Telecom lobbyists tied to McCain Mar 24, 2008
As a lobbyist at his former firm, Davis Manafort, Davis represented BellSouth (2001-02), SBC Communications (2001-05) and Verizon Corporate Services (2001-05) ... McCone, a former lobbying partner with Davis, joined SBC Communications as a lobbyist in 1999 and became a vice president of AT&T after it merged with SBC in 2005 ... Madigan, a lobbyist at Johnson, Madigan, Peck, Boland &Stewart, represented BellSouth (2003-06), SBC Communications (2003 and 2004), the United States Telecom Association... (USA Today)
U.S. players leap at wireless Mar 19, 2008
SBC Communications Inc. sold its stake in BCE Inc. in 2003, and Verizon Communications Inc. unloaded its stake in Telus Corp. the following year. T-Mobile had a stake in Microcell Telecommunications Inc. before it filed for protection from creditors in 2002. (Globe and Mail -- Technology)
Eight years on--not so good Feb 18, 2008
One of Sabia's first acts was to buy back the 20% stake in BCE that was sold off to SBC Communications. Another one of his early decisions was to sell off 90% of Yellow Pages as an income fund to Ontario Teachers and KKR. The latter cashed out for a handsome gain -- with an internal rate of return of more than 100. (Financial Post)
LTE brings fast Web, not gear maker miracles Feb 16, 2008
The network equipment industry has struggled in recent years as massive telecom operator mergers such as that of AT&T, SBC Communications and BellSouth Corp. have slowed equipment demand and put pressure on prices, as have new rivals. Alcatel and Lucent merged and Nokia and Siemens formed a venture to pool research resources and help fend off rivals such as China's Huawei and ZTE Corp., which analysts say have been forcing down prices. (MSNBC -- Technology)
BofA and Chevron selected in Dow shake-up Feb 13, 2008
AT&T subsequently become part of the Dow again in November 2005, through its merger with SBC Communications, which had joined in 1999. The Financial Times Limited 2008. (FT.com -- Markets)
Comcast Renews Cable Cap Court Action Feb 12, 2008
In his statement, Cohen said the FCC's decision to revive the cable cap -- which was rejected by federal court in 2001 and had lain dormant ever since -- made no sense after the FCC let SBC Communications acquire AT&T and then let the new AT&T buy BellSouth. As these FCC decisions have strengthened the hands of our Bell competitors, it is unthinkable that the government would constrain the ability of cable companies like Comcast to compete with these colossal companies that have virtually... (Multichannel News)
Dow Average's Jinx, AIG Danger Sign, Reliance's Losses Feb 12, 2008
Home Depot Inc., Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp. and AT&T Inc., then known as SBC Communications Inc., have each dropped at least 30 percent. Bank of America, the largest U.S. bank by assets, and Chevron, the country's second-biggest oil company, were named yesterday to the Dow industrials. (Bloomberg -- Columnists)
The Winds of Change Jan 26, 2008
Concern about the FCC s inability to act on mergers in timely and predictable ways was a hot issue a decade ago, when SBC Communications sought approval to merge with Ameritech in July 1998. The proposed merger called for uniting two major telecommunications carriers that the FCC hoped would one day compete for long-distance customers, if not for local dial tone subscribers. (Multichannel News)
AT&T boosts dividend, buyback Dec 12, 2007
The company then known as SBC Communications, the Baby Bell phone company of the Midwest and California, bought its former parent AT in 2005. It followed that up with a $85 billion acquisition of BellSouth Corp., consummated late last year. (Anchorage Daily News)
AT&T stock rises on TV news Dec 12, 2007
It was reborn after San Antonio, Texas-based SBC Communications bought AT005 and renamed itself. The company then merged with BellSouth to become the largest telco in the U.S.. (Variety)
AT&T to exit pay phone biz Dec 4, 2007
San Antonio-based AT&T has pay telephones in its former Southwestern Bell and SBC Communications territories, including Dallas-Fort Worth. BellSouth which was bought by the San Antonio-based telephone company in 2006, had already gotten out of the pay phone business. (Dallas Business Journal, TX)
AT&T to Quit the Payphone Business Dec 4, 2007
By contrast, AT&T operates just 65,000 pay phones in the 13 states formerly served by the local-phone company SBC Communications, which acquired the old Ma Bell in 2005 and then took its name. AT&T said that it will continue to sell wholesale pay-phone service to independent operators, and it expects them to pick up some of its business. (SmartMoney)
Rivalry games wrapped in corporate logos Nov 23, 2007
