xchange Exclusive: Cingular Wireless Might Discontinue FastForward Service

The trend of wireless/wireline integration is all the rage these days. Still, Cingular Wireless is considering pulling the plug on its FastForward service, which uses a specialized device to allow subscribers to use both wireless and wireline networks with one phone.

"I'm not sure how much longer we'll be offering the Fast Forward service," Ritch Blasi, director of media and analyst relations at Cingular Wireless, told xchange today. "Not sure if we are," he added, "but assume there are other things coming down the road that might replace this."

Blasi would not elaborate.

Cingular Wireless, along with its parent companies BellSouth Corp. and SBC Communications Inc., introduced FastForward in the fall of 2003. The service is based on a single phone and a cradle. When the Cingular Wireless phone is "cradled," calls to the wireless phone are forwarded to a designated landline phone, while the wireless phone's battery automatically is recharged; otherwise, the phone taps into the cellular network.

Cingular customers with a FastForward device can get unlimited incoming wireless calls (minutes) forwarded to their landline phones in the local calling area - without the minutes counting against their monthly wireless calling plan – for $2.99 per month plus the cost of the device, which is about $10.

Share this article: Email, Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Yahoo!MyWeb, Windows Live Favorites, Furl
Add this article feed to: RSS, My Yahoo, Newsgator, Bloglines