Cingular Tests Unlimited Home Calling

Testing has begun on a new service being offered by Cingular that would allow its customers to make unlimited phone calls to at&t local telephone customers, the company disclosed on Wednesday. The service, called Mobile2Home, will be available until February 25 to customers in Connecticut who combine their at&t and Cingular bills.

Cingular is a joint venture of BellSouth and at&t, formerly SBC Communications. The service would cost $5.99 USD per month, and is an effort by Cingular to retain wireless customers in an increasingly competitive marketplace. If successful and expanded nationwide, other carriers with local telephone service divisions such as Verizon and Sprint Nextel could follow suit, analysts say.