AT&T CEO on Plans for the Future Wireless is the way to go When Randall Stephenson took over as CEO of AT&T, there were concerns that the company would focus entirely on FTTH growth and forget about its FTTN and VDSL strategy. That turned out to not be the case but Stephenson does plan some changes in AT&T’s operations. Namely, he wants the company’s biggest focus to be on its wireless service. Saying that your wireless phone is your ‘first, most personal decision’, Stephenson wants to start growing their wireless offerings and to integrate them with all other areas of AT&T in order to present ‘one face’ for all parts of the company.
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  LinklistPremium
join:2002-03-03
Longport, NJ
kudos:5 |  Stephenson sounds like right guy at right time
I like his idea that the cell phone will be the main way to gain new customers and that the rest of the products AT&T offers will build from that. I expect that is why they did that deal with Apple and the new iPhone. To get a lot of new wireless customers.
The main question is can anyone get such a big corporation to deliver the day to day customer service that keeps customers happy? Only time will tell if Stephenson is that person.
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|  | | | Re: Stephenson sounds like right guy at right time About time!!!
Wireless has the most add on services!!!
Phone
Video
Interactive Messaging
Email
Internet
etc...
The main thing that all companies are trying to accomplish is streaming media to the customer | |
| |  spgGrrrr
join:2001-10-31
NOT Texas! | The regulated wireline is dying, we all know that. It only makes sense to put your money into the unregulated segment of the business.
The next crises? Bandwidth for the wireless services and just plain ol' POTS lines for the rural and the working poor.
I have a hunch those Iphones will be extremely expensive paperweights in a lot of the country because the cell towers aren't going to have the bandwidth to serve them and all the other users.
And who is going to serve Frank the farmer if there is no $$$ in it? the rural line has always been subsidized by the urban lines. as they disappear, there goes the cushion. | |
| | | patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1 | Re: Stephenson sounds like right guy at right time said by spg 
And who is going to serve Frank the farmer if there is no $$$ in it? the rural line has always been subsidized by the urban lines. as they disappear, there goes the cushion.
[/BQUOTE :Don't worry congress will fix that by taxing VOIP (cellphones already are). The clock is ticking. If that doesnt work they can always take your first born. | |
| | |  KrKHeavy Artillery For The Little GuyPremium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK | said by spg:And who is going to serve Frank the farmer if there is no $$$ in it? the rural line has always been subsidized by the urban lines. as they disappear, there goes the cushion. The phone companies long ago got the USF expanded to wireless phones as well, and are pushing for USF on Internet communications like VOIP as well. That way even if their wireline service dies they still will get paid $$$ to keep Frank the Farmer (and themselves) in service and in the money.
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"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!) | |
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| | Get rich quick Yeah, AT&T's highest profit margin business "wireless"..
The economics of cellular wireless will get more competitive with broadband wireless supplanting cellular networks taking the taxes, fees and surcharges out of the wireless business. What is not readily apparent to the company executives is that the cable companies are prepared to clean AT&T's clock in the wired line broadband tv and voip business.
BTW, they can stick the IPHONE way up their ass too. Can't wait until 2008 when we can proclaim two of the worst products which failed to win over the consumer.. playstation 3 and the iphone. | |
| | spgGrrrr
join:2001-10-31
NOT Texas! | Re: Get rich quick Why don't you register? It's free and your comments would be taken seriously. | |
| | | | | Re: Get rich quick yea i believe that the iphone is really cool but....my brother already has made his htc pocket pc do the same things as the iphone. the day after he downloaded the itunes skins and other thingys.. it does the same things i had to laugh@@@@@@ 
Apple on the cusp of doing the same things as pocket pc but years behind. | |
| | | |  Matt3All noise, no signal.Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12 | Re: Get rich quick said by seant169:yea i believe that the iphone is really cool but....my brother already has made his htc pocket pc do the same things as the iphone. the day after he downloaded the itunes skins and other thingys.. it does the same things i had to laugh@@@@@@ Apple on the cusp of doing the same things as pocket pc but years behind. I have a Windows Mobile XV6700 from Verizon and I feel the same way. It's like 3 years old and it's been doing what the iPhone is calling "revolutionary" - although the iPhone looks prettier. 
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|  morboComplete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000 | said by unoscheme :
What is not readily apparent to the company executives is that the cable companies are prepared to clean AT&T's clock in the wired line broadband tv and voip business. completely agree. maybe AT&T is willing to let it's wireline business go away, let the cable companies take tv and home phone customers, and just do REAL REAL GOOD at wireless.
seems like a poor strategy. you can lead a horse to water... | |
| | | | | Re: Get rich quick Thats not technically what he said but it sounds like that is his idea.
He said he wants to use wireless to pull in new customers. But it sounds like he wants cingular/at&t to be the beginning of the chain. All well and good but when 1 service sucks the customers will assume all sucks , they have to be very careful with what they ask for.
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| | At the cost of DSL ? Does this mean that the emphasis for further DSL rollout and enhancements will take second place? | |
| | | | Re: At the cost of DSL ? I would not be supprised.. To think that AT&T boldly says it dosent give a shi# about its current wired customers....Seems like the days of the customer are gone. The wires still connect the wireless system
Until they can get the reception powerfull enough in my house I would need a cell phone retransmitter to do all the services they offer or want to offer through the wireless system.
