With the merger between AT&T and BellSouth, AT&T has total control over Cingular wireless. What does this mean to you?

• It’s likely that the name Cingular will be phased out, because AT&T Chairman and Chief Executive Edward Whitacre prefers the AT&T brand, and because Cingular will become “the heart” of AT&T. Bye, cute orange dot thing.

• AT&T will begin offering bundles with wireless service. “Consumers will get the choice of signing up for a new package of mobile phone and Internet service rather than the traditional bundle of land-line phone and Internet service,” reports the Wall Street Journal.

• Wi-fi phones? “AT&T has been testing cellphones that can run on Wi-Fi networks when at home, which could let consumers save money on their mobile phone bills and perhaps get better reception indoors, the paper said.”

• And now the bad news. The WSJ reported that AT&T will begin selling advertising on mobile phones, television, and Internet access services this year.

Ut-oh…—MEGHANN MARCO
AT&T to push wireless, seek revenue in ads: paper [MSNMoney]

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