Cingular Wireless Celebrates 20 Years of Leadership and Service in Dallas and Fort Worth
TMCnet - World's Largest Communications and Technology Community
 
| More
TMCnews
[July 31, 2004]

Cingular Wireless Celebrates 20 Years of Leadership and Service in Dallas and Fort Worth

DALLAS, July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- For 20 years, Cingular Wireless and its parent companies -- SBC Communications and BellSouth -- have led the evolution of the wireless industry. This year, Cingular -- along with its parent companies -- celebrates 20 years of wireless industry experience and leadership in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, continuing its rich and successful heritage by providing customers with personalized products, a commitment to superior customer service and network enhancements.


From the early stages of cellular service to today's array of personalized multi-media products, Cingular has been at the forefront of the wireless frontier. Cingular is the result of a strong foundation -- uniting 11 well- established brands, including Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, BellSouth Mobility, Cellular One, Ameritech and Pacific Bell, and 20 million customers through the joint venture of SBC and BellSouth four years ago. Now the second- largest wireless service provider in the United States, Cingular has surpassed 25 million customers and continues to build on its momentum by providing innovative wireless products and services.
Bulky suitcase phones that cost thousands of dollars and were enjoyed by a privileged few in 1983 are now powerful communications tools that increase productivity, connectivity and are an indispensable part of not only American life but the world stage.
Cingular will celebrate this milestone at all its Dallas-area stores Saturday, with a special reception open to all customers from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its Preston Road Store, 17489 Preston Road in Far North Dallas. All company-owned stores in the Dallas/Fort Worth area will have refreshments, and the Preston location will have a display that details the evolution of the wireless phone. A list of participating stores and their addresses is attached. In addition, the company is celebrating its 20th birthday with 20% off select in-stock wireless accessories. In addition, Cingular will offer $20 gift cards and some models of phones for $20 with a two-year service agreement(2).
Huge building banners will be hung from Cingular's Call Center -- 1801 Farmer's Branch -- as well as office locations at the 17330 Preston Road and 15660 Dallas Parkway office buildings.
As a way to make a more lasting contribution to the community for the anniversary and to help ensure wireless innovation in the future, Cingular Wireless and The University of Texas at Dallas have announced the creation of a $20,000 scholarship to benefit students planning a career in telecommunications. The scholarship will be awarded to two students enrolled in UTD's Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications Engineering degree program.
Cingular Wireless counts a number of important firsts in its history as a leader in wireless technology:
* Customer Care - Today, Cingular has introduced services such as the
Cingular Service Summary and *Services, designed to provide customers
with easy-to-understand information that helps them conveniently and
effectively manage their account.

* Network Performance - Cingular has completed its nationwide GSM network
conversion, and is delivering the advantages with superior sound
quality, high-speed data connectivity and one of the widest selections
of handsets with the latest features -- cameras, color screens,
Multimedia messaging compatibility and polyphonic ringtones. Dallas has
the distinction of being the site of the first commercial digital call
in the country -- from Dallas to Washington, D.C. in 1991.


* Personalized products - Consumers want information and services in a
format and style that suits individual tastes and needs. With innovative
products such as Multimedia Alerts, Music Tone Ringtones, Rollover(SM)
minutes and FastForward -- providing wireless and wireline integration
-- Cingular is providing products that fit each customer best.


"Cingular has maintained its momentum and continues to grow by introducing innovations in customer care, such as our new personalized customer service summary, and our continued drive to provide improved coverage and network quality," said Steve Schoonmaker, vice president and general manager for Cingular's operations in North Texas. "Today we have the distinction of serving more customers in Dallas/Fort Worth than any other provider(1). We are committed to continuing to provide world-class wireless service that is the best fit for each of our current and future customers."
Additional industry milestones include:

* Cingular created reality-television history, providing the first-ever
multi-carrier text- message voting for SURVIVOR this May.

* Cingular was the first nationwide wireless carrier awarded the right to
use the "Seal of Wireless Quality" in September 2003. Cingular was one
of several wireless carriers to adopt the Cellular Telecommunications &
Internet Association (CTIA) Consumer Code for Wireless Service. Cingular
was the first carrier to be deemed by the CTIA to be in complete
compliance with all aspects of the code.

