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LONDON (Reuters) - The world's largest mobile phone firm Vodafone Group Plc (VOD.L) and U.S rival Cingular Wireless were poised on Friday for a head-to-head bid battle that could value struggling AT&T Wireless (NYSE:AWE - news) of the U.S. at around $35 billion. As the clock ticks to a 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) bid deadline, sources close to talks said Vodafone was putting the final touches on a bid, while Cingular was ready to fight back. But final bid strategies were expected to be left to the 11th-hour. "What happens in these auctions is that everybody is making decisions...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cingular Wireless made a formal offer to buy AT&T Wireless Services Inc., which if accepted would make the combined company the largest wireless service in the U.S., a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The source declined to specify the price of No. 2 wireless company Cingular's offer, nor would he characterize the offer as friendly or unsolicited. The offer is believed to be at a premium over AT&T Wireless's closing price of $9.99 in Friday's trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The combined company would have about 45 million customers, surpassing the...

Lobbyists Paid for Bush Official's Party Days Before Going to Bat for Wireless Cos., Bush Administration Official Was Feted by Lobbyists The Associated Press This is a copy of an invitation to a party in honor of Assistant Commerce Secretary Nancy Victory, the Bush administration's point person for telecommunications policy. Victory allowed wireless phone company lobbyists to help pay for a private reception at her home, and then 10 days later urged a policy change that benefited their industry, according to documents and interviews. (AP Photo) WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 — Just days before going to bat for the wireless industry,...

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Cingular Wireless, the No. 2 U.S. wireless telephone company, on Tuesday said it cut the number of minutes included under its national price plans that allow customers to make phone calls from anywhere in the country. The Atlanta-based firm said it is no longer including 3,500 night and weekend minutes in its national plans and cut its anytime minutes by 100 to 1,000 minutes depending on the plan. For example, customers signing up for the $29.99 national plan will now get 150 anytime minutes instead of 250 minutes while the $199.99 plan now includes 2,000 minutes...