ATT buys BellSouth

S

SpyderGST

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Jun 12, 2005
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Atlanta (Lilburn, Stn Mtn)
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Well, since nobody has created a thread about it, and I am directly affected by the news (I work for BellSouth), I thought I would ask everyone their opinions.

Personally, we've seen this coming for a year or so, but none of my friends saw it happening so quickly. We're just now going through a "management work force reduction" period (cutting 1,500 Executive, Director, and C-level management jobs) that ends in a couple of weeks. They have put off our raises until May 1 (usually they hit Jan 1). Both the cuts and the raise delay were in place before the announcement. We thought we'd be bought after May when the new raises took place and the company would know what our total annual salary costs could be easily calculated.

So, what does it mean to me? Well, they announced that 10,000 more jobs would be cut once the merger is done. I figure 2,500 will be union jobs (linemen, etc) and the rest will be management. Lots of overlap in the two companies at the managmenet employee layer. Am I worried? Not really. I recently changed jobs to become a Technical Integration Architect but still have a long background in IT Security, so if things here get screwy, I can go find employment elsewhere.

Will this change anything for our customers? Probably not for a few years anyway. We may start selling true customer-VOIP since ATT has a commercial product. IPTV - still on the way. Faster DSL - also still on the way. Cheaper DSL - maybe, SBC (now ATT) sells much cheaper DSL and we might start matching their pricing. Cingular will be renamed ATT Wireless.

What do you guys think?

-SpyderGST
 
One of the big(ger) Enron guys take the stand this week too. Big week for big business I guess.
 
i don't know what to think. i have had cingular cell service since it was bellsouth mobility, from back in '99 or so. i love the current service and worry it's going to go downhill somehow or they're going to screw with my plan.

i also don't like monopolies, and it sounds like this is getting to be that way. i have a bellsouth home phone, too, and i wonder if i should look for other service. i've never been impressed with at&t, so i hate that this is happening.
 
I think its retarded. We're slowly undoing a decision to break up a monopoly. ATT should NEVER be allowed to buy a baby bell, nor should bells be allowed to merger. Its total horseshit and is brought about by corrupt officials trying to fuck the people. Again.
 
Thorn Bird said:
i don't know what to think. i have had cingular cell service since it was bellsouth mobility, from back in '99 or so. i love the current service and worry it's going to go downhill somehow or they're going to screw with my plan.

i also don't like monopolies, and it sounds like this is getting to be that way. i have a bellsouth home phone, too, and i wonder if i should look for other service. i've never been impressed with at&t, so i hate that this is happening.
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I too use Cingluar and hope the service doesn't go to crap. I've been extremely content with my plan and coverage thus far.

I scrapped my bell-south home phone almost 2 years ago and got Vonage VOIP service. I absolutely love Vonage. 27 bucks a month for full features and unlimited long distance. Never so much as a hiccup in service or quality. If you have cable internet, I would strongly reccommend that you look into a VOIP service.

The only negatives to Vonage for me so far is if the power goes out, so does your cable modem, which means so does your phone. But you have a cell so that isn't too big of a deal. The other problem is that I couldn't get a local area code so I have a virtual number from another city. No big deal for me because I have unlimited long distance but others in my area have to call me long distance on the home phone...again not a big deal because I just have them call my cell if they dont want to call a long distance number.

Damn, this post just turned into a VOIP commercial. Sorry :tard:
 
I went with Lingo, just as good but $5/month less, but I'm totally sold on VOIP. Fuxx doesn't like it, but she's one of those silly people that doesn't get wood over technology :p


Cingular going back to AT&T Wireless is an interesting move, though. They just changed all the stores around here to Cingular.
 
Fat Burger said:
I went with Lingo, just as good but $5/month less, but I'm totally sold on VOIP. Fuxx doesn't like it, but she's one of those silly people that doesn't get wood over technology :p


Cingular going back to AT&T Wireless is an interesting move, though. They just changed all the stores around here to Cingular.
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well, i don't get wood over technology, either, so i don't think i'd like it. and, i'm partial to my number as is -- that random phone number thing would not be good for us. i keep thinking about a house full of people, and i just don't think the computer thing would work. call me old-fashioned...to me, it's a compliment. :D
 
Fat Burger said:
I went with Lingo, just as good but $5/month less, but I'm totally sold on VOIP. Fuxx doesn't like it, but she's one of those silly people that doesn't get wood over technology :p
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Wouldn't you be freaked out if she did get wood?
 
Thorn Bird said:
well, i don't get wood over technology, either, so i don't think i'd like it. and, i'm partial to my number as is -- that random phone number thing would not be good for us. i keep thinking about a house full of people, and i just don't think the computer thing would work. call me old-fashioned...to me, it's a compliment. :D
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It's not random, you can keep your existing phone number. It just sometimes takes a couple days for it to get processed, so in the meantime they have another number.
 
Fat Burger said:
It's not random, you can keep your existing phone number. It just sometimes takes a couple days for it to get processed, so in the meantime they have another number.
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Right, plus once installed it works just like the regular phone system...all phones plugged into the wall just as before. Most people have used my phone and never knew the difference :)
 
fly said:
None of you get complaints of the VOIP echo?
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I've honestly never gotten any echo. One time about a year ago I did hear faint modem sounds in the background but the person on the other end couldn't hear it. It was so faint and brief that it barely affected the call.
 
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