The lull of my lazy, rainy weekend was broken by the news that AT&T (s t) plans to acquire T-Mobile USA for a whopping $39 billion in cash and stock. Who wins and who loses in this deal? It’s hard to find winners, apart from AT&T and T-Mobile shareholders. Here is a list of who loses, in my opinion, in this deal:
Consumers. The biggest losers of this deal are going to be the consumers. While AT&T and T-Mobile are going to try to spin it as a good deal to combine wireless spectrum assets, the fact is, T-Mobile USA is now out of the market.
T-Mobile USA has been fairly aggressive in offering cheaper voice and data plans as it has tried to compete with its larger brethren. The competition has kept the prices in the market low enough. This has worked well for U.S. consumers. With the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile, the market is now reduced to three national players: AT&T, Verizon (s vz) and Sprint (s S). Net-net, U.S. consumers are going to lose.
Phone Handset Makers. Before the merger was announced, the handset makers such as HTC and Motorola (s Mmi) had two major carriers who could buy their GSM-based phones. They just lost any ability to control price and profits on handsets because now there is a single buyer that can dictate what GSM phones come to market. Even with LTE becoming the standard for the 4G world, it would essentially be a market dominated by three buyers (should Sprint go with LTE), which would place handset makers at the mercy of the giants.
Sprint. The nation’s third-largest carrier was in talks to buy T-Mobile according to Bloomberg, but AT&T’s offer has now pushed Sprint to the bottom of the pile in terms of size and potentially spectrum assets if it goes through. If it doesn’t go through, then Sprint now has a price it has to match in order to get its hands on T-Mobile. Plus, Sprint and T-Mobile often stood against AT&T and Verizon on a variety of regulatory issues, so if AT&T succeeds, Sprint will stand alone on special access and other issues.
Network Equipment Suppliers. The carrier consolidation has proved to be a living hell for companies that make infrastructure network equipment. Alcatel-Lucent (s alu), along with Ericsson (s ERIC) and Nokia Siemens (s nok) (s si), are suppliers of gears to both AT&T and T-Mobile USA. With a single customer, they will lost ability to control their own fate and are going to see their profits suffer as a result.
Google. I think the biggest loser in this could be Google (s GOOG). In T-Mobile, it has a great partner for its Android OS-based devices. Now the company will be beholden to two massive phone companies — Verizon and AT&T — who are going to try to hijack Android to serve their own ends.
Don’t be surprised if you see AT&T impose its own will on what apps and service are put on its Android smartphones. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the worst phone company in the U.S. (according to Consumer Reports) tries to create its own app store and force everyone to buy apps through it.
It doesn’t matter how you look at it; this is just bad for wireless innovation, which means bad news for consumers. T-Mobile has been pretty experimental and innovative: It has experimented with newer technologies such as UMA, built its own handsets and has generally been a more consumer-centric company. AT&T, on the other hand, has the innovation of a lead pencil and has the mentality more suited to a monopoly: a position it wants to regain.
Dude it’s gonna be ok. Go eat some fruit or something. This will give AT&T a very nice upgrade to their network and t-mobile users will finally get a decent phone. Yay 🙂
Thi s article maybe biasd, but its right its bad for consumers. I’ve got a landline from att and they just jacked rates nearly 50%. They will do the same for cellphone plans. Have you heard why att’s network sucks…too many users. Att will charge more for less service with this.
They can’t jack up plan prices unless they’re willing to lose their customers to Verizon. So relax. Competition is still alive and well, it’s just that the pool is now smaller.
Of course it’s biased. It’s an opinion piece. That’s the point.
Arik, unfortunately there are many who cannot go to Verizon because they need phones that reliably function outside of the US on business and personal trips. Those of us who need GSM/UMTS phones either have to buy a second device for use abroad, or suck up whatever this new combined company gives us.
MCI (aka Verizon) had done the same to me, and that was reason enough to quit my landline. I am perfectly satisfied with my HTC phone on T-Mobile. AT&T screwed with my bills when it was Bell South, so I don’t do business with them, either. Om is correct; everyone loses … IF this merger is approved.
Dale, not sure if you were aware but Verizon does offer several models that also work on the GSM network… Mot. Droid 2, Droid Pro, BB Bold, Storm 1 and 2, and 2 basic flip phones… So really u get the best of both worlds with VZW.
Most land lines are still regulated by public utility commissions so the regulated landline will not increase in price without scrutiny of such commissions.
I believe you must of finished your introductory rate on emergency service only landline… AT&T has not raised the price of homephones in nearly 5 years, and the only price difference in landline is u-verse vs. non-u-verse… otherwise same price.
you said to many users so to me that means lots of people like the service. I have att and at points is does have it problems but over all it is good. I think that with this merger would improve the current service for all ATT and T-mobie’s users.
I agree! Every time AT&T has acquired a phone company that I had service with the service went down hill, the cost went up and they find some way to completely screw up the account i.e. leave an account open after I closed it and tried to charge me for it. AT&T isn’t good for ANYBODY!!!
My husband had an iPhone with AT&T and He owed $200 on his bill and couldn’t pay it.. So he shut it off hoping he wouldn’t get charged anymore
He now has a $500 dollar bill and It’s been 3 months since the shut off… I go through T-Mobile and I have the MyTouch 4g (which I love btw) and my sister has a line on my bill too which is also and android phone,I have to pay $215 a month and I really hope my bill won’t get any higher and my plan won’t suck either and I can’t switch companies for almost 2 years…. I’m screwed… lol
Competition is always good for consumers ,it’s the same reason we get great prices on appliances and electronics , cars ect …so if you reduce the preseure on the phone co’s to compete prices will no doubt pay higher prices . and thousandes of people being out of work is never a good idea no matter how manny workers are there as far as verizion goes there prices are kinda high anyway so we then have less choices and thats never good.
and you just know if t mobile had a better product att will just flush it away as in the casr of the aiwa sony merger for thoes of us who remember.
As an AT&T Mobility Employee I can tell you it will not be OK. The consumers are really going to get Fucked if this deal goes through
I second that. Switched to AT&T few years back from T-Mobile. After 1 month switched back. Outrageously expensive and crappy service.
I need a phone that works outside of US. I will probably go without a phone in the US if this merger goes through. There will be no other phone in the US from which I can buy phone service.
The problem is that many places ask for a phone number.
You have nerver lied it will be all bad as a collector for at&t you are fucked if this go though think what you want LOL but at&t will never any kind of business. Of mine I wouldn’t let my dog do business with if I had one LOL that is how fucked you are going to be…. I will be calling you to collect those debts l to funny
It’s not gonna be ok. IT’s going to give ATT a monopoly on GSM service in the US. It’s going to eliminate the only option for consumers to buy an unlocked, unsubsidized contract-free phone. It’s going to lower the overall level of customer service in the industry. As a T-mo user, I already have a great phone.
I’m also not so sure about the upgrade to ATT’s network. T-Mo’s 3G service operates on different frequencies than ATT’s, and it will be difficult for ATT to market phones if they only run on one band or the other. Nobody really makes phones that run on both networks, so ATT will either abandon T-Mo’s 3G network, or completely confuse and frustrate customers (as if they don’t do that now) with a service plan that will not work with all devices.
They are not going to drop T-Mobile’s band. That’s half the reason they’re buying it, and it’s only data that won’t be able to use T-Mobile’s towers, Voice will get extended coverage.
Eh, isn’t the whole point of buying an unlocked, unsubsidized phone is that you can do it without giving a penny to the carrier? I bought my phone from Newegg and put my 5+ year old SIM card in it. AT&T couldn’t eliminate this option even if they wanted to, because that’s how GSM works.
There are phone(s) that run on both AT&T and T-Mobile 3G (ahem, 4G) bands. There aren’t more because T-Mobile is too small. With new combined company size there will be 130 million more incentives for manufacturers to make 850/1700/1900/2100 phones.
