AT&T Wireless Services
AT&T Wireless Services, Inc., formerly part of AT&T Corporation, was a wireless telephone carrier founded in 1987 in the United States, based in Redmond, Washington, and later traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock symbol "AWE", as a separate entity from its former parent.
| Formerly | McCaw Cellular Communications AT&T Wireless Services |
|---|---|
| Company type | Public |
Traded as | NYSE: AWE |
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Craig McCaw |
| Defunct | April 26, 2005 |
| Headquarters | Redmond, Washington , U.S. |
Key people | John D. Zeglis |
| Products | GoPhone |
| Owner | Craig McCaw (1987-1994) |
| Parent | AT&T Corporation (1994-2001) Cingular (2005) |
On October 26, 2004, AT&T Wireless was acquired by Cingular Wireless, a joint venture of SBC Communications and BellSouth, to form the largest wireless carrier in the United States at the time. On November 16, 2004, AT&T Wireless stores were rechristened under the Cingular banner. The legal entity "AT&T Wireless Services, Inc." was renamed "New Cingular Wireless Services, Inc."
In late 2005, SBC (the majority partner in Cingular) acquired the original AT&T, and rebranded as "the new AT&T". Cingular became wholly owned by the new AT&T in December 2006 as a result of the new AT&T's acquisition of BellSouth. After the merger, Cingular was renamed AT&T Mobility in late 2006 and remained the largest wireless carrier until 2009 when Verizon Wireless acquired Alltel to become the largest wireless service provider by a number of subscribers.