Cingular Wireless

Cingular Wireless LLC is the largest United States mobile phone company, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Cingular operates a network of multiple technologies. The most widely used of these technologies is called Global Systems for Mobile, or GSM. On top of their GSM network they run a data network called GPRS (general packet radio service) and an upgrade for faster speeds called EDGE (enhanced data rates for global evolution). Cingular supports their legacy networks of TDMA and Analog. Former networks include various paging services and the Cingular Interactive division that became Velocita Wireless.


History

Cingular Wireless was formed in 2001 as a joint venture of SBC (now AT&T) and BellSouth. The joint venture created the nations second largest carrier. Cingular grew out of a conglomeration of 11 regional companies. these companies include BellSouth Mobility, BellSouth Mobility DCS, Cellular One, Houston Cellular, BellSouth Wireless Data, Southwestern Bell, Pacific Bell, Nevada Bell, Ameritech Cellular, SNET and SBC Wireless. With the exception of Pacific Bell and BellSouth Mobility DCS, the digital network consisted of TDMA Technology. The Pacific Bell and BellSouth Mobility DCS networks used GSM technology on the PCS frequency (1900 Mhz). In 2002 Cingular began an initiative called "Project Genesis" which the code name for the GSM/GPRS overlay of the entire network. Project Genesis was completed by the end of 2004.

AT&T Wireless merger

After a bidding war with Britain's Vodefone PLC, Cingular announced in February, 2004 that they would purchase AT&T Wireless for 41 Billion dollars. The merger was completed on October 16, 2004. The combined company had a customer base of 46 million people which placed Cingular as the largest wireless provider in the United States.

Universal Telephone Service UMTS high-speed network known as "BroadbandConnect", the first to utilize High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPDA), to counter Verizon's EV-DO network. UMTS was launched on December 6, 2005 in Seattle, Portland, San Fransico, Salt Lake City, San Jose, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Austin, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, Baltimore and Washington D.C. Cingular is expected to launch UMTS in all major metropolitan areas by the end of 2006.


The Cingular Wireless logo prior to the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, which is still used in some contexts.


GSM Facilities

In California, Nevada, northern New Jersey and New York City, Cingular and T-Mobile USA maintained and shared a GSM-1900 network prior to the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, through a joint venture known as GSM Facilities. The network sharing agreement allowed Cingular to offer local service in northern New Jersey and New York City and T-Mobile to offer service in California and Nevada. On May 25, 2004, Cingular and T-Mobile USA announced their intention to dissolve the agreement contingent on Cingular's successful acquisition of AT&T Wireless.

First announced on June 23, 2005 Cingular Wireless announced the intention to divest its Caribbean and Bermuda operations and licenses which it acquired from the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, to Bermuda-based Digcel Group under undisclosed financial terms. [1], [2], [3], [4]

Cingular outsources some of their Customer Care to companies in Canada and overseas.

On August 25, Cingular was removed from the New York Better Business Bureau because of a large number of complaints that were not handled in a timely manner. The company is in the process of restructuring its customer care procedures and has appealed the decision.[5] It remains a member of the BBB in other states in which it operates.

In 2004, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reported logging more than 14,000 complaints (or 289 per million subscribers) against Cingular Wireless. The most common of which included number portability issues, over billing, poor customer support and network reliability.

Possible Name Change

On 20 November 2005, Ed Whitacre, CEO of the newly-merged SBC/AT&T, announced plans to market the service under the AT&T banner. [6] BellSouth spokesman Jeff Battcher countered that the terms of the joint venture allow either party to sell the service under another name, and that he believes they will be using the brand to market to business customers. [7] Cingular president Stan Sigman concurred with BellSouth's position, indicating that the Cingular brand would continue but be sold under the AT&T brand where offered in packages with other AT&T services, such as data and wireline telephony.

Adelante

Recently, Cingular has launched a new ad campaign "Adelante". In Spanish it means literally "forward". It is aimed at the Hispanic and Spanish speaking communities in the US to boost sales and consists of newspaper ads, commercials, and magazine ads. Also, part of "Adelante" is to now start offering bilingual support at its stores for English and Spanish.