If you don’t like AT&T, don’t use them. There are other wireless carriers. If the other carriers don’t offer the phone(S) you like, purchase another phone. Some of you act like you are entitled to wireless service. It’s like anything else you purchase.
att’s plan is to take t-mobile and use their system to update their own and disban t-mobile and eliminate competition. they run on the same 700mhz wavelength but t-mobile was a threat to att and as such are eliminating the threat.
when 700 mhz went on the market, att bought 90% and t-mobile bought 10%. att was still trying to update their system, t-mobile already had an updated system that could handle better service.
Tmobile users already have better phones than at&t. If anything changes its a get of contact free card four tmobile user.
am at-mobile customer and am already looking for new company because i had nothing but problems when I was with at&t
I already have a great phone. Its best feature: Wi-Fi hotspot on an unlimited bandwidth $50/mo T-Mobile plan. Good luck keeping that with AT&T in charge.
I have $30 unlimited data for at&t 🙂 includes hotspot making too
Beat that
@YOSH
My unlimited data plan cost $20 a month and I have the MyTouch 4g and mobile hotspot and video chat and wifi calling….
Do we really have to do the whole “Who has a bigger dick” competition?
I’m on tmobile BECAUSE of their phone selection. They’ve long had the best phones
Tmobile has a great phone in the Galaxy S Vibrant. And Tmobile has been the only domestic carrier to update the Galaxy S phone to Android to 2.2 aka the infamous Froyo. I hope they don’t lose their current edge.
Let’s not got overboard. The upgrade process to Froyo on the Vibrant is horrible – it needs to be done through the Samsung Kies program, which barely works. Oh and did I mention the upgrade can’t happen through a 64-bit PC?
Better shovel out that Windows Vista desktop.
T-Mobile isn’t perfect, guys. I’ve been with them for 8 years and they’ve slapped mysterious fees and dropped many-a-call during my time there. Sure, it’s cheap as hell, but it ain’t perfect. Half the time, I don’t complain about lousy network connection and 3G coverage because of how cheap it is.
On top of that, outside the Galaxy series (which every carrier supports), T-Mobile barely has any big name phones. Maybe the Nexus S, but its Best Buy exclusivity really hinders that. As a phone though, it’s up there with the best.
I think now that AT&T bought the little guy, we have our nostalgia glasses on. As far as bills go, this is probably very bad news, as my fees are most likely going to shoot up. No more unlimited data or tethering. But it’ll just be another speed bump in what’s been an already-rocky road.
I upgraded my Captivate to Froyo last week (on Win7 64-bit no less).
Sorry not true I just upgraded my Captivate from ATT to Froyo 2.2 on Sat Afternoon
Also gotta say not true. I updated to 2.2, installed a custom kernel, used ODIN to flash back to 2.1, updated back to 2.2 again, and installed another kernel. All from on my 64bit PC. CHEERS
If the T-Mobile/AT&T deal completes, I’m hoping it will give AT&T access to same (ahem) “technology” for low prices & great customer service! Wink wink.
Bravo, nice flame sir.
sorry bust your bubble but T-mobile has some decent phone oh you must be talk about that mess called the I phone lol
Yea I’ve been a tmobile customer for 7 years. Greatest customer service ever, and discounts on every bill I’ve had. N also much better phone selection. New my touch 4g blows the iPhone away in my opinion.
1) T-Mobile has plenty of good/Great phones most of which are not tied to a computer for it to be useable
2) AT&T is just buying back the antenae they lost in the merger with Cingular.
3) Pick up lines should not be at the begiining of your post. 😛
Seriously? You think it will all be fine and dandy? The last time I had AT&T they tried to f**k me up the a$$ with no Vaseline! First they overcharged me for their most useless phone that they no longer supported. Then they tried to charge me $160 a month for 400 minutes and 500 texts? The plan I signed up for said that was $45 a month, which is still ridiculously high. I canceled my contract after only 3 months of intermittent service (at best). The cancellation fee was my cheapest bill from them! As well as the one I was happiest to pay. AT&T is nothing more than a blood-sucking tick. It should be doused in alcohol and burned off the ass of the wireless community.
You better go study some antitrust history. VZ more than likely won’t lower prices. They have that ability now, yet they keep them up. Actual cost of a customer is about 30 percent of what they charge. THe only thing that could make this work is if the regulators break the handset/service requirement.
At&t will get decent phones t-mobile already got that if anything t-moile should stay independent or by out metro or sumthing
U are stupidity in action I have a more than god phone and its called the. Nexus S.
What’s phones does art have over tmobile? The icrap? That’s the only one I can think of. All the others have versions on tmobile with only cosmetic differences. And incase you havnt noticed who gets the exclusive google phones? That would be tmoble with the nexus one and nexus s
Alsowho got the first galaxy s phone? Oh that’s right tmobile.
Evidently you have been eating the wrong kind of fruit hon! AT&T sucks! That is why I left them in the First place to go to Tmobile!!!
no way,,,,,att sucks and always will,,,I am an expert on att after having been one of their customers since 1981. Now all I have is a dry loop internet dsl and they cant even get my bill right. I have been with 2 companies that att bought and the service got worse and 1 company that bought att (cingular),,,then service got really BAD. I think all of cingular’s crappy employees stayed and made policies to be the worst company on the planet,,,,(they win—-go Charlie Sheen)
This person sounds like they are very biased against AT&T. Boo for bad journalism.
If I combined the words, “fling” and “dung”,….
So where’s the bias? If the truth is bad for ATT, is it bias to report it?
Believe what you are reading. A monopoly would only serve to increase customer dissatisfaction with a company that already thinks it is the gift to everyone.
And, btw, who do you think wrote this article?
Hey, looks like we have some AT&T astroturfers here!
Go away spam boy.
Phung, you do realize that this is an opinion piece, right?
Bad journalism? IT’S TRUE, and even still, it’s an opinion piece as previously stated. And as for being against ATT WHY NOT? They’re more expensive, offer less services and features, and for god sake they just SUCK. ConsumerReports.org ranked ATT horribly according to a satisfaction survey of 58,000 ATT users. ATT was the lowest-scoring carrier in the US. ATT was the only carrier to drop significantly in overall satisfaction! I’ve been in the technology industry for many years and the cell phone industry specifically for most of them; This merge SCARES ME!
Most of us stopped believing Consumer Reports years ago because they only take input from their subscribers which is not a statistically valid sample of the US population.
The bad reputation some people still associate with AT&T dates back three years to a decade or more. During the last two years, AT&T expanded its number of towers, went 3G and was the first to allow a smart phone manufacturer to largely control how its devices operate on a network. The consensus is that AT&T has the fastest network. And, of course, it has simultaneous data and voice for smart phones. T-Mobile customers who remain at AT&T long enough to test it will likely stay.
By the way, AT&T’s customer turn over rate is the same as Verizon’s: about 1.3%
Where did you get this info. Btw tmobile doesn’t make it’s own devices, those are made by HTC
And Motorola.
And Nokia.
And Samsung.
NOT just HTC.
It’s obvious you are not a T-Mobile customer.
Actually they know what they’re talking about. They’re referring to phones like the “T-Mobile myTouch” or the “T-Mobile Dash”, etc which are marketed under T-Mobile’s name but actually made by HTC.
Did HTC make the T-Mobile sidekick? Not to mention all of the uma and hspa 1700 phones made specifically for T-Mobile.
T-Mobile was also the only U.S. carrier that happily gave you unlock codes for its phones.
I unlocked many phones just by calling customer service and asking for the code. In some cases when they didn’t have it readily available, they got in touch with the manufacturer and got it for me.
They were also the only carrier to offer discounted plans for people who wanted to pay full price for the handset.
Agreed. And not to mention their customer service which bent over backwards to make you happy. AT&T is the exact opposite of that.
I agree about the excellent customer service, which is why I switched to t-mobile in the first place.
This is exactly the reason and scenario I am with T-Mobile. I started with them with the Sidekick, but then, was given an older Nokia phone by my dad that was on AT&T and AT&T wanted a one for less service and horrible customer interaction.
T-Mobile was able to unlock the phone so I could use other European carrier SIM cards and gave me a great plan that fit my needs. I moved all my service to T-Mobile from Sprint which was absolutely painful to deal with and data cards and phones that didn’t work or fell apart.