"Demand for access to collegiate athletics seems to be high, so colleges and conferences will be looking for such opportunities.There is no doubt corporations are latching onto other ways to attach their names to the college football experience and its rabid fans. In Louisville, spectators enter Papa John's Cardinals Stadium to see their favorite athletes (who remain unpaid regardless of the amount of corporate involvement) play. At the University of Minnesota's new football stadium, named... (MSNBC -- Business)
REACH OUT AND TOUCH TCIAT&T Makes Local Phone Play with $48B Merger Nov 21, 2007
Bear Stearns & Co. telecommunications analyst WilliamDeatherage said in a report that the AT&T-TCI deal should make those approvals easierto get, adding, "The sheer size of the [AT&T-TCI] combination" makes it hardto argue against approving the pending SBC Communications Inc. merger with Ameritech Corp.. Donna Adams - 11/20/07. (Multichannel News)
EchoStar Shines on Merger Talk Nov 20, 2007
Sign up now for FREESmartMoney. com Newsletters Enter your email address below. (SmartMoney)
How Bad Will It Get At The FCC? Nov 13, 2007
SBC Communications (now AT&T) provided the FCC with a statistical account in October 2005 showing the 70/70 test has been met and putting cable s share at 77. 2. (Multichannel News)
Whistleblower: AT&T Maintained a 'Secret Room' for the NSA Nov 10, 2007
In January 2003, Klein was invited to tour the Folsom Street Facility of what was then known as SBC Communications. There he saw for the first time Room 641A, categorized as the "SG3 Secure Room." That fall, when he was hired to work at the facility, he noted that an NSA agent was interviewing field support specialists for clearance to be able to work in the Secure Room. (BetaNews)
Making a Call on Ma Bell Nov 9, 2007
Today's ATeally the former SBC Communications, which was spun off from the original AT984, along with six other regional bell operating companies (known as RBOCs, or baby bells). Since the spinoff, SBC has made a series of large acquisitions, including that of its former parent, in 2005 hence, the name change back to AT company was a majority owner of Cingular wireless until last year, when it bought the other owner, BellSouth. (SmartMoney)
Local Cable Ad Sales Nov 8, 2007
Fresh off a $12 million fund-raising that attracted investors including Cisco Systems and Comcast Interactive Capital, the former SBC Communications and PacBell executive hopes to help cable operators execute a flurry of on-the-spot decisions that will align targeted commercials with on-demand TV viewers. Q: What s a former telco guy doing building an advanced advertising company. (Multichannel News)
AT&T Ups U-verse Spending Estimates by $500 Million Nov 7, 2007
Back in 2004, SBC Communications (which acquired AT&T two years ago) said it projected U-verse would be available to 18 million households by the end of 2007. The slower-than-expected deployment of U-verse is even more dramatic considering that the current forecast of 17 million homes passed includes areas within the former nine-state BellSouth territory, whereas AT&T s previous estimates were for the 13-state SBC footprint alone. (Multichannel News)
SBC Communications making a foothold in Phoenix Oct 27, 2007
Members: Not Registered. for free extra services. (Phoenix Business Journal, AZ)
AT&T profit rises 41 percent on record revenue from its wireless services Oct 24, 2007
AT&T Inc., formed from the 2005 merger of SBC Communications and AT&T Corp., took customers from Sprint Nextel, the third-biggest U.S. wireless provider. Sprint lost 337,000 users on long-term contracts in the quarter after complaints about dropped calls and customer-service problems. (International Herald Tribune -- Business Asia)
No Slouch Itself, Intel Helps Others Innovate • Wireless Leads As AT&T's Q3 Shows Growth Oct 24, 2007
ATrerunner, SBC Communications, tripled in size through acquisitions that began in 2005. After SBC bought long-distance firm AT combined company swallowed BellSouth in late 2006 to gain full control of Cingular Wireless, now called ATlity. (Investors Business Daily)
• Phone TV Conflict Blurry Oct 21, 2007
ATts out that universal service requirements weren't imposed on cable companies when they began offering telephone service to compete with ATedecessor companies, SBC Communications and Southern New England Telecommunications Corp.. Also, the state has seen this situation before. (FOX61, CT)
Harmonic Plays The Right Chords For Providers Of Digital Television • Wireless Growth In India Calls Out To U.S. Leader Oct 16, 2007
Cingular Wireless, then controlled by ATrunner SBC Communications, made an earlier foray into India. It owned a 33% stake in Idea Cellular, a joint venture with India's Tata and AV Birla groups. (Investors Business Daily)