A full wireless system is not going to happen for at least 10 years if not more. | |
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 MarkyDPremium
join:2002-08-20
Oklahoma City, OK | maybe they should start with actually rolling out 3G The 3G footprint is pathetic. I'm not sure what they're hoping to accomplish with EDGE. | |
| |  WeSRT4
join:2000-11-20
Mobile, AL | Re: maybe they should start with actually rolling out 3G said by MarkyD:The 3G footprint is pathetic. I'm not sure what they're hoping to accomplish with EDGE. Yep. They are WAY behind in 3G deployment. But most customers just want a voice service that works well and in this area they excel. | |
| | |  en102Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | Re: maybe they should start with actually rolling out 3G I agree... they _finally_ (as in 2 days ago) lit up Santa Clarita's sites on 3G.... now what about the San Fernando Valley ? | |
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| bmn? ? ?Premium,ExMod 2003-06
join:2001-03-15
hiatus | said by MarkyD:The 3G footprint is pathetic. I'm not sure what they're hoping to accomplish with EDGE. Keeping technically inclined people from using their wireless networks, that's for sure? Come next weekend, I'm switching phone providers and it will likely be Sprint since they actually have a data network worth using. ATT was only an option because of the iPhone, but after doing some looking about the crap performance of ATT's wireless data network, the decision was easy...
What is it with ATT anyway? Why do all of their data products (Uverse, cellular, etc.) suck so much more than everyone elses' (Verizon, Sprint, etc.) ?
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| | | MarkyDPremium
join:2002-08-20
Oklahoma City, OK | Re: maybe they should start with actually rolling out 3G said by bmn:said by MarkyD:The 3G footprint is pathetic. I'm not sure what they're hoping to accomplish with EDGE. Keeping technically inclined people from using their wireless networks, that's for sure? Come next weekend, I'm switching phone providers and it will likely be Sprint since they actually have a data network worth using. ATT was only an option because of the iPhone, but after doing some looking about the crap performance of ATT's wireless data network, the decision was easy... What is it with ATT anyway? Why do all of their data products (Uverse, cellular, etc.) suck so much more than everyone elses' (Verizon, Sprint, etc.) ? Aren't you in the OKC metro area? IIRC, you are. You are making the right decision skipping AT&T for wireless service, if that is the case. The ONLY thing they have over Sprint here is better voice coverage. For example, I work in the basement of a certain government facility, and with Sprint I get NOTHING. Everyone on Cingular gets 4 bars. In comparing coverage all over the city, Cingular is superior in that area. That's about it. Sprint has EVDO all throughout the metro, while Cingular is still putting along at EDGE speeds. There is no ETA for 3G here according to Cingular; apparently they are short the spectrum needed after selling off AT&T Wireless assets in the area. Not to mention, when I used to have Cingular here about a year ago, the dropped calls were INSANE. It happened on both mine and my wife's phones (different models) even in full signal strength. Don't even get me started on voice quality...tin cans, anyone?
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 Lorne8Premium
join:2002-02-10
Fort Worth, TX
4 edits | POTS luv Maybe POTS lines wouldn't be decreasing if AT&T didn't do things like charge $11 a month extra for *just* adding CallerID.
"Our customers want bundle deals". No they don't. You only give the choice to get a bundle deal they don't need or ram a flag pole up their rear ends for the one feature they do need.
But, there would be no wireless service without the copper network and it's switching equipment. | |
| | | Maybe once upon a time I believed that wireless communications was the answer to everything but no more. My experience now tells me different.
I've had them all, from T~Mobile to AT&T and the only thing that is consistent is the number of dropped calls and semi lousy connections is just too great to ever really make this a replacement for wired communications.
Raise your HAND if you haven't ever been in the middle of an important phone call, only to find you've been talking to no one other than YOURSELF for the last 3 minutes.
It's called the infamous, "but my signal was great..I'm not even moving..it's a great day outside...but where in HE^^ did that signal go?"
Honestly, I can now barely stand even talking to anyone on a cell phone anymore and would prefer they just not call me unless it's an absolute emergency. And, I know I have friends who feel the same way about me calling them.
The funny thing is, while this has improved SOMEWHAT over the years, I can think back at years ago at my first one I had, to today..and honestly say that I just don't see where this has really improved all that much. It really is just the nature of this form of communication I think and instead of the clear, quality we came to expect in the form of landline or now even VOIP communications, it's like we're a bunch of astronauts now trying to communicate with one another in space.
Once upon a time, the cell phone was supposed to REPLACE our home phones right? WRONG..at least in this household. At least if I plan on having any friends left that I want to talk to anymore.
It's all great for emergencies and short conversations, but as a replacement for landline or voip? No way. Never. I simply don't believe it anymore.
And, as a replacement for wired internet? Nope..not that either. Satellites latency tells that story and while wifi isn't too bad, it simply won't replace cable or DSL either.
If this is AT&T's focus, I'd say they're barking up the wrong tree. FTTH is the future and they really should get on with the show. | |
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