The opposite being that the customer is bent over forward?
Although I switched to ATT from TMobile (better rates due to company ties, and iPhone), TMobile’s service is immaculate.
I struggle to convince ATT reps to allow me to use an unlocked smartphone on my ATT line. My fallback phone is an unlocked TMobile phone (not a smartphone) that TMobile reps unlocked within minutes of my requesting.
TMobile had fantastic service, features, and plans.
at&t does unlock their phones if you call customer svc
That’s weird, I’ve been flatly denied multiple times.
You are wrong there are millions of frustrated iPhone owners out there who have to muck around with jailbreaks just to have their own property unlocked from the evil AT&T empire.
@rouvex Actually he is correct. AT&T cannot offer the unlock code for iPhone because it is in the contract with Apple (the true evil empire) that they cannot give out the information.
Because Apple and AT&T have been in bed so long, people are confusing the customer service with regard to the iPhone with customer service at AT&T. We at AT&T are not able to help with the iPhone even though you bought it from us because to the T&C of the contract with Apple. Go try to get your Verizon iPhone serviced at a VZW Corporate Store. You will get the same crappy service.
This is the one area that can easily be remedied by government regulation as a price for approving the merger — all phones on the new AT&T – T-Mobile monster must be sold unlocked. If Italy can do it, so can we.
Come on, Feds, earn your keep!
But what difference does it make? In Italy you could actually use your unlocked phone with the competition.
Three cheers for Ted T.
Unfortunatly, you are incorrect in your assessment that T-Mobile is the only US Carrier to happily give unlock codes for phones. AT&T will freely give out unlock codes for anything EXCEPT the iPhone. I know this from my own experience. You call, you ask for the MPE code for your phone, give them your IMEI, and they give you the unlock code and the model specific instructions for how to do it!
Wrong. I’ve been trying to get a non-iphone and they gave me the run around. Shit, It’s still locked and I’m not willing to pay someone else to unlock it for an extra 50.
I agree with Om, but I think he’s making the assumption that T-mobile is viable long term. Is it?
Also, phone and equipment manufacturers have many potential customers around the world, but Om considers only the US market.
Not necessarily – he suggested that we’d be better off if T-Mobile were rescued by Sprint.
T-Mo is viable long term, it’s just that their owner, DT, doesn’t want to own them any more, and doesn’t want the hassle of spinning them off as an independent company.
I doubt that DT does now “want them”
I DO believe they like the big chunk of money they are being handed.
the next shoe to drop will be the VZW-Sprint deal which i wager is already under way – the US will then have 2 nationwide carriers: GSM Ma Bell (at&t+tmo) and CDMA Pa Bell (VZW+Sprint) – with a sprinkle of regional and niche carriers.
Most people seem to forget that Verizon Wireless is actually a Baby Bell. So this is more apt that most would realize.
Actually, I think we’re just as likely to see one of the following deals:
1. VZW/Sprint
2. Vodafone sells their VZW stake and uses the cash to buy Sprint
3. Sprint raises some new money and goes on a buying spree (Clearwire, Leap, MetroPCS, and perhaps a couple of others).
Sprint is one of the primary supporters of MVNOs, which provide many options to consumers in the US. I believe that regulators would have a much harder time to approve a VZW/Sprint deal than they will with the ATT/TMo deal.
In terms of handset and infrastructure equipment manufacturers – you seem to forget there is more to the planet than just the United States.
Kudos Om for this article, I had a lengthy exchange with Robert Scoble raising this very point you made. We all loose by this never.
I Work at a T-Mobile call center, what does this mean for me?
Not to be crude, it means you’d better start looking for another job. One, At&T will axe many jobs in the buyout anyway, and two they certainly wouldn’t want to waste money employing T-mobile CSRs that waste time and energy winning countless JD Power and Associates Customer Service awards.
Start looking for a job asap. I bet the vast majority of folks at T-Mobile will start polishing up their resume this week.
If you’re like most of the T-Mo customer service reps I have talked to, you’re probably too nice and too helpful to work for ATT. Learn how to be rude and uncaring about customers, and you will probably move up at ATT. But wait to make sure the deal goes through, just in case.
It means you may think freely about joining a union … and not get fired for those very thoughts.
@skylark – Think freely about joining a union? Don’t you mean “you will almost certainly be forced into becoming a union shop?”
I was with AT&T at the Cingular merger, and there was no viable option to keep the union vote from passing. With the horrible benefits package changes and other considerations, a large majority of call center employees felt compelled to vote for the union 🙁
Ive been with att. For like 5 years and never had a problem with there csr. Will not switch to any other carrier. Had sprint never again. Seen what my brother had to deal with at big red. Ill stay where im at. U might feel different but that’s how I feel
If you work at T-Mobile then you know what it means for you. Some T-Mobile employees are saying that T-Mobile is raising all the performance levels so it’s almost impossible to meet, so they can fire “at will” a large percentage of the employees as the merger is solidified. Why? Because it was said that T-Mobile doesn’t want to pay anyone unemployment benefits. If you happen to survive the mass firing, I heard that the T-Mobile severance package includes some unusual stipulations that you have to sign. If you survive to that point, be sure and read it carefully before signing.
As usual, the big companies get bigger and gain control of consumer prices/services by swallowing up the competition; the lobbyists get wealthier as they host the cheap version of “Let’s Make A Deal” with the political decision makers; and the common working man/woman gets the shaft. It’s business as usual in the good ole’ USA. Sad beyond definition!
Choices make for competition in price, service and breadth. Monopolies create high prices little choice and poor service.ATT customer service falls further when this goes through. AAPL becomes a winner here with more distribution with tmobile customer base. Overall duopololies and monopolies have never been good for the consumer. Five years ago Microsoft own the operating system market. Today osx linux and others are talking share. That change was a result of competition not consolidation.
Yep – we’re all screwed on this one. Hope the Feds derail it.
I’d worry less about Google, though. Plenty of carriers out there in the world. We may not see the good stuff here in the US, but others will.
If Google looses is Apple winning? My guess is that the two major ones(T, VZ), will play MS/Nokia against Android(good timing on MS part to have a chance to get a food in the door,bing mobile search,…). I don’t think they will try and push Apple around to much.
Maybe two/three winners:
Apple
MS/Nokia
I’ll add Apple as a winner here as well. If the deal goes through, suddenly T-Mobile’s customers will be able to buy the iPhone and Motorola, Samsung, HTC, and the rest will have fewer potential customers.
Android phones today are still surpassing iphone. Iphone is limited and the android phones are more open. A merger like this would give many people a choice for the phone that they want, but i doubt it would help the iphone out. My opinion i have had att and tmobile they both suck, but if i had to choose i would have tmobile. Tmobile has cheaper plans and cooler phones than the iphone. Now they both suck because with both i have experianced a lot of droped calls more with att. I had sprint and recently switched to att and i had way more droped calls than sprint. Now I currently have virginmobile which is owned by sprint and just pay 40 dollars a month for 1200 minutes and unlimited text, web, email and data. I currently have the samsung intercept running android os. My dad has a iphone and i can do far more on my prepaid phone for 40 a month vs his billed iphone on att were he pays 60 a month for 200 minutes 200mb of data and 1000 text. My opinion is sprint billed and prepaid will win because they have cheaper plans and better phones. Plus att network 3g is already on the verge of a crash do to all the data the iphone uses therfore a lot of people will jump ship and switch to sprint, prepaid sprint services or verizon. Att is going to crush tmobile and hurt their self in the long run.
T-Mo is losing subs at an alarming rate and their parent company has publically stated that they needed to show the abilityt to stand on their own. Guess what, it isn’t going to happen! So look at the alternatives, sell to a cash rich company with like technology. Or sell to Sprint. Please refer to Nextel merger. You tell me what makes the most sense.
Translation: it sucks for AT&T haters, like the author.
Actually, it sucks for a lot of T-Mobile customers who chose the carrier specifically because they were not AT&T. By that I mean that T-Mobile offers great customer service, fairly priced plans, and hasn’t been a complete control freak about devices on their network.
