Cingular Makes Sweeping Cuts

To cut costs, Cingular Wireless is cutting both employees and calling plan minutes.

The Atlanta-based wireless carrier on Tuesday said that it would lay off as many as 3,000 employees, a third of which will come from attrition and temporary positions. Many of the cuts will come from Cingulars sales department, which the company is reorganizing to focus on specific groups of customers, officials said.

At the same time, the company is slashing the number of minutes included in its national calling plans. Customers who sign up for Cingulars national plans will no longer receive bonus night-and-weekend minutes, according to company officials. Customers who sign up for local plans now will receive 3,000 night-and-weekend minutes rather than the 3,500 the plan used to include.

Anytime minutes are being slashed to 1,000 minutes, depending on the plan. Roaming charges have been raised to 79 cents per minute, up from 69 cents.

On the plus side, Cingular has instituted a rollover plan, wherein customers who have leftover minutes at the end of a month can roll them over into the next month for up to twelve months.

Related Stories:

• Cingular Wireless Makes New York Debut
• More Wireless Coverage