Will The New AT&T Wireless Be Sprint?

from the follow-the-bouncing-brand dept

Thu, Mar 25th 2004 3:53pm — Mike Masnick

So, try to keep this all straight. In 1994 AT&T buys McCaw Cellular and rebrands it AT&T Wireless. That part's pretty straight forward. In 2000, they reorganize the entire company, making AT&T Wireless a separate subsidiary. In 2001 they spin off AT&T Wireless because money from the IPO now and a diminishing legacy business is apparently worth more to them than their future. In 2003, realizing that they really really wished they still had a wireless play, they signed a deal with AT&T Wireless which (you remember) is quite the separate company - even if most of the public has no clue. Then, of course, the big story: Cingular buys AT&T Wireless. Suddenly, AT&T is a bit worried because there's a pretty good chance that Cingular isn't going to want to keep the deal with AT&T. So, now, AT&T needs a new partner to do an MVNO dance, and the most likely choice now appears to be Sprint. While it probably wouldn't happen for a bit, Sprint could easily offer up an MVNO package, similar to what they have with Virgin Mobile US, where they run the network, and AT&T just gets to slap their brand on it. Would you have ever thought that AT&T's mobile phone system would actually be run by Sprint?

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Johnie Watson, 25 Mar 2004 @ 3:53pm

Sprint isn't the biggest wireless company
It's very unlikely that AT&T (formally Southwestern Bell Corp - SBC) won't use their own brand Cingular (formally PacbBell Wireless) since they own the remaining part of the company (formally BellSouth Mobillity) Now that they own 100% of BellSouth (Cingular, YellowPages publishing company) Just like is is highly unlikely at&t, inc will continue to subout the prenting of their IL directory and will probably use BellSouth's RealPages company to publish directories for all of at&t, inc service areas. Sprint's Embarq landline services doesn't even publish their own directories with their buy out of NexTel one of the largest radio phone companies. Sprint's primary focus has become wireless services although they are by far not the best or biggest.
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Mark, 29 May 2004 @ 9:16pm

This is great

This the best thing AT&T could have done they need CDMA and Sprint needs there help to take it to the next level.

Sprint and AT&T a better wireless service.

Mark
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