I don’t know why people are so worried about the prices of service…AT&T has very reasonably priced plans, I’ve had all carriers and tmobile was good but their phones sucked! I’m glad if the merger goes thru, I see this as everyone WINNING!!! booo to verizon for being so darned expensive and still have dropped calls!
THIS.
I have AT&T for my high speed internet at my house because I have no other decently priced option, and I HATE having to call customer service.
T-mobiles customer service is FANTASTIC. I’ve called about any number of things from number ports to misbehaving phones and they’ve always helped me.
I can’t even get to someone at AT&T who understands how a DSL line actually WORKS, and knows what I’m talking about when I tell them the line syncs, but I’m getting no data.
This is going to be awful for T-mobile customers. Maybe the feds will disallow it, but I doubt it.
+1. Love my T-mobile plan.
it is a world that big one eats the small one to make their-selves more bigger, so it’s not big deal at all.
But in THIS part of the world we are supposed to have a government that protects the consumer against abuses of monopolistic companies. I have been a customer of this company since 1997, and I have been perfectly satisfied with practically ALL of my experience in those years.
I’ve been with TMO since they came to town in the 90s too. I tried AT&T just fir the iPhone for a month and though the phone was cool, the phone service stunk! I don’t care how mant features my cell phone has, I heed one that works well as a phone! I also use UMA and the stupid AT&T people told me the iPhone would also do it. Bottom line, they didn’t even know what it was! I’ll be so sad to see TMO go away.
I have been a very happy TMobile Customer for many years. I have the MyTouch 3G and it’s been the best phone and they have provided the best service. This is NOT good news.
I agree I have been with Tmobile when they bought over Voicestream. I stuck with them because the packages were consumer friendly and the customer service was and still is the best. I have had experience with ATT and they have the I dont care what you think about me attitude, even in the customer service. NOTHING GETS RESOLVED ONLY PUSHED TO THE SIDE!
Om – couldn’t agree more. While I am an iPhone user (mainly), I also keep a Nexus One for development as well as to use when I need a reliable carrier in those certain iPhone hating markets (SF, for example).
TMo has been great in terms of customer service. Easy to set up, easy to get unlock codes, friendly and informative. The only saving grace on the AT&T is having a business account (they are a bit friendlier/knowledgable) and when there is a hardware issue, the Genius Bar.
I’m waiting to see what AT&T will try and impose on those accounts that have TMo unlimited data and tethering…
Since AT&T has unlimited data plans, and tethering plans are available, why should there be any change? Tethering plans are almost never unlimited anyway… even my T-mobile aircard has a data threshold. They just throttle when I reach it, although given their normal data speeds, I wonder just how slow they’ll actually make me.
AT-T did away with the unlimited plans when Apple wasn’t going to let them sell the I-Phone if they didn’t. The plans were supposed to be locked in on the smart phones, but then they reclassified what a smart phone was, so nothing was locked in. Unlimited will only be available on non-smart phones.
I agree that the customer service is better as a business customer. However, they also just jacked up my rates as a business consumer so much that we switched everyone in the company to a personal plan to save cost.
I see no bias whatsoever, just pure analytics. And not found anywhere else so far in this late breaking development. And poo on those that things the views in this article are from the vantage point of just being hateful of AT&T. Since Verizon got the iPhone, The mother of all phone monopolies has been scheming to take back some of Big V’s mojo. AT&T remains the most dissatisfying of all the major carriers, and adding more bulk to it’s hull isn’t going to improve it at all.
I have heard Om on TWiT and, while he makes some valid points about the supplier-buyer relationships (though as others have noted, the world is bigger than the US), he definitely comes across a bona fide AT&T hater. He titles the article as everyone losing when AT&T clearly wins, AT&T’s customers likely win as the additional spectrum from T-Mobile will be beneficial to expanding network capacity, and T-Mobile can be said to win as well given legitimate questions about their long-term viability. Om is entitled to his opinion and I don’t discount some of the valid points, but I do think you have to take this article with a grain of salt.
I think people have to take astroturfers like you with a grain of salt.
This merger will be a nightmare for att already way too congested network, I think the company who will benefit the most from this merger will be VZW, their plans are now cheaper than at&t’s, att is only cheaper if u don’t text and verizon is still offer unlimited data on a faster more reliable network. Customer service is far better than what u get with at&t, and even diehard apple fanatics still get what they want
I don’t think some people know what the word “bias” means. If you don’t agree with their opinion, then you must be “biased”.
Bias means “prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.” Regardless of whether the author of this article is biased (which I doubt) or not, he has articulated his reasons for his opinion. If you believe that his articulated reasons are wrong, counter his reasoning with pertinent facts, logic or reasoning of your own. Don’t simply tell me to disregard rational arguments just because they might have come from a potentially biased source. Make your case.
In the handset and OS you have the odd man out now practically locked out, which is Microsoft and Nokia.
Actually, Microsoft made headlines when it said it wanted to be the best mobile OS provider for the “Carriers”. Not consumers, carriers. Bet on it that MS will bend over backwards and offer great value to ATT and Verizon to discount Android, which anyway is screwing up because of all the bloatware these carriers are dumping on it.
Actually, Om, here I can see a very clear winner: Evil.
This makes me really sad. I wonder how the different manufactures will react to this. More carriers produced more phones which produced more options. So to see T-Mobile go is sad.
However, its not all bad. T-Mobile issued a statement regarding the acquisition.
In the statement they gave a few of the common questions they were asked and answer to them regarding the buy out. You can check it out here: goo.gl/hYN9u
I am not happy with this. T Mobile has a better network, better customer service, better plans, better everything, and is Android HQ. This is a bad deal for the customers, and manufacturers. For the few T Mobile users who want an iPhone, they see this as good, but read that fine print *shakes head*. This probably means I will be moving to Verizon when the contract I just renewed is up.
Aside from other concerns I would say Apple is the only winner. Its clearly a bad thing for android to have most of their developer base swept away to a company being leaned on by apple.
i work for at&t and im upset this happen
Thanks for a great summary of what’s bad about this acquisition. I’ve been on the losing end of an AT&T buyout before and quickly discovered that the company seems to actually be proud of their horrible customer service. They still have that “We’re the phone company – we don’t have to care what you think” attitude that I remember from before the breakup.
I switched to T-Mobile because of their low prices and great customer service. If past experience is any guide, both will soon be a memory.
Industry innovation should be just fine. After all, it was AT&T that threw out old business principles and brought us the iPhone (Verizon wasn’t going to do it). And you forget that LightSquared’s hybrid terrestrial/satellite (LTE) cell network will soon come online. Then, we’ll be right back to four major U.S. carriers. From what I’ve read, LightSquared will turn the industry upside down.
HD Boy, AT&T didn’t bring the iPhone, Apple did.
Wow talk about sensationalist journalism. All of your arguments are flawed. So flawed.
Why don’t you explain WHY his arguments are flawed instead of just telling us that they are flawed?
Wow, talk about bias. Way to go buddy, you just showed everyone how much of a TMobile lover you are and how much if an ATT hater you are.
While it’s generally right to say that less competition is not as good for consumers, you are blowing it WAY out of proportion. Typical doomsdayer sensationalist journalism.
So you admit that this news is bad for T-Mobile’s fans/users? That must be the case if bashing AT&T means he’s a T-Mobile lover.
But wait! If this news IS bad for T-Mobile users, and he’s opining that the news is bad for T-Mobile users, what part of that is biased?
The facts speak for themselves, jack. Another inane comment from someone who stumbled on this column. “generally right”? Completely right, and nothing sensational in what Om has to say.
Given that you state that the deal will be good for the respective company’s shareholders I can’t see what your problem is… after all, who are the executives working for?? The Govt??
The problem is that we, the consumers, get the crappy end of the stick.
Consolidation of power like this will lead to new services popping up, as customers won’t put up with high prices and bad service. Scenario: Google becomes a carrier itself. Apple could as well.
From scratch? The money, the permits, the backbone. Maybe even the regulatory oversight. Just not going to happen. Unless you know of a different wireless scheme that doesn’t involve highspeed lines to various spread out towers, I don’t see how this will be possible.
