♪ AT&T Mobility
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This article is about the wireless subsidiary of AT&T. For the defunct wireless provider that was merged into Cingular in 2004, see AT&T Wireless Services.
AT&T Mobility LLC (usually branded AT&T,[2] and formerly named Cingular Wireless LLC) is the wholly owned wireless subsidiary of AT&T Inc. AT&T Mobility is the largest mobile phone company (in terms of number of subscribers) in the United States, ahead of Verizon Wireless[3]. AT&T Mobility has approximately 74.9 million subscribers as of the third quarter 2008.
Formerly a joint venture between SBC Communications and BellSouth, Cingular Wireless soon acquired the old AT&T Wireless; SBC later acquired the original AT&T and re-branded as "the new AT&T". Cingular became wholly-owned by the new AT&T in December 2006 as a result of AT&T's acquisition of BellSouth.
In January 2007, Cingular confirmed it would itself rebrand under the AT&T moniker. The corporate name change occurred immediately, although, for regulatory and brand-awareness reasons, both brands were used in the wireless unit's signage and advertising during a transition period.[5] The transition concluded in late June, just prior to the rollout of the Apple iPhone.
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Cingular Wireless LLC was founded in 2000 as a joint venture of SBC Communications and BellSouth. The joint venture created the nation's second largest carrier. Cingular grew out of a conglomeration of more than 100 companies [8], with 12 well-known regional companies with Bell roots. The 12 companies included:
* 3 companies spun off from Advanced Mobile Phone Service, Inc.
o Ameritech Mobile Communications, LLC
o BellSouth Mobility, LLC
o Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, Inc.
* BellSouth Mobility DCS, Inc
* BellSouth Wireless Data, LLC
* Pacific Bell Wireless, LLC
* Pacific Bell Wireless Northwest, LLC
* SBC Wireless, LLC
* SNET Mobility, LLC
* Southwestern Bell Wireless, Inc.
SBC Wireless had previously operated in several northeast markets under the "Cellular One" brand, while BellSouth's wireless operations incorporated the former Houston Cellular.
Cingular's lineage can be traced back to Advanced Mobile Phone Service, which was a subsidiary of AT&T created in 1978 to provide cellular service nationwide. AMPS, Inc. was divided among the Regional Bell Operating Companies as part of the Bell System divestiture.
With the exception of Pacific Bell and BellSouth Mobility DCS, the digital network consisted of D-AMPS technology. The Pacific Bell and BellSouth Mobility DCS networks used GSM technology on the PCS frequency band (1900 MHz).
In October 2007, AT&T's president and chief executive officer Stan Sigman announced his retirement. Ralph de la Vega, group president-Regional Telecom & Entertainment, was named as president and CEO, AT&T Mobility.