Trivia

  • In 2005, Communications Workers of America, the union which represents over half of Cingular's employees, specifically recognized Cingular for excellence as a union employer, in direct contrast to competitor Verizon, which CWA singled out as an aggressive union-buster.
  • A sales boost is expected following January 2006, when RadioShack (the top wireless retailer in the US) will no longer sell Verizon phones and instead will sell Cingular phones.
  • Cingular Wireless is the wireless carrier of the street racers in Electronic Arts' street racing video games Need for Speed Underground 2 and Need for Speed: Most Wanted. It is used to receive SMS messages from other racers.



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. Although Youngman's jest suggests that the list of holidays for a non-believer would necessarily be the "empty set", many non-believers honor various holidays and "holy" days, and those of one faith often honor holidays of other faiths. Also, part of "Adelante" is to now start offering bilingual support at its stores for English and Spanish. Referring to the original meaning of the term, Henny Youngman included this joke among his vast catalog of one-liners:. It is aimed at the Hispanic and Spanish speaking communities in the US to boost sales and consists of newspaper ads, commercials, and magazine ads. Christopher Columbus, who has arrived in the New World just moments earlier, tells a Native American that he wants to cash a check... In Spanish it means literally "forward". One example of this fact is revealed by the assumption inherent in this bit of dialogue from the 1961 musical-comedy album, Stan Freberg Presents The United States of America, Volume One.

Recently, Cingular has launched a new ad campaign "Adelante". Some holidays that were once widely celebrated are less so today, for various reasons. [7] Cingular president Stan Sigman concurred with BellSouth's position, indicating that the Cingular brand would continue but be sold under the AT&T brand where offered in packages with other AT&T services, such as data and wireline telephony. Some are designed to promote a cause, others recognize historical events not recognized officially, and others are "funny" holidays are generally intended as humorous distractions and excuses to share laughs among friends. [6] BellSouth spokesman Jeff Battcher countered that the terms of the joint venture allow either party to sell the service under another name, and that he believes they will be using the brand to market to business customers. These are holidays celebrated by various groups and individuals. On 20 November 2005, Ed Whitacre, CEO of the newly-merged SBC/AT&T, announced plans to market the service under the AT&T banner. Other secular holidays not observed internationally:.

The most common of which included number portability issues, over billing, poor customer support and network reliability. Many other days are marked to celebrate events or people, but are not strictly holidays as time off work is rarely given. In 2004, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reported logging more than 14,000 complaints (or 289 per million subscribers) against Cingular Wireless. They are:. The company is in the process of restructuring its customer care procedures and has appealed the decision.[5] It remains a member of the BBB in other states in which it operates. With the winter holidays, come various different greetings appropriate for each holiday or the entire season. On August 25, Cingular was removed from the New York Better Business Bureau because of a large number of complaints that were not handled in a timely manner. In some Christian countries, the end of the festive season is considered to be after the feast of Epiphany, although this has only symbolic value.

Cingular outsources some of their Customer Care to companies in Canada and overseas. Usually, this festive period begins near the end of November and ends with New Year's Day on January 1, reflecting traditional pagan celebrations of the period around the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. [1], [2], [3], [4]. Except in North America, the phrases "holiday season" and "holiday period" usually mean the summer months when most people take their annual holiday ("vacation" in North American English), and phrases such as the "festive period" are used to describe the period around Christmas and New Year. First announced on June 23, 2005 Cingular Wireless announced the intention to divest its Caribbean and Bermuda operations and licenses which it acquired from the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, to Bermuda-based Digcel Group under undisclosed financial terms. In many Western countries, the winter holiday season is a period of time surrounding Christmas. On May 25, 2004, Cingular and T-Mobile USA announced their intention to dissolve the agreement contingent on Cingular's successful acquisition of AT&T Wireless. The Catholic fiestas patronales are celebrated in each place's patron saint's day, according to the Calendar of saints.