Several years ago an IOS update broke voice mail service for people using an iPhone on T-Mobile. TMO rushed to push out an update to their VM system. Anyone think AT&T would do that? It took years for them to enable mms on the iPhone!
…Oh, and…
I fled Sprint for AT&T’s iPhone. The customer service at AT&T is wonderful compared to the Sprint tech support cesspool.
If AT&T gets more spectrum, bandwidth and towers (with a little larger footprint) out of this, it will be a win for customers.
Only Net Neutrality would have saved consumers on prices, by not allowing these companies to throttle bandwidth so that can charge based on usage.
I’d argue the industry NEEDS more consolidation and I’d like to see Verizon and Sprint merge. I’d also like to see the government REQUIRE that all next-generation phones be multi-carrier devices if this or future deals are to be approved.
End carrier phone exclusivity, market phones with multiple cell radios like Apple is preparing to do and consolidation makes sense. That is what will force carriers to compete on price.
I doubt Verizon and Sprint would merge anytime soon because of the fact that Vzn is implementing a LTE 4G infastructure as opposed to Sprint’s WiMax 4G, which are not compatible with each other.
I agree that phones should not be carrier-exclusive. It would be better to be able to pick your phone, then pick the carrier that suits you. I think this will be more of a possibility in the future, since three of the four major carriers have chosen to persue the LTE 4G infastructure for the future.
As for the government Requiring things, in a more free market with less gov regulation imposed, everyone wins.
everything about this sucks, except one thing. n900 users that had att might get 3g service now!
Sorry but this article sounds like it was written by an angry sprint employee or investor. The truth is at&t is more innovative than any other carrier. They are the only true smooth transition to lte, they were the carrier who put reputation aside to bring apple to the market and they have created a competitive market place and enabled non data centric customers to have a smartphone without spending 30 a month. They we’re also the first to drop data pricing from 45 to 30 four years ago. I don’t think you’ve looked at how this will keep handset manufacturers busy producing pentaband phone, allows cell tower companies to create new base station components that will allow for seamless handoffs between all 4 hspa+ bands and give 135 million customers better coverage and a strong path to lte. Please look at this from an unbiased and non anti at&t perspective before you publish such rubbish.
So says an AT&T boss man.
My data pricing has been $25 from the start at TMO.
My coverage is fine.
What? What transition? They don’t have the backhaul in place to do any transition. They’ve rested on their laurels since they got the iPhone and let their network die on the vine in favor of investor and executive profits.
What reputation did the put aside? Apple’s deal was we get all the profit on the phone, and you get all the profit on the data plans. AT&T didn’t put anything aside.
This brings nothing to the table for the consumer, the US job market, nor the handset manufacturers. The only thing it does is reduce competition, selection, and diversity abroad and in the US.
You are a shill and a bad one at that.
“Google. I think the biggest loser in this could be Google. In T-Mobile, it has a great partner for its Android OS-based devices. Now the company will be beholden to two massive phone companies — Verizon and AT&T — who are going to try to hijack Android to serve their own ends.”
Um, they both are already doing this, for example, with crapware that can’t be uninstalled. Now, without competition from a smaller company that had to be more consumer-friendly, they can reduce their pretense of being interested in anything but the customer’s wallet.
My only bone to pick with this article has to do with the idea that Google is going to be pushed around by the networks. Google wouldn’t let themselves be pushed around by the Chinese or US governments. I doubt AT&T is going to fare any better.
really? then maybe you can explain why AT&T users can’t download non-Android Market apps? Or why the carriers are able to extort 20% revenue share from android apps from Market? or why Google has been unable to provide carrier billing to consumers on Market beyond AT&T and T-mobile?
My understanding is that on VZW, if you install unauthorized Android software it will literally fry your phone… Moto Droid (2?) with the fuse chip in it.
could be a win for Sprint
after ATT jacks up Tmo customers prices to standard ATT rates then many may leave to hop on Sprint.
This is bad, very bad. As a loyal customer of T-Mobile since it was Aerial in ’97 and the wife of an ATT employee, this is bad. To quote one of the facebook comments, “which Android phone should I get on Verizon?”
Have any of you actually read anything else besides this? Go to tmobiles website and read the new FAQ they just posted…tmobile will stay INDEPENDANT….all this does is offer better coverage for both networks…and besides this deal will take over a year to complete…tmobile employees are safe for now
They don’t say they will stay independent. They say in a deliberately confusing way that they are independent until the merger happens.
Thunder bolt or Droid x just switched from t mo about 5days ago and I love it nothing against tmo I had them for about 3yrs last phone was the g2 great phone by the way there plans are not tht much more expensive I’m paying the same as I was with tmo glad I got out just in time I didn’t even know about the merg p.s iPhone six its way over rated
Wasn’t AT&T a mega company that was a monopoly and was for that reason split into fraction companies. Why are the regulatory authorities allowing AT&T to merge with and buy itself into a monopoly? To be split again and the process repeats itself again …?
No. Same name, different company. SBC acquired the rights to the name when they bought what was left of the old AT&T in 2005.
Even if that were the case, any talk of monopoly is ridiculous, since it ignores the fact that there are two other carriers (besides AT&T) that are larger than T-Mobile.
But it IS a monopoly on the GSM network.
Interesting point. The original AT&T was a government sanctioned monopoly. They were sued and, in a ground breaking court case, they were order to divest themselves of their phone services. At the end of the day, there was a company called AT&T plus several regional “Baby Bells”.
It didn’t take long before the “Baby Bells’ stared acquiring each other. Verizon was one of the original Baby Bells. Another Baby Bell actually purchased the original AT&T and renamed themselves AT&T. I’m not in favor of government sanctioned monopolies, but clearly the courts did not understand economics. It’s taken a while, but one-by-one, the pieces of the phone industry are re-consolidating. In an age where we want service to be universal and ubiquitous, small and regional carriers make little or no sense.
I completely agree Om.
I’m a T-Mobile customer and while I’m not in love with the carrier, I enjoy many freedoms that AT&T doesn’t offer (e.g., @Home line for $10/mo, free tethering on NS, off-contract options, UMA, etc.). Outside of the pre-paid carrier market, T-Mobile is one of the only carriers offering genuinely consumer-friendly options. If anything, AT&T is trending in the opposite direction (e.g., tethering, femtocells, etc.), in terms of consumer friendly innovation.
U.S. carriers already have too much power, consolidation is not a good direction for consumers. Hopefully, regulators will want to slow down big consolidation a bit after Comcast, and will shut this one down.
Ok, I have to weigh in here. I am an AT&T customer. Before that, I was a Cellular One customer. Guess what? I survived the buyout of Cellular One in 2007 and couldn’t be happier with my AT&T service and phone. Just like T-Mo, Cell One wasn’t viable long term. I think everyone wins here. Don’t believe me? Just take a look at the LTE maps AT&T has made public. It’s a huge win for rural customers like myself – plus now T-Mo customers will get LTE. Who really loosed here? Sprint? WHO CARES!!
Wow! This is fantastic news. Anything that helps to drive a bullet in the heart of the kludged together experiment that is Android is great news indeed. I think Apple is a big winner here. They just expanded their customer base. If it’s good or Apple, it’s bad for Google. Long live AT&T/TM.
the little recognized fact is at&t has horrific customer service they dont help customers this is a fact look at consumer reports or cnet even the bbb their just bad and t-mobile customers suffer through some of the best customer service available. how long do you think they will stay arround.
I called 611 tonight to find my contract date and the rep said they’ve been flooded with calls asking when they need to switch because they wont go to at&t. i have a big feeling sprint and verizon are very happy they are about to get a lot of new contracts at&t was counting on to pay for this fiasco. when my contract is up in august sprint here i come after 7 years i am very sad to go.
P.S. did everyone forget the whole your phone isn’t working because your holding it wrong nightmare. lol
Rethink possible, everybody. Rethink possible.
Now more customers can experience the wonder of simultaneous dropped calls and data.