Federal jury issues $156M judgment against AT&T Oct 15, 2007
AT&T Corp. merged with San Antonio-based SBC Communications Inc. in 2005. Discussions had taken place between the two companies for AT&T to license the technology. (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)
Sprint's Speedy Search for a New CEO Oct 11, 2007
For that position, sources say Sprint also considered or approached telecom execs such as former BellSouth President and COO Mark Feidler and William Hannigan, No.2 at AT&T (T) before it was acquired by SBC Communications. Noncompete clauses in both executives' contracts raised red flags. (MSNBC -- Business)
Sprint CEO Gary Forsee Resigns Oct 9, 2007
Previously he was vice chairman of BellSouth, responsible for the phone company s domestic operations, and was chairman of the Cingular Wireless joint venture with SBC Communications. (Both BellSouth and SBC are now part of AT&T.). (Multichannel News)
Teradata Set To Begin Life As Own Firm Sep 29, 2007
ATlf was acquired in November 2005 by SBC Communications, which then took the AT.. In 2003, Mark Hurd was named CEO of NCR after leading Teradata in the early 2000s. (Investors Business Daily)
AT&T moving to offer TV service Sep 27, 2007
The current ATformed when SBC Communications bought the old AT005 and adopted its name. But the new push comes as the telecom industry is using improved technology to jump into the cable business just as cable is using advances of its own to offer phone service. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Clues About Obama Found In His Poker Game Sep 25, 2007
"The group didn't always stick to traditional kinds of poker. They often played variations that resembled blackjack or split the pot between the highest and lowest hands. They even played a version that awarded half the pot based on a random card.On most nights, a player might win or lose around $30, participants said. A really big night would mean winning, or losing, $100.The players rarely talked about legislation. The lobbyists felt strongly that it would break an unwritten rule if they tried... (CBS 4, CO)
Cable TV Firms' Next Evolution: Business Phone Service Provider Sep 25, 2007
ATmerly called SBC Communications, has 3 million small-business customers in the 22 states it serves, and another 200,000 out-of-region customers. AT its second-quarter revenue from small and midsize businesses rose 6. (Investors Business Daily)
Calling on small businesses Sep 10, 2007
In 1995, two years after relocating to San Antonio, the company became SBC Communications Inc., and in 2005 SBC purchased AT&T for $16 billion and that same year rebranded itself as AT&T Inc.. Today the company's annual revenues exceed $63 billion and its earnings topped $7. (San Antonio Business Journal, TX)
U-Verse TV Spans 100K Subs Sep 8, 2007
5 million households, in parts of nine states served by the former SBC Communications. The company expects the U-verse network to pass 8 million homes by the end of this year, up from 5 million at present. (Multichannel News)
Don’t Fret Yet, DVR Users Aug 22, 2007
Kent Gibbons - Blog on Multichannel News. Multichannel News editor Kent Gibbons covers issues impacting pay TV providers, programmers and technology suppliers in his regular column. (Multichannel News)
Mueller named new Qwest CEO Aug 15, 2007
It's a familiar position for Mueller, who followed Notebaert at Ameritech Corp. Notebaert resigned as CEO in 1999 after the company was acquired by SBC Communications, and Mueller became president and CEO of SBC Ameritech, the subsidiary of SBC Communications Inc., in 2000. "He seems like a fine choice," Janco Partners analyst Donna Jaegers said. (Herald Online, SC -- Technology)
On Palaces and Castles Aug 15, 2007
Remember when SBC Communications promised when it was merging with Ameritech that it would build fiber-optic networks in 30 cities outside its regions. According to Bruce Kushnick s tome, $200 Billion Broadband Scandal, SBC told the government it fulfilled that obligation by building networks in 22 cities that had at least three customers each. (Multichannel News)
Shakers: People in the news Aug 14, 2007
Mueller was once chief executive at Williams-Sonoma and an executive at SBC Communications, Qwest said. Notebaert will leave the company Wednesday. (International Herald Tribune -- Business Asia)
Qwest names new CEO Aug 14, 2007
It's a familiar position for Mueller, who followed Notebaert as chairman of Ameritech before its merger with SBC Communications, Janco Partners analyst Donna Jaegers said Monday. "He seems like a fine choice," she said. (USA Today -- Tech)
Q&A with Edward Mueller Aug 13, 2007
