AT&T will rebrand its Cingular service with the AT&T name starting Monday. AT&T took full control of Cingular, the exclusive carrier of Apple’s iPhone, with its $85.8 billion purchase of BellSouth last month.
“The new name is a step back in time for Cingular, which bought the old AT&T Wireless in 2004 and eventually dropped the AT&T name altogether,” reports the Wall Street Journal. “AT&T executives hope a sole brand will signal to consumers that the company is a one-stop shop for myriad services including wireless, TV and land-line phone. But the coming months may be confusing for some Cingular customers who not long ago were absorbed from the old AT&T Wireless.”
Ads, customer bills and other items will have both Cingular and AT&T logos at the beginning of the transition, with the AT&T name to takeover solely months from now.