You forgot one class of people on the losing end: current employees. Let’s translate this paragraph to real-world language:
“The T-Mobile deal may give AT&T a way to boost earnings because of the money the companies would save by combining their operations. The companies’ estimate that they could have $40 billion in synergies is a realistic assessment, said Jonathan Chaplin, an analyst with Credit Suisse Group AG.”
Translation: “An army of employees are going to be served their walking papers.”
This sounds like a raw deal for consumers. As an AT&T customer I had lousy service both on mobile (particularly bad coverage in SF and NYC) and on my broadband internet service at home. On the mobile front, I was able to change to Sprint which has been pretty good. However, at home it’s been a disaster. They’ve had to replace my router twice and even when they installed U-verse we eventually switched back to Direct TV. So, overall I’d have to agree that for consumers this probably isn’t good news.
The one thing Om leaves out: one winner for sure are the investment bankers. As usual, they’ll make a ton of money for brokering a deal that is both bad for consumers and ultimately bad for employees at both companies. There are reams of data showing that 90% of mergers generally fail and my guess is this one will be no different. Seems like all the bad old habits and excess of Wall Street bankers are alive and well with this ridiculous merger.
The best thing the FCC could do would be to kill this deal fast
I remember when Ma Bell owned the phones and every month they would charge you a fee for renting the phone in your house. I hope at the least the government will require them to unlock all their phones or the regional GSM carriers will be crushed due to exclusivity. Perhaps they should even decouple selling phones apart from service so you buy a service plan and you buy a phone independently.
Tmobile already has the best prices for minutes and plans in the market with innovative phones to choose from. I think this is a really bad deal, because ATT already has the worst customer service in the nation and I dont think it would get any better. At least with tmobile the customer service was awesome. I think Att is just looking for control of the market not the innovativeness of catering to the public. I do believe everything would be charged for. An even better merger would be another company that could use Tmobile’s innovative directions.
How, exactly, can AT&T regain a monopoly it never had? If you had been paying attention, you would know that the company currently using this name is not the same company that was broken up over 25 years ago. Coupled with some bad facts (e.g. GSM phones have a worldwide market, not one limited to the United States), one has to wonder if the entire argument isn’t simply sour grapes.
The Feds better not allow this. Just got back from India where cell phone minutes cost two cents. There are at least ten cell phone companies in India. Competition does matter and we need more not fewer companies. FWIW I’m an AT&T user.
I was going to join t-Mobile shortly and check out the Nexus S (a favorite of Fred Wilson and many others) when my Sprint contract is up in a couple months. Not now. I don’t want to go anywhere near AT&T with their suckass network and customer service. Say good-bye to real consumer choice.
Rather than just say this merger is bad for consumers; it would be great if your article listed who we can mail to voice our concerns about this merger.
Better than complaining is doing something about it.
I think the biggest losers will be t-mobile employees like myself that have an att store right up the road
Winner? Att customers. Winner? T mobile customers.
Google a loser? Hardly. So what if android gets changed up to suit the carrier needs? Let them build their own phone and sell it subsidy free if they’re so worried about it.
Apple seeks to provide the best possible user experience. That’s why they’re so successful and so loved by their customers.
AT&T and Verizon and Comcast seek to extract the maximum revenue possible from the consumer. That’s why they’re universally hated by their customers. Bend over and grease up before doing business with them.
T-Mobile offered better pricing, especially with their prepaid plans. I doubt they did it because they wanted to. More likely because it was one way the could fight against the goliaths.
This will probably fall on deaf ears, but …
lose – opposite of win;
loose – not restrictive, not tight, free, as in “My belt is loose.”
I feel for you but I don’t think there is any way back to the way it was. Perhaps it is time to coin “looze”, retire “lose” and hopefully people will leave “loose” alone to be used properly.
There’s too much U.S.-market focus in this analysis. Handsets and network equipment are a global business. The U.S. market can’t dictate their fate or control prices. The article also spending too much time looking in the rear-view mirror. Data is becoming king, and T-Mobile has no plan for moving to LTE, which means that T-Mobile customers are destined to fall behind in the data race if nothing changes.
I’m not an AT&T super-fan, but is it totally fair to call AT&T non-innovative? They were the only ones to give Apple the concessions they wanted in order to bring the iPhone to market. If they hadn’t done that, the phone market would be in much sadder shape that it is now.
I LOVE T Mobile – Tm THE BEST customer service out there! & their phones ROCK! oh well, better AT&T than Verizon – BLEKH!!!!!
Google will partner with LightSquared for it’s own LTE network: http://www.davidafenton.com/2011/03/at-to-buy-t-mobile-for-39-billion-itll.html
I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile last May. I had read Consumer Reports evaluation of T-Mobile’s excellent customer service and have nothing but good things to say about them. While AT&T and Verizon both wanted $30 a month extra for their data plans, T-Mobile provides an unlimited $10 a month plan on my Nokia Nuron. Unlock codes were provided without difficulty so I could put a cheap German SIM card in when we visited Europe and use the phone without difficulty. The lifetime free GPS also worked well in Germany.Perhaps we should start voicing objections to the merger when the FTC solicits public comments.
AT&T-Mobile?
hope it works out and they get everything right AT&T should loosen up some
put back unlimited data, open access to third party app on android [as if i cant get around it ;)], and make their plans cheaper if they would… you know be a bit lenient this could actually work for every one
and i really hope it does for their sake cause if it doesn’t that 41 billion lost for at&t which could lead to a possible increase on my bill and thats money i really dont want to spend
FUD, FUD, and more FUD. I expected better from you, Mr. Malik. And your comment, “AT&T, on the other hand, has the innovation of a lead pencil” has no basis in reality. Please go do some research on Bell Labs (now AT&T Labs). Also Cingular/AT&T worked with Apple in developing the iPhone, one of the most innovative mobile devices ever created. And Cingular/AT&T invented visual voicemail. Innovation is what drives AT&T. Much of what people do nowadays on the internet and on cell phones and smartphones is possible because of AT&T Bell Laboratories. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT%26T_Bell_Labs#Discoveries_and_developments
Maybe this is why AT&T’s network is so buggy: https://www.eff.org/issues/nsa-spying
It certainly seems like the horse is out of the barn on this one. It’s horrible, of course; but we made the wrong turn ages ago by selling the spectrum to these lousy networks, and letting them use their own incompatible protocols to lock out the world. It looks like we’ll have three, or two, wireless telecoms in a year or so, such that Ma Bell will seem like a benign old biddy compared to AT&T and Verizon.
which VZW Android LTE phones should I get?
The absolutely wonderful T-Mobile customer service reps are definitely going to be without a job.
I’ve had T-Mobile for about nine years now, and I’ve had my landline and internet with AT&T for even longer. Whenever I make a call to T-Mo, the CSR’s are so people friendly, concerned, and take the time to see that you are truly satisfied. AND they are located in the US. When I need to call AT&T for anything–which I desperately avoid doing–I am put on hold and have to guess my way through a labyrinth of buttons to press before I finally talk to someone. Then the person who answers is located in India or the Philippines and everything that is said is so highly scripted it makes me cringe. I can’t imagine AT&T will keep any US employees, especially CSR’s when they’ve already got them outsourced in other countries. Less jobs in the US, more money for the big corporations. Less money for the workers here in the US. Yes, it will definitely hurt many of us in a variety of way and not just those of us who happen to be T-Mobile users.
Att home service and wireless cs reps aren’t the same people, I’ve been with the wireless side since 98 and have always gotten reps from the us. I doubt they’d change that, they may even keep some of the tmobile reps if they do what verizon did when they took over alltel to support their devices and possibly grandfather the old tmobile plans, that’s what verizon did at least when they took over alltel those customers could stay on the old plans until they upgraded phones… It would make since and make it an easier transition for the tmobile folks
I hope the price don’t go up, such BS.
I hope the price don’t go up, such BS.
Brilliant chess move by ATT. By offering a $39B offer for T-MO they get to tie up the 4th largest wireless company for 1 year (and block the 3rd largest company Sprint as well) with the uncertainty of the merger. If the merger is approved, it is a major win by ATT, if blocked, it is still a win by ATT since it results in a delay in the emergence of a viable 3rd competitor and they don’t waste cash/stock/treasure on damaged goods.
