Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
(Operator Instructions) Our first question comes from David Barden - Banc of America Securities.
David Barden - Banc of America Securities
Hi guys, good morning. A couple of questions. Obviously, the merger integration exercise seems to be going at or above the plan that you guys laid out at the beginning of the year and even before then, looking back to the original AT&T merger assumption.
Could you speak to the idea that maybe, as we look ahead to the BellSouth merger integration, that obviously if we go back to the original expectation for the benefits of the BellSouth merger, that there's probably some meaningful upside to those expectations? Now that you have kind of seen how the AT&T business is integrating with the AT&T business, maybe revisit those guidance expectations.
The second question relates to Lightspeed. There's this continued debate about whether AT&T is prepared to be patient and deploy, as they are able, the Lightspeed program over time or whether you are going to become more impatient, give up on the technology and commit more aggressively to more of a fiber to the premise strategy, which I think is an issue for people looking ahead at the cash flow picture. Could you kind of revisit that debate, Lightspeed versus fiber to the premise? Thanks.
Rick Lindner
I'd be happy to address those, David. First of all, we're extremely pleased with the progress that we are making on the AT&T integration. We talk a lot about the numbers, but I think the most important part about that integration is the fact that I think it has been relatively seamless for our customers. Customer response to it has been good. That's one of the things we found in the Cingular/AT&T Wireless merger, that that is the first thing that you have to focus your efforts on.
At the same time, as we said, our work and our merger integration activities are on or ahead of target. We are, I would tell you, on target with respect to plans to migrate traffic onto the network. We are ahead of target in terms of force reductions. As you know, over 50% of the merger synergies in this transaction come from force.
I think, as we look ahead to the BellSouth merger, I think it's premature at this point for us to make any judgment relative to the merger synergy guidance that we had provided previously. We have groups across the Company that are actively involved in merger planning at this point, and certainly once we close the acquisition, we will have full access to data to enable us to complete that planning. Then I think we will see where we come out relative to the original estimates.
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