AT&T Wireless Delays Rollout of Services
Source: Wireless Week
(AP) AT&T Wireless Services Inc. is sharply curtailing plans to launch services over a high-speed data wireless network, announcing Thursday it will target four cities instead of 13 markets as originally envisioned.
The Redmond, Wash.-based wireless telecommunications company also said it will delay the planned rollout of new services on the network by about six months to December 2004.
"We believe that this is a prudent use of capital," said David Caouette, an AT&T Wireless spokesman. "This is about pacing it appropriately and gearing it to the right customer demand along the way."
The four cities Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego and Dallas were selected as the places with "the greatest potential for this new technology," Caouette said.
The announcement reflects how deeply the mobile telecommunications industry has been forced to retreat as companies struggle to sign up new customers and cope with constant competitive price wars.