Sprint and T-Mo independently have not been viable competitors, that is why their merger was seen as a net positive for the consumer in the long run. This ATT/T-Mo deal will certainly eliminate the possibility of a 3rd major emerging in the long run.
If the deal goes through, there is no possibility of a Verizon-Sprint merging later on (unless Sprint is forced into bankruptcy by the Verizon/Att duopoloy over the coming years).
-Brian B
Wireless created and caused this purchased. This is all about wireless.
What a clusterhump this is going to be.
Definitely!
Definitely!
Couldn’t agree more Gigaom – as a loyal T-Mobile customer who has enjoyed great customer service, low prices and un-restricted Android phones I am extremely disappointed in T-Mobile selling out to the original telecoms monopoly. Just how much longer before Verizon merges with Sprint and then AT&T buys Verizon and we are back to square one? https://www.facebook.com/pages/T-Mobile-unfriend-ATT/210217668993461
I have been a customer since 1997 and I have loved my service, the phones, and the customer service. I have three lines. We LOVE the loyalty plan,the data,the phones, etc. I plan to write a letter to everyone who will listen to not let this merger happen. I will NOT give AT&T one cent of my money. I spend a lot on my TMobile every month, and for the unlimited plans, it is worth it.Hmm, wonder how AT&T will feel when all the customers of TMobile leave and go to Sprint, or prepaid just not to fall into their crappy operation? This is so bad!
OR……If it is not allowed, as we all hope, T-mobile gains $ (reported there is a clause if regulators stop AT&T must pay t-mobile) and can then either stay itself or do the Sprint deal. Either way T-mobile will not lose other than if folks leave before it is a done deal.
It sucks because T-Mobile and Sprint are the only national carriers offering fair prices for consumers. AT&T and Verizon are the opposite. AT&T and Verizon = The Most Expensive Wireless Plans in America. We know where Verizon (the 10th leading U.S. lobbyist) and AT&T (the 12th leading U.S. lobbyist) get all that money to run commercials 24×7, pay out huge “fat cat” executive bonuses and hire armies of lawyers and lobbyists to push the U.S. market into a wireless industry duopoly — the American consumer.
What I would like to see is a merger between DirecTV and T-Mobile. This would solve the problem of DirecTV not being able to provide bundled voice, media, and data packages like AT&T or Time Warner. The merged company would be able to offer DirecTV along with T-Mobile’s wireless service and 4G network, which was good enough that some people were using it as their sole Internet provider. Additionally, the customer-centric cultures at both DirecTV & T-Mobile would mesh well, fewer jobs would be cut since it is a true merger, and I don’t foresee any regulatory pushback.
That actually sounds like a good plan!
I’m looking forward to a Verizon-Sprint deal next week. AT&T knows this won’t pass muster with the Feds. It’s just trying to delay a T-Mobile-Sprint deal. T-Mobile got hoodwinked.
This is the best news for U.S. cellular customers since the advent of the iPhone because no matter what network seamlessness is about to improve, at least in the GSM market. And it’s great news for current T Mobil customers because they’ll finally have the choice of picking-up the iPhone and iPad. And obviously for iPhone and iPad current and future owners, this is great news.
For Verizon, yes, it’s bad news. Ditto Google.
Hope this merger is approved and soon.
Why is it assumed T-Mobile customers will be happy to “finally “get an iPhone? Most of us Android users choose Android over iPhone and I’ve personally had both at&t and T-Mobile. I was originally with cellular one, survived that buyout but the Cingular merger was so poorly managed left to go to T-Mobile and refuse to go backwards. Being forced to buy a new phone and paying a fee to do it (oh yeah, they will too) is not an option for me.
This really sucks. Why? T-Mobile’s new network was giving their phones the data speed edge over everyone else, while AT&T came in dead last in this category, according to a test conducted by PC World. T-Mobile offers cheaper service vs expensive service by AT&T. T-Mobile was still offering unlimited data while AT&T did away with unlimited data. T-Mobile ranked among the hightest in customer service satisfaction vs AT&T having the worst customer service of all subscribers, according to J. D. Powers recent five year surveys. This is a Lose-Lose situation for consumers. I will be canceling my service with T-Mobile if they allow this takeover…
Are we going to be able to use IPhones with Tmobile?
I’m shocked.. this sucks.. I guess I better get to talkin to VZW.
?
We need a white knight – where is Larry Lessig when you need him? What is Lessig up to these days, isn’t he helping out the Obama admin?
Where are the anti-trust authorities in the US?
Who makes sure there is true competition? What kind of free market can you have with just 3 players for a market the size of US??
Tmobile was pretty amazing in alot of areas but this merger does seem gloomy. However if they screw up and impose the same AT&T philosophy on this new merger, don’t forget people can run to these grassroot companies like metro pcs, virgin mobile, boost, cricket, pageplus. I don’t know yes tmobile rocks. yes att sucks. but can’t things change. hopefully they will merge some of tmobiles philosophy into this merger… hopefully or we can all move to Europe.
While I agree with much of what you said, I cannot believe that you would even suggest that Google is the “biggest loser in this”. Honestly, Google prints money and can fend for itself with Verizon, At&t and Sprint.
Otherwise you are right, practically everyone except for At&t and T-mobile loses from this. Its sad that the cellular market is moving towards this a duopoly anyway.
Join our community at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-T-Mobile-USA-Customers-Against-ATT-Merger/100628543355950.
For all the talk of consumers losing, hasn’t T-Mobile been steadily losing subscribers for a few years now, or at least adding them at a slower rate than the rest of the industry? It would seem that consumers, in aggregate have spoken, and T-Mobile is NOT their carrier of choice.
I’m a current T-Mobile customer, haven been for eight years. Stuck with them for the superior customer service and affordable plans, but I can’t deny that their handset selection leaves much to be desired and the use of 1700 MHz for AWS 3G was a strategic, compatibility-killing blunder. I’ve been toying with switching carriers at the end of my contract, and my honest primary concern if AT&T does indeed acquire TMo is how that affects spectrum. How long until the need for carrier-specific phones for 3G is a thing of the past?
I’ve got no love for AT&T, but a Sprint acquisition would probably been worse – almost as bad as a potential VZW purchase. In a world where TMo was absolutely for sale, I view this as the best possible outcome. And THAT’S the real tragedy.
There is a winner. Google Voice. Loyalty is dead in mobile.
You think that’s customers they are buying? They are UN-customers – people who wanted anything but AT&T. Just read all the comments on Facebook and in the forums, they are livid about it – they are already lining up to go elsewhere. Lets say a miracle happens and AT&T manages to hold on to 50% of the current customer base beyond their current contracts, where do all the other 50% go? Easy, right into the laps of their arch enemy Verizon (okay, some to Sprint too) who is probably rubbing their hands with glee right now. 20 million customers lining up at their door and it didn’t cost them a penny. Net result – Verzion +20M for virtually $0, AT&T +20M for $39B plus all the acquisition costs. And that’s just a blue-sky take… if they lose more like 75% then it will be a net loss for AT&T against Verizon. My guess is AT&T will choke on this deal for quite a while and you wont find any T-Mobile customers rushing to save them.
Whether this article is biased or not, I agree with the writer. I wish he had elaborated more on the first point, “bad for consumers” and instead called it “bad for the American people”. Deals such as this, which involve more money than any ordinary person can imagine, make me angry. I’m not a techie” ( probably spelled it wrong) and I don’t really care which k
which kind of phone triumphs or who makes out the most among phone owners.
Not everyone in this country owns a portable phone. Not everyone inn this country gan afford one. I’m bracing to be called a “}communist” or something bit I become dizzy when I think of the amount of bonuses that were “earned”in this transaction.
Reading blogs is enlightening. If the best deal on a phone for the person who owns it is the measuring stick of our concerns, we should be disappointed in ourselves. Being happy that one huge corporation bested another falls into the same category. C’mon, phone owners, do you know that children in America (a lot) go to bed hungry while you, the consumers, are busy talking in your phones, and the people who take your money and fly around in private jets rejoice that you do, that there exist a pool of people “consumers” whose main concern is the next technical gadget, including but not limited to phones, that will continue to make them rich.