The network sharing agreement allowed Cingular to offer local service in northern New Jersey and New York City and T-Mobile to offer service in California and Nevada. In the order of the Wheel of the Year:. In California, Nevada, northern New Jersey and New York City, Cingular and T-Mobile USA maintained and shared a GSM-1900 network prior to the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, through a joint venture known as GSM Facilities. Well-known consecutive holidays include:. GSM Facilities. In late 1990s, the Japanese government passed a law that increased the likelihood of consecutive holidays by moving holidays from fixed days to a relative position in a month, such as the second Monday.
. They tend to be considered a good chance to take short trips.


. Consecutive holidays are a string of holidays taken together without working days in between. Cingular is expected to launch UMTS in all major metropolitan areas by the end of 2006. "Legal holiday" is not a term used outside the United States. UMTS was launched on December 6, 2005 in Seattle, Portland, San Fransico, Salt Lake City, San Jose, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Austin, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, Baltimore and Washington D.C. "Public Holiday" is the term used in Australia and "Bank Holiday" in the UK, although some industries in the UK work through Bank Holidays. Universal Telephone Service UMTS high-speed network known as "BroadbandConnect", the first to utilize High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPDA), to counter Verizon's EV-DO network. Public holidays can be either religious, in which case they reflect the dominant religion in a country, or secular, in which case they are usually political or historical in character.

The combined company had a customer base of 46 million people which placed Cingular as the largest wireless provider in the United States. A public holiday or legal holiday is a holiday endorsed by the state. The merger was completed on October 16, 2004. . After a bidding war with Britain's Vodefone PLC, Cingular announced in February, 2004 that they would purchase AT&T Wireless for 41 Billion dollars.
. AT&T Wireless merger. A holiday can also be a special day on which school and/or offices are closed, such as Labor Day.

Project Genesis was completed by the end of 2004. In Canada and the United States, a Holiday is a day set aside by a nation or culture (in some cases, multiple nations and cultures) typically for celebration but sometimes for some other kind of special culture-wide (or national) observation or activity. In 2002 Cingular began an initiative called "Project Genesis" which the code name for the GSM/GPRS overlay of the entire network. However, some Canadians (especially those of English or Irish decent) will use both the terms vacation and holiday interchangeably when referring to a trip away from home or time off work. The Pacific Bell and BellSouth Mobility DCS networks used GSM technology on the PCS frequency (1900 Mhz). "I'm going on holiday to Malta next week"), the North American equivalent being "vacation". With the exception of Pacific Bell and BellSouth Mobility DCS, the digital network consisted of TDMA Technology. In most of the English-speaking world a holiday is also a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation (e.g.

these companies include BellSouth Mobility, BellSouth Mobility DCS, Cellular One, Houston Cellular, BellSouth Wireless Data, Southwestern Bell, Pacific Bell, Nevada Bell, Ameritech Cellular, SNET and SBC Wireless. The word has evolved in general usage to mean any special day. Cingular grew out of a conglomeration of 11 regional companies. Based on the words holy and day -, holidays originally represented special religious days. The joint venture created the nations second largest carrier. The word holiday has related but different meanings in English-speaking countries. Cingular Wireless was formed in 2001 as a joint venture of SBC (now AT&T) and BellSouth. Native: "Columbus Day!".

. Columbus: "Oh? Why?".
. Banks closed.". Former networks include various paging services and the Cingular Interactive division that became Velocita Wireless. Native: "You out of luck today. Cingular supports their legacy networks of TDMA and Analog. Tax Freedom Day (calculated by dividing the tally of all taxes collected in each year by a tally of all income, and applying it to the calendar).

On top of their GSM network they run a data network called GPRS (general packet radio service) and an upgrade for faster speeds called EDGE (enhanced data rates for global evolution). Sinkie Day (The Day After Thanksgiving). The most widely used of these technologies is called Global Systems for Mobile, or GSM. Flying Spaghetti Monsterism Holy Day (every Friday). Cingular operates a network of multiple technologies. Blame Someone Else Day (first Friday the 13th of the year). Cingular Wireless LLC is the largest United States mobile phone company, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Christmahanukwanzakah (the holiday season in general, a holiday made out of a marketing campaign invented by Virgin Mobile during the 2004 holiday season.).

