AT&T To Finally Buy Echostar??

[SQUEEZON]

The executive said AT&T already had an "impressive" domestic footprint after its acquisition of BellSouth Corp. late last year, a move that consolidated ownership of the two companies' Cingular wireless joint venture.
Cingular is now called AT&T, part of the company's effort to market itself as provider of a full set of communications services, including Internet, video, wireless and regular phones.
"I think we have the assets now that we need to compete effectively across the industry," Stephenson said, when asked about the company's M&A strategy. "Quite frankly, it's about operating excellence right now more than industry-transforming transactions."
Stephenson said that because of conflicting technology standards, AT&T had not bid for rural wireless provider Alltel Corp. , which has accepted a takeover offer from private equity firms TPG Capital and the buyout arm of Goldman Sachs.
Some analysts have speculated that AT&T might acquire its U.S. satellite television partner, EchoStar Communications Corp. , to compete more boldly against cable companies that offer all-in-one services of phone, video and Internet services.
AT&T has teamed up with EchoStar and its peer DirecTV Group Inc. to offer video in addition to phone and Internet services. It has also launched a high-speed Internet and video service called U-Verse.
Stephenson said AT&T had more than 30,000 U-Verse users, with the installation rate for the service at about 500 per day. In April, it had reported 20,000 users and an installation rate of about 2,000 a week.
AT&T shares were up 30 cents at $40.79 in morning New York Stock Exchange trade.
Copyright 2007 Reuters

 

[Voyager6]

I don't think that E* is for sale. Charlie is still having fun running the company. I would look for AT&T to buy a % of E* stock if they choose E* as their exclusive partner

 

[Poke]

Yeah this is same oh thing if AT&T was to buy anyone I think it would be Direct before Dish. Overall I don't think Dish is going to sale out to where Direct really the one that has falling behind on things.

 

[JohnH]

AT&T has not mentioned buying either one and recently did state they would select either DiSH Network or DIRECTV as their partner sometime this year.

 

[cebbigh]

With D having partnerships with Verizon and Qwest it would really hurt E more if ATT also excluded them. It would leave E aligned only with rural Telcos like Century Tel.

 

[navychop]

I believe the decision is not until early 2008.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Early 2008 is correct.

 

[Van]

It might be an idea to search the forums for this as it is an ongoing discussion in about a half dozen threads atleast. This is a rumour plain and simple, it started with the employee's of Dish and SBC and has continued with it being kept alive on forums and discussion groups.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Yepp, the buying is speculation at best.

Early 2008 will be when the decision on E* or D* will be made by ATT.

 

[bobl]

No, the current contracts are completed in early 2008. A decision as to what to do when the contracts run out could conceivably be made any day now although it will likely be awhile.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Heres the exact quote so we all know

"Yet the chief financial officer of the nation's largest phone company has publicly acknowledged that AT&T would end one of the relationships in early 2008.


"Both of those are contractual arrangements that run through roughly the first part of next year;" AT&T CFO Rick Linder told investors at a conference last week. "And so I would expect that we will migrate to one provider, and we will make those final decisions between now and the end of this year." "

I think itll be E*, but thats just me.

 

[navychop]

Maybe the decision will be "released" in early 2008.

 

[RoyW]

In my neighborhood I've only spotted one Dish with an AT&T cover however AT&T has been installing VRAD's for about nine months. The VRAD installation is in preparation for their own TV service via the phone lines called U-Verse.
http://www.uverseusers.com/

 

[gadgtfreek]

Some of the Bellsouth trucks here already have ATT on em. Id like to know ATT's plans for uverse. More competition the better.

 

[Van]

As it stands right now Bell South is still bundling directv with its service, I called and talked to Att several times trying to get a dish bundle but they wont open up on it.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Yeah, I checked and cant get a deal on DSL here, guess cuz its bundled with D*.