Why is Cingular the new AT&T?

Answer 1

I'm almost 100% positive that most of the these people don't have all their facts straight. Here is how it really goes.

Is short:
Cingular + AT&T Wireless = Cingular (Blue)
AT&T (not wireless) + Cingular (Blue) = AT&T

There once was Cingular and AT&T Wireless. Then Cingular bought out AT&T Wireless and merged AT&T Wireless with Cingular calling the customers that came over, Cingular Blue customers.

Cingular who was owned by BellSouth merged back into AT&T (who had just merged with SBC).

So now, Cingular is now AT&T (no wireless in the title).

Here is a cool diagram that shows the divisions and additions AT&T has gone through: http://www.usatoday.com/money/_photos/2005/02/03/bells.gif

Answer 2

AT&T bought Cingular. After AT&T sold its wireless division to them, AT&T built up enough money and a big enough network to buy Cingular out.

Answer 3

AT&T has always owned Cingular, but now they decided to get rid of the name and make it one huge company. If you remember when AT&T was "bought" by Cingular, it was just a name change and some hype. So now they are trying to do everything under one name.

Answer 4

The old Cingular had less money than the old AT&T.

Cingular also had changed their name to Cingular to try to get away from their bad reputation for screwing over their customers.

The result was that AT&T wanted to buy them but also wanted to get rid of traces of their remaining bad old reputation. it was a marriage made in heaven. AT&T bought them and gave them the well-liked AT&T name.

Answer 5

AT&T bought cingular

Answer 6

CINGULAR BOUGHT OUT ATT. BUT SINCE ATT IS A MORE WIDELY KNOWN NAME, CINGULAR CHANGED ITS NAME TO....ATT.

Answer 7

becaus AT&T is buying everyone out.. same as SBC

they call anything that is new to at&t "the new AT&T"