The $41 billion sale of AT&T wireless to Cingular Wireless could mean better service and more products for customers of AT&T Wireless in Bermuda. And management locally said there are no plans for job cuts on the Island in the deal.

The sale, announced yesterday, sees Cingular Wireless LLC, a joint venture of SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp., acquire AT&T Wireless for $15 per common share. In total, the purchase price is about $41 billion and will go ahead once the deal has shareholder and regulatory approval. The sale is expected to close in late 2004, with Cingular claiming the acquisition will see it create the ?premier wireless carrier in the United States?.

Yesterday AT&T Wireless Bermuda general manager Jonathan Koshar told The Royal Gazette that both he, and the company?s Bermuda partner Charlie Marshall, were pleased and excited about the development. He said he did not see any negative impact on the Bermuda operation in the sale, and that customers could actually be given more.

Although there have been early indications that areas served by both Cingular and AT&T Wireless could see some redundancies through job consolidations, Mr. Koshar said that would not happen in Bermuda. ?For our employees, there is no presence of Cingular here. There won?t be any consolidation of jobs accordingly. If anything there could be more opportunities,? he said.

Locally the company is 60 percent owned by AT&T Wireless and 40 percent by PM Ltd., a locally owned entity.

Although only the basic details of the deal are known, Mr. Koshar said: ?I think an important message for the local Press is that this can only be good news for Bermuda.

?For our customers, the combined companies have greater buying power for roaming rates on foreign networks, greater buying power on network equipment and handsets.

?You will notice since we have been here we have brought down the cost of handsets and roaming rates. This should continue with the combination. Both companies are leaders in technology, and as we have brought the latest technology here, like GPRS and EDGE, now the technology departments of both companies can be coming up with the latest and greatest products and services. Bermuda was one of three countries to first have EDGE and that sort of leadership should continue,? Mr. Koshar said.