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Cingular Wireless Has Big Role in AT&T’s Fiber Optic Television Plans

7:15 am on November 18, 2006 | Category: Business, Cell Phones, Telecom Services, Television, Wireless

Cellular phones will have an important role to play in AT&Tâ€™s video and television plans, as the telephone giant continues to roll-out its U-verse fiber optic IPTV offering.

“Wireless is at the top of our list,” said AT&Tâ€™s executive vice president of entertainment, Scott Helbing, who is responsible for acquiring new content for U-verse.

Helbing notes that none of Americaâ€™s big cable operators currently has a commercially available wireless voice service, giving AT&T the important marketing advantage of quadruple-play bundling. “We believe (wireless) is a differentiation we should have for a period of time,” he notes about the current market situation.

Once AT&T completes its planned $80 billion merger with BellSouth Corp., Cingular Wireless will be united under a single owner, and freely integrated with its parent companyâ€™s fiber optic video offerings.

AT&T is ultimately hoping to blur the lines between wired and wireless, and create a streamlined experience for customers by making a wide selection content available on several different platforms.

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