Mueller former president and chief executive of SBC Communications Inc. 's Ameritech subsidiary says that in hindsight, he might have recognized clues about his career path even while he was buckled down in big-time telecommunications. "I'm not a merchant, but I think I have OK taste. I mean, I buy a lot I'm a hell of a consumer," Mueller said during an interview with The Chronicle at Williams-Sonoma's San Francisco headquarters. (Rocky Mountain News)
Plus: The Five Faces of the 21st Century Chief Aug 13, 2007
ARCHETYPE: Retired AT&T ( ) CEO Edward E. Whitacre Jr., who turned SBC Communications ( ), once the smallest of the regional Bells, into a powerhouse with a market value of $242 billion. Says Citrin: "He's built the largest player in [his] field from an unlikely starting position.". (BusinessWeek)
Judge throws out verdict in Microsoft patent loss to Alcatel Aug 10, 2007
In 1996, AT&T spun off its Bell Labs unit, which became Lucent Technologies Inc. AT&T was later acquired by SBC Communications Inc., forming San Antonio-based AT&T Inc. Alcatel-Lucent was created last year through Alcatel SA's acquisition of Lucent. The companies' patent battles began in 2002 when Lucent sued Dell Inc. and Gateway Inc. over technology related to color memory, video-search functions and controls using a computer stylus. (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
How AT&T Plans to Conquer the U-Verse Jul 22, 2007
The New AT&T campaign is seeking to establish its migration from the old SBC Communications, Cingular Wireless and BellSouth. Significantly, none of the current U-verse promotions in target communities is tied to the simultaneous hoopla about Apple Inc. s iPhone, for which AT&T wireless is the exclusive carrier. (Multichannel News)
HGTV President Girard to Retire Jul 17, 2007
Before joining Scripps, Girard served as senior vp of programming for Americast, a joint venture between Disney, BellSouth, SBC Communications, Ameritech and GTE Corp. Prior to that, Girard was senior vp, programming and production, for Lifetime, where she developed the network s original movie franchise. . (MediaWeek.com)
AT&T's Whitacre Got Millions Without Performing: Graef Crystal Jul 11, 2007
Seven years after that, he acquired another Baby Bell, Pacific Telesis Group, and renamed his company SBC Communications Inc.. Two years later, he gobbled up Ameritech Corp. And in 2006, he pickup up BellSouth Corp. Over a nine-year period, he had put together four of the seven Baby Bells. (Bloomberg -- Columnists)
Gates passed as world's richest man Jul 6, 2007
He was formerly on the board of directors at Altria and SBC Communications. Related Links. (EETimes)
Whitacre agrees to join business faculty of Texas Lutheran University Jun 30, 2007
He became president and chief operating officer of SBC Communications Inc. in 1988 and in 1990 became chairman and CEO.. SBC eventually became AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) in 2005 through its buy-out of the former AT&T Corp.. (San Antonio Business Journal, TX)
Bill Daley promoted to Chase's elite leadership circle Jun 29, 2007
Mr. Daley joined the financial institution in 2004 from his previous job as president of SBC Communications Inc. He chaired Al Gores presidential campaign in 2000 and was U.S. secretary of commerce from 1997 to 2000 in President Bill Clintons administration. Good corporate citizenship is fundamental to J. P. Morgan Chases success, Mr. Dimon said. (Crain's Chicago Business)
Dialing Without Dollars Jun 28, 2007
Backlash from SBC Communications Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and other telephone companies trying to preserve their turf is the first wave. On the horizon lie low-cost Internet services like Vonage Holdings Corp. or Lingus and the specter that a totally free service like the one offered by Skype Technologies Inc. might catch on in the United States and lower the price of all voice communications to zero. (Multichannel News)
Landmines For Landlines: The Growth Of VoIP Jun 22, 2007
SBC Communications (nyse: - - ) and Verizon (nyse: - - ). The two telecom leaders are working to catch up. (Forbes -- Business)
Telecom: Back from the Dead Jun 21, 2007
In December, Sprint announced a deal to buy Nextel Communications for $35 billion; a month later, SBC Communications said it would buy AT&T for $16 billion; a month after that, Verizon struck a deal to acquire MCI, the former WorldCom, for $8. 4 billion. (BusinessWeek)
Yahoo's chief resigns, and a founder takes over Jun 19, 2007
An alliance to provide content and services with SBC Communications, now AT&T, was quite lucrative. Many on Wall Street say Semel's biggest mistake was not appreciating early enough the importance of Internet searching and particularly of Google. (International Herald Tribune)
