AT&T announced its acquisition of Centennial Wireless is now complete. The acquisition adds 893K wireless customers to AT&T’s footprint. “The addition of Centennial will enhance AT&T’s assets in wireless — a strategic priority and one of our biggest growth drivers — and service for customers of both companies,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive officer of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. The acquisition also adds some wireline assets in Puerto Rico.
AT&T says it will move quickly to rebrand Centennial as AT&T. For 3G, “…AT&T plans to deploy 3G at more than 200 sites in Centennial’s markets. This deployment plan includes adding 3G capabilities at more than 100 sites and expanding 3G coverage and capacity at approximately 100 sites.”
To gain regulatory approval for the acquisition, AT&T agreed to divest from eight markets, including Alexandria, La., Lafayette, La., LA-3 (DeSoto), LA-5 (Beauregard), LA-6 (Iberville), LA-7 (West Feliciana), MS-8 (Claiborne) and MS-9 (Copiah). As a part of that divestment, Verizon Wireless will be taking over those operations in Lafayette, La., LA-5 (Beauregard), LA-6 (Iberville), LA-7 (West Feliciana) and MS-8 (Claiborne).
In order to get the deal approved, AT&T also agreed to maintain existing roaming agreements. According to their press release, “AT&T will honor existing roaming agreements with other carriers for the life of the contract — or, for carriers with fewer than 10 million subscribers, will maintain the roaming agreement for at least four years or the full term of the agreement with Centennial, whichever is longer.”
Consolidation among tier 2 and 3 wireless carriers continues. Who will be next?
So what about the users in the Alexandria, LA area. Centennial wireless is terrible and I'm so ready to get away. Plus, AT&T's coverage isn't too good around here so they need Centennials towers.
Agreed, I'm from Alexandria as well, AT&T's coverage is awful around here once you leave the edge of town, and since they're not taking over Centennial's network in this area it means that AT&T's coverage will not be improving. I'm looking forward to seeing who will take us over because I'm very very tired of Centennial. I'm hoping Verizon will opt to take us over here as well as they have much better plans available than AT&T or Centennial. I also spoke with a rep at one of the Centennial stores here in town and they said that T-Mobile was came in and was poking around, so they are evidently also interested in purchasing the market in order to get a foot in the door. Whether it be T-Mobile or Verizon, it will be a step up from what we have. I just wish they would hurry it up, if I didn't know I was about to become someone else's customer anyway, I'd be inclined to just break my contract and move on anyway.
I am not sure I like Verizon taking over here.I have quite a few questions including will I be able to keep the plan I have now,will incoming calls still be free,and since Centennial has the contracts to the phones where my husband works we get ten percent off our bill each month(our phone is not through the company but since he is an employee there we get the discount)? I understand the problem for you who live in Alexandria but here in DeRidder and surrounding areas I have great coverage. Now my sister has AT&T and they talked to the company and were told that more towers were being put up here to help get more coverage. Also when will all this take over officially take place.
Meant to say in above post- will we still get the discount, will Verizon honor it? If not on any of the above questions we will go with ATT since we also have cell phone service through them for our daughter since alot of her friends have ATT.
AT&T should have been allowed to keep this Alexandria Market. The FCC are a bunch of idiots for doing this. Personally I've heard that Verizon can't have the Alexandria market because they got this market with the Alltel deal. So, who does that leave? Still I am hopeful that it would be Verizon. However most recently I did a test with Verizon and their coverage is a lot worse than AT&T's in the Alexandria/Pineville area. Not to mention no towers between here and Leesville. Also the coverage going down to Marksville rather you take Hwy 107 or Hwy 1 it is really poor.
I opted to go with AT&T and since they now have 3G in Alexandria the reception inside building and such is much improved. I am very happy with AT&T. The only problem area with AT&T is Grant Parish and why they have no towers that I don't understand. None the less everywhere else I go from Jonesville, to Jena, Marksville to Leesville I get rock solid coverage. In my house I have full signal 24/7 3G to boot. Not to mention at my office on the grounds of Central State Hospital!
So, these folks that are saying AT&T coverage is awful cearly don't have AT&T.
i was told by a few centennial reps that jeff davis parish was gonna be split, and that the west part of the parish would be at&t and the east part of the parish would be verizon. does anyone know how correct that is?
I hear that the Jennings Store will be Verizon and Lake Charles will be AT&T. Which ever store you subscribed in will be the company that you transfer too. Jennings is suposed to be the dividing line. The AT&T takeover should be complete by the end of January and I hear the Verzion takeover will be done by the end of February. Once again, I am just hearing thease things. My best friend used to work for Centennial and still knows a lot of people there and this is my source.
att is not honoring centennial contracts as they said they would they do not have any centenial replacement phones for those of us still under contract with insurance they just push u to switch to att ans say they cant get you a centenial phone which is bs