Cingular Tests Unlimited Calls To AT&T Landlines
from the it's-free,-for-$6 dept
Fresh off SBC's buyout of AT&T, its wireless unit, Cingular, is testing a program where some of its users can make unlimited calls to AT&T landlines for $6 a month. Cingular subscribers in Connecticut that use AT&T for local service and combine their local and wireless bills can sign up for the trial -- so it sounds like it will be pretty small. Other than playing follow the bouncing AT&T Wireless name, this is one of the first public signs of the merged company. Fixed-mobile convergence is a hot topic in telecom right now, with some companies actually merging the technologies, while others simply bundle the bills. All of this is set against the backdrop of a shift away from landlines -- so when many wireless plans already offer free mobile-to-mobile calling and people are slowly turning their backs on landlines (never mind the hundreds of unused minutes many people have each month), it's hard to see many people being too interested. Rather than make a play for the $6 per month in additional revenues, they'd do better to simply make it free to call AT&T landlines, using the feature as a competitive differentiator, as well as a loyalty tool and an incentive for people to hang on to their AT&T fixed lines.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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what's the point?
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Re: what's the point?
Also, t-mobile has horrible coverage area (not that cingular is any better). If a company like Verizon that has land line and cell phone service AND better coverage than the other companies I've used (I won't even say that they have *good* coverage, just better), things would really start shaking up.
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Re: what's the point?
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