It is used to receive SMS messages from other racers. Festivus (23 December). Cingular Wireless is the wireless carrier of the street racers in Electronic Arts' street racing video games Need for Speed Underground 2 and Need for Speed: Most Wanted. Mole Day (23 October). A sales boost is expected following January 2006, when RadioShack (the top wireless retailer in the US) will no longer sell Verizon phones and instead will sell Cingular phones. Brick Day (15 October). In 2005, Communications Workers of America, the union which represents over half of Cingular's employees, specifically recognized Cingular for excellence as a union employer, in direct contrast to competitor Verizon, which CWA singled out as an aggressive union-buster. October Fool's Day (1 October) (Southern Hemisphere version of April Fool's Day).

Ask a Stupid Question Day (28 September). International Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September). National Underwear Day (11 August). National Talk In Elevators Day (last Friday of July).

Pi Approximation Day (22 July). Evoloterra (20 July celebrates the first manned Moon Landing). X-Day (5 July in the Church of the SubGenius). Bloomsday (16 June based on James Joyce's novel Ulysses).

No Pants Day (first Friday of May). 24-hour Comics Day (24 April). Towel Day (25 May) (a tribute to the late Douglas Adams). International Cannabis Day (20 April).

Pi Day (14 March). International Dadaism Month (4 February, 1 April, 28 March, 15 July, 2 August, 7 August, 16 August, 26 August, 18 September, 22 September, 1 October, 17 October, 26 October). Wintereenmas (25 January through 31 January). Paper Hat Day (4 January).

Holidays originating in ancient Latvia. Sweetest Day (third Saturday in October, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan in the United States). Queen's Day (30 March in the Netherlands). Pioneer Day (24 July in Utah, United States).

Patriot's Day (third Monday in April in Massachusetts and Maine, United States). Mother-in-Law's Day (fourth Sunday in October, where?). Martin Luther King Day (third Monday in January in the United States). Loyalty Day (1 May in the United States).

Lee-Jackson-King Day (20 January) Combined holiday celebrated in the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1984 to 2000. Independence day (observed by many different countries at different dates). Labour Day (Many European countries celebrate Labour Day on May 1). Labor Day (a United States federal holiday that takes place on the first Monday of September).

Groundhog Day (2 February in United States and Canada). Grandparent's Day (Sunday after September Labor Day - proclaimed in the United States by Jimmy Carter in 1978). Flag Day (14 June in the United States). Boxing Day (26 December in the Commonwealth of Nations).

International Women's Day (8th of March, particularly in Eastern European Countries). United Nations holidays. Halloween (31 October). Father's Day (third Sunday in June; 19 March, others; 8 August, Republic of China).

World Ocean Day (8 June). Mother's Day (second Sunday in May in North America, fourth Sunday in Lent in UK). Labour Day, Worker's Day or May Day (1 May, most countries - United States and Canada are prominent exceptions). Earth Day (22 April).

April Fool's Day (1 April). Astronomy Day (date varies depending on cycle of Moon). Leap Day (29 February, every four years). Valentine's Day (14 February).

Perihelion (3-6 January, depending on year and location). Happy Winter. Happy Thanksgiving. Happy Solstice.

Happy New Year. Happy Kwanzaa. Joyous Yule. Happy Holiday(s).

Season's Greetings. Happy Hanukkah. Merry Christmas (sometimes referenced in Spanish or French as Feliz Navidad and Joyeux Noel). Preceded by New Year's Eve on 31 December, which is celebrated with festivities in anticipation of New Year's Day.

New Year's Day - (1 January) — Holiday observing the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. In many European countries it is also a holiday, called St Stephen's Day or the second day of Christmas. Boxing Day (26 December) — Holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries on 26 December. It was created in 1966.

Kwanzaa (USA) - (26 December - 1 January) — Holiday observance held from December 26 to January 1 honoring African-American heritage, primarily in the United States. Christmas is also celebrated as a secular gift-giving holiday; other observances include the decoration of trees and houses. Christmas Day - (25 December) — Christian holiday commemorating the traditional birth-date of Jesus. Hanukkah - (26 Kislev - 2/3 Tevet - almost always in December) — Jewish holiday celebrating the defeat of Seleucid forces who had tried to prevent Israel from practising Judaism, and also celebrating the miracle of the Menorah lights burning for eight days with only enough (olive) oil for one day.

