FCC Clears Cingular AT&T Merger, Cingular Promises 3G Expansion

The FCC cleared the merger between Cingular and AT&T today, making the combined company the largest cellular provider in the United States. Sure it means that a single company now provides cellular service to 46 million people. (Verizon was formerly the largest wireless provider with over 40 million customers.)

It also means that 3G high speed wireless should start rolling out nationwide in a serious way.

Along with the promises you'd expect from such a merger (increased coverage and improvement of "the wireless experience") Stan Sigman, president and CEO of Cingular specifically addressed 3G.

Sigman said Cingular was "committed to expanding our high-speed Third Generation services to the ever-growing community of mobile data users. And Cingular is laying the foundation to enable rural carriers to bring 3G services to rural America."

Rural 3G. High speed wireless data in the hinterlands. Take a look at Cingular's new coverage map. That's a lot of territory to cover with high speed data access, especially if 'rural America' means the territory that isn't already serviced by Cingular.

If you dream of wireless access everywhere the way we do, here's to hoping that Cingular delivers on its promise expanded 3G coverage, and that Verizon plans on keeping pace.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in ExtremeTech.