Qwest's Notebaert to retire Jun 12, 2007
He left Ameritech at the end of 1999 when the Chicago-based phone giant was purchased by SBC Communications. That retirement, which lasted about a year, ended when Notebaert took the helm at Tellabs Inc., the network equipment firm based in Naperville. (Chicago Tribune)
New CEO takes over telecom giant AT&T Jun 3, 2007
Kent Custer, an analyst for A.G. Edwards said Stephenson, who began at Southwestern Bell in 1982, eventually rising to chief financial officer in 2001, has long been an influential force at ATbecame the chief operating officer of the company, then called SBC Communications, in 2004. Since that time, the company has better positioned itself for growth, Custer said. (Anchorage Daily News)
Avaya Attracts Attention of Possible Buyers May 30, 2007
The company draws its lineage from Lucent Technologies Inc., which was the technology arm of the original AT&T Corp. AT&T has since been acquired by SBC Communications Inc., forming AT&T Inc. (T), while Lucent merged with French-based Alcatel to form Alcatel-Lucent (ALU). In addition, Avaya still has a large base of customers. (SmartMoney)
Taking care of the bottom line May 29, 2007
After finding that she could hardly bear to leave her son, Sumair, for 10 hours a day to go to work as a software quality assurance engineer at SBC Communications Inc., Nibber began researching opportunities for small home-based businesses -- and found Kissaluvs. But in switching from working in corporate America to becoming a small-business owner, Nibber faced a sea of unknowns. (Houston Business Journal, TX)
Court rules in favor of phone companies May 28, 2007
The defendants were Bell Atlantic Corp., BellSouth Corp., Qwest Communications International Inc., and SBC Communications Inc. Bell Atlantic is now Verizon Communications Inc. and SBC bought AT and the renamed company, ATged with BellSouth. Consumers represented by a prominent firm of plaintiffs' attorneys sued when the companies kept to their own territories rather than competing. (Herald Online, SC -- Technology)
Supreme Court: No Telco Conspiracy May 23, 2007
The original defendants in the lawsuit were Bell Atlantic, BellSouth, Qwest Communications and SBC Communications. Bell Atlantic eventually became Verizon while SBC bought ATtook over the AT. The new AT merged with BellSouth. (SmallBusinessComputing)
AT&T accelerates rebrand of Cingular May 22, 2007
ATch was actually a rebrand of SBC Communications after the company bought the long-distance business of Ma Bell, decided to give Cingular the AT to help marry its various telecommunications and television services together. The company had said it planned to finish the rebrand before the busy holiday season. (Chicago Tribune)
A Cingular rebranding plan for AT&T May 21, 2007
The campaign over the past few years to promote AT&T as the new name of SBC Communications, which was more regional in scope than the current campaign, cost the company an estimated $1 billion. The final phase of the rebranding comes just in time for AT&T to begin selling the Apple iPhone next month. (International Herald Tribune -- Technology)
AT&T makes 'unified messaging' available for mid-sized firms May 9, 2007
AT&T is making the service available throughout the former SBC Communications Inc. 13-state residential service territory. (SBC bought AT&T in 2005). (San Antonio Business Journal, TX)
Shakers: Business personalities in the news May 7, 2007
E. Kirk Shelton, the former vice chairman of Cendant who is serving 10 years in prison for accounting fraud, must reimburse the company for a portion of the $3. 2 billion it paid to resolve investor lawsuits, a judge ruled. (International Herald Tribune -- Business Asia)
AT&T's Whitacre to retire in June, Stephenson set to replace him Apr 30, 2007
He became chairman and CEO of SBC Communications Inc. in 1990. Whitacre assumed leadership at a time when SBC was the smallest Baby Bell. (San Antonio Business Journal, TX)
AT&T Chief Whitacre to Retire; Stephenson Takes Over (Update3) Apr 29, 2007
After becoming CEO of SBC Communications Inc. in 1990, Whitacre spent the next 17 years rejoining companies that were formed when regulators split up AT&T Corp. in 1984. SBC, the smallest of the eight Baby Bells, changed its name to AT&T Inc. after the purchase of AT&T Corp. in 2005. (Bloomberg)
AT&T chairman retiring Apr 29, 2007
His signature deals include the 2005 accord in which what was then SBC Communications bought the old ATtacre adopted the famous AT for the new company. Then, in 2006, Whitacre bought Atlanta-based BellSouth. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