It is celebrated by many as a secular holiday, and marks the beginning of the American "holiday season". It is traditionally celebrated with a meal shared among friends and family in which turkey is eaten. Thanksgiving - (fourth Thursday in November in USA, second Monday in October in Canada) — Holiday generally observed as an expression of gratitude, traditionally to God, for the autumn harvest. Birth of Bahá'u'lláh.

Birth of the Báb. Martyrdom of the Báb. Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh. Declaration of the Báb.

12th Day of Ridvan. 9th Day of Ridvan. 1st Day of Ridván. Naw Ruz (Bahá'í New Year).

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Tu Bishvat (New year of the trees). Tisha B'Av. Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles).

Shavuot (Pentecost). Rosh Hashanah (New Year). Purim (Based on the events in the Biblical book of Esther). Passover.

Lag Ba'omer. Hanukkah (also: Chanukah; the Festival of Lights). Ramadan. Festival of Muharram.

Eid ul-Adha, Greater Bairam. Eid ul-Fitr, Lesser Bairam

    . Eid: date determined by the lunar calendar and observation of the moon
      . Aashurah (especially in Shi'a Islam).

      Ugadi. Vaikunta Ekadasi. Ram Navami. Rama-Lilas.

      Pongal. Onam. Makar Sankranti. Mahashivratri.

      Holi. Gudhi Padwa. Gokul Ashtami. Ganesh Chaturthi.

      Ekadasi. Bhaubeej. Diwali (day 2). Diwali Amvasaya (Laxmi Puja).

      Diwali

        . Daserra. Baisakhi. Watch Night.

        Winter Lent. Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras (last day of Carnival). Pentecost or Whitsun (Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Jesus). Lent.

        Epiphany. Holy Thursday (Celebration of The Last Supper). Holy Saturday. Good Friday (Death of Jesus).

        Easter Vigil. Easter Triduum

          . Easter (Resurrection of Jesus). (Sacrifice of Jesus).

          Corpus Christi. Christmas (Birth of Jesus). Childermas. Candlemas.

          Assumption of Mary (Assumption of the Virgin Mary). Ash Wednesday. Ascension Day (Ascension of Jesus into Heaven). All Souls' Day.

          All Saints' Day. Advent. Mabon/Harvest End (Norse): 21 September-22 September, autumnal equinox, Celtic mid-fall. Lughnasadh (Celtic): 1 August-2 August, Celtic first day of autumn.

          Litha (Norse): 21 June-22 June, summer solstice, Celtic mid-summer. Beltane (Celtic): 30 April-1 May, Celtic first day of summer. Ostara/Easter (Norse): 21 March-22 March, vernal equinox, Celtic mid-spring. Imbolc (Celtic): 1 February-2 February, Celtic first day of spring.

          Yule (Norse): 21 December-22 December, winter solstice, Celtic mid-winter. Winternights (Norse): 29 October-2 November, Norse New Year. Samhain (Celtic): 31 October-1 November, Celtic New Year, first day of winter. Blessed Rainy Day in Bhutan.

          Matsuri (in Japan, could also be considered a Shinto holiday). Vesak. Several states had passed similar laws earlier. Congress changed the observance of Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Washington's Birthday from fixed dates to certain Mondays in 1968 (effective 1971).

          The U.S. This arrangement results in a long weekend. In Australia and England, a public holiday otherwise falling on a Sunday will result in observance of the public holiday on the next available weekday (generally Monday). Patrick's Day, Good Friday, and Easter Monday) plus three days leave can result in a 10-day break.

          Patrick's Day can occasionally occur in Holy Week, the week before Easter; in this case the three holidays (St. In Ireland, St. In Poland during holidays on the 1st and 3rd of May, when taking a few days of leave can result in 9-day-long holidays; this is called The Picnic (or Majówka). In Japan, golden-week, lasting roughly a full week.

          Began at 2000, in the People's Republic of China, Spring Festival, Labor Day and National Day are week-long holidays.