive even without UNE transport
WASHINGTON-A federal appeals court said Tuesday that the mobile-phone industry is so competitive that it does not need access to landline facilities at below-market rates."The Federal Communications Commission not only failed to conduct the requisite impairment analysis for wireless providers, but in fact found...
SBC confirms inquiries about access lines but says it has capital to fund AWS deal
SAN ANTONIO-Rebuffing claims that it was looking to sell up to 650,000 rural access lines in Michigan and Texas to help fund subsidiary Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s pending acquisition of AT&T Wireless Services Inc., SBC Communications Corp. said in a statement that while it has...
Cingular banks on AWS with $41B buy
In addition to propelling the combined entity past Verizon Wireless as the nation's largest wireless carrier, Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s successful $41 billion acquisition of smaller rival AT&T Wireless Services Inc. is expected to have an enormous impact on many of its competitors as well...
While England slept
Only time will tell whether Arun Sarin and other Vodafone Group plc execs were snookered by indefatigable Yanks or all the wiser for hitting the sack at a proper hour. For sure, Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s winning $41 billion bid for AT&T Wireless Services...