* Cingular was the first carrier in the world to launch high-speed EDGE
service when it turned up its network in Indianapolis in July 2003.

* For its support of and commitment to Americans with disabilities,
Cingular Wireless was named a recipient of the prestigious 2003 New
Freedom Initiative Award by the U.S. Department of Labor.

* In 2002, Cingular Wireless was ranked highest in overall customer
satisfaction in Dallas/Ft. Worth by prestigious J.D. Power and
Associates.

* Also in 2002, Cingular launched inter-carrier text messaging, allowing
its customers the ability to communicate with the majority of text
messaging enabled users in the U.S. regardless of their wireless
carrier.

* Cingular announced the industry's first implementation of inter-carrier
roaming for GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) high-speed data
services in 2001.


For more information about Cingular products visit http://www.cingular.com/.
(1) According to data collected May 2004 by an independent third-party
provider.

(2) Offer expires 8/20/04. Available at participating locations. New
activation requires credit approval, $36 activation fee and GSM phone.
Accessory discount does not apply to data card/modems or installed car
kits. Some phone offers require mail in rebate. Gift card fulfilled
via mail in redemption form. Gift card/Rebate form must be postmarked
by 8/31/04. Allow 10-12 weeks to receive gift card/rebate check. Must
be a customer for 30 consecutive days. Other conditions and
restrictions apply. See store for details.

About Cingular Wireless

Cingular Wireless, a joint venture between SBC Communications and BellSouth , serves more than 25 million voice and data customers across the United States. A leader in mobile voice and data communications, Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(SM), the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Cingular is the largest provider of GSM services in the United States, and has a 100 percent digital GSM/GPRS footprint across its service area. It also launched the world's first commercial deployment of wireless services using Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) technology. Cingular also provides corporate e-mail and other advanced data services through its GPRS, EDGE and Mobitex packet data networks. Details of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com/.
Cingular Wireless Company-Owned Stores

Dallas Fort Worth and Mid-Cities

Casa Linda Hulen
1152 N. Buckner Suite 106 2834 South Hulen
Dallas, TX 75218 Ft. Worth, TX 76109


Frisco Hurst
8700 Preston Rd. Suite 117 980 Melbourne Suite A
Plano, TX 75024 Hurst, TX 76053

Garland Inwood
3112 N. Jupiter Suite 301 2952 N. Stemmons Suite 100
Garland, TX 75044 Dallas, TX 75247



MacArthur Lewisville
7979 N. MacArthur Blvd., Suite 120 500 E. FM 3040 Suite 203
Irving, TX 75063 Lewisville, TX 75067


Plano North Arlington
601 W. Plano PKWY Suite 147 2111 N. Collins Suite 203
Plano, TX 75075 Arlington, TX 76011

Preston Park Lane
17489 Preston Rd 9100 N. Central Expwy Suite 112
Dallas, TX 75252 Dallas. TX 75231

Sherman South Arlington
301 E HWY 82 Suite 1A 5415 S. Cooper Suite 125
Sherman, TX 75092 Arlington, TX 76017

Tollway
15660 Dallas Pkwy Suite 101
Dallas, TX 75248

Willowbend
6121 W. Park Blvd. B-102
Plano, TX 75093

DeSoto
1001 N. Buckley Suite 614-D
DeSoto, TX 75115

Cingular Wireless


CONTACT: Frank Merriman, Cingular Wireless, +1-972-774-4802,frank.merriman@cingular.com


Web site: http://www.cingular.com/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]


Featured White Papers
Top Stories
Related VoIP News

blog comments powered by Disqus


Upcoming Events

October 1- 4, 2012
The Austin Convention Center
Austin, Texas
October 1- 4, 2012
The Austin Convention Center
Austin, Texas
October 1- 4, 2012
The Austin Convention Center
Austin, Texas

DevCon5 provides you with the information and tools you need to exploit the capabilities of revolutionary HTML5 technology
View all >>

Subscribe FREE to all of TMC's monthly magazines. Click here now.