Not all consumer-made billionaires are like Bill and Melinda Gates.
My problem with AT&T is that coverage in certain areas I visited from time to time was not great. But in my main city, Indianapolis, it was pretty good. I was happy that AT&T got the iPhone in 2007, and I got one immediately. Good purchase.
Contrary to what many have experienced here, I have always received excellent customer service from AT&T–basically none since 2004, when they were Cingular.
So, for AT&T customers, this is a win. The network will be bigger and better–what’s not to dig?
How will it affect the current plans of tmobile customers?
Since I have been on all four carriers, I just want to throw in my two cents:
_ economics 101: fewer suppliers and less numerical competitors in a given market means prices go up. People arguing this point are arguing against the basics of economics that everyone knows.
– yes, the US is one market, but a very large, very significant one. And additional choices being available in another country does not mean US consumers, or a chunk of them, will not be displeased to see a wireless competitor go away
– T-Mobile has plenty of competitive, well received phones. The G2, the MyTouch, the HD7, the Blackberry Bold…none of these may appeal to you, but it cannot be said that T-Mobile does not offer decent phone selection just because they don’t have the iphone. Not all of us want it. I had it, didn’t like it, left AT&T thereafter. Right now, it makes a great ipod.
– let’s stop the claim that AT&T’s prices are competitive or reasonabke. I have a family plan with 4 voice lines, 3 with unlimited data lines. I also have a mobile hotspot on this plan (right now fulfilled by a Dell Streak 7). I have carried this plan across all four carriers at various, and recently, while deciding to switch to T-Mobile, shopped this plan across all four major carriers to price compare. The recent price comparison was in sync with my actual experiences on each carrier over the last four years. AT&T was the most expensive, followed by Verizon, then Sprint, and T-Mobile was the least. I moved from Verizon to TMo and my bill is $92 less. This is not subkective, this is a quantifiable metric.
Maybe it “will be ok”…in the short run. Maybe TMo customers won’t get bit this year. Maybe it won’t happen for a couple of years. But I can’t point to a single change that AT&T has made recently that has been pro-consumer, or even just pro-fair price. And a look around at other US services that are highly consolidated (cable companies, ISPs, non-cable television networks, airlines) gives me a pretty bleak outlook as to how this is going to turn out. Peace.
The sole purpose (and legal responsibility) of any public corporation is to return the highest profit it can to shareholders. Until the system changes, every company will want to be a monopoly, even though it is clearly bad for the economy (not to mention the longevity of the company).
AT&T-Mobile?
hope it works out and they get everything right AT&T should loosen up some.
put back unlimited data, open access to third party app on android [as if I cant get around it ;)], and make their plans cheaper if they would… you know be a bit lenient this could actually work for every one.
and I really hope it does for their sake cause if it doesn’t that 41 billion lost for at&t which could lead to a possible increase on my bill and that’s money I really don’t want to spend.
As an AT&T employee I would say that it will actually be VERY good for customers of both companies and for the wireless world in general.
1. If Sprint had bought T-Mo we would basically have two dominant players in Verizon and AT&T and a smaller player in Sprint/T-Mo. In the immortal words of Vic Kundotra (or however you spell it) Two turkeys don’t make an eagle. What’s to say these two struggling companies wouldn’t fold anyway.
2. It will be good for AT&T customers because where AT&T is weak T-Mo is strong, so service should improve in New York and San Francisco, along with the other problem areas. Win for consumers.
3. It will be good for T-Mobile customers because they will have service in the more rural areas that AT&T covers. Win for consumers.
4. Part of the stipulations of the sale is that AT&T will cover up to 95% of the population with LTE. Win for consumers.
As far as Handset Manufacturers, there won’t be any more or less handsets sold, the rest of the world is still going to buy handsets, there will be one less version of all the models out there, which creates a bigger economy of scale for manufacturers. Win for manufacturers.
And Google and Android, well the handset manufacturers have already messed that up with their proprietary UIs (Sense and Motoblur) and AT&T, Verizon and Sprint haven’t had much to say about that.
Lastly the app store thing is WILD speculation. Even if AT&T does create it’s own app store who is gonna stop the rooters and hackers from flashing back to stock Android?
Let’s not jump off a cliff here.
Sorry Ken….I am a TMobile consumer and the “service in the more rural areas that AT&T covers” won’t affect me at all…so this is definitley NOT a win for me.
I’m not rural and can’t get a signal with at&t in my city home.
love my unlocked, non bloated Android with unlimited data and no fee tethering.
Lightsquared is a fiasco. It is in the L band very close to consumer GPS. It will destroy GPS. I suspect lawsuits will keep lightsquared from becoming viable since GPS was here first and it vital.
I don’t want to share bandwidth with iphone users. The iphone doesn’t do any data compression. It simply clogs the network.
As it stands now, in the SF bay area, AT$T is just awful. I loan my T-mobile BB 9700 to iphone users that have to make calls. So I will get inferrior service, lose my UMA, lose my unlimited data, lose my free tether, and lose T-Mobile customer support.
I created an Official Petition here http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/attmerger to show support against the merger of At&t and T-mobile.
Yes get off the caffein, this is amazing news I have both At&t and T-mobile and both company match up perfectly with At&t edging out T-mobile when it comes to services.
Ah, we see how the astroturf campaign works.
The turfers are instructed to use the following template:
1) Reference to food stuff: Fibre, caffeine, etc.
2) Use a superlative: “Amazing!”
3) Reference to some touted “improvement”
Piss off little turfer, we do not need your pollution here.
Go back to your AT&T masters.
Just because China successfully uses these tactics does not mean people over here in the rest of the world will fall for it.
I dumped sprint about 2 years ago, along with a million or so other customers. Bottom line; service sucked! Verizon is alot more reliable, though national, and AT@T is international. AND, I have stock in AT@T.
Om,
Will Apple save the day with a dual network iPhone 5? Capable of working w/ GSM or CDMA w/ a simple swipe in the settings?
Would the carriers permit this? Would the FCC force them to accept a GSM/CDMA iPhone?
Hope so, ’cause that really move the unlocked pre-paid business, wouldn’t it?
I just converted a family member’s phone from AT&T to T-Mobile, and extended the contract for another, because I despise AT&T… high prices and awful customer service…now this? If nothing else, hope AT&T learns the meaning of customer service from T-Mobile.
I just converted a family member’s phone from AT&T to T-Mobile, and extended the contract for another, because I despise AT&T… high prices and awful customer service…now this? If nothing else, hope AT&T learns the meaning of customer service from T-Mobile.
Hmmm VZW is looking mighty nice now… there’s a reason I left AT&T in 2003.
OK… I get it. You don’t like AT&T. However, if you decide to take a breath, calm down, and think about this rationally, it’s not such a big deal. AT&T may have the worst customer service, but I know more people who switch TO AT&T than FROM AT&T… mainly because they can’t stand Verizon. Besides, with the new carriers around now, the competition is still there (Cricket, Clear, and a couple others).
Everybody is talking about problems for the consumers but what about the employees of each respective company? I work for an at&t authorized dealer and my boyfriend works for t-mobile. Our stores are directly across from each other. If his store closes it’s doors, it’s a losing situation for us because he’ll have to find a new job. If at&t decides to turn it into a corporate store I’ll be out of a job because we will lose all of our business.
Don’t get me wrong I’m very intrigued to see what will happen since in my area at&t has the superior coverage, but t-mobile has the best handset portfolio and customer service. I’m just worried about what is going to happen to the employees stuck in the middle of this merger.
If this happens, I am headed to MetroPCS. I have had AT&T in the past, and have absolutely no desire to go back. Customer service is terrible!
And another thing…
If you pay for unlimited data, why should you also have to pay for tethering? You are still consuming the same DATA.
I was thinking the same thing…MetroPCS here I come!
You’re all missing the point here. The real tragedy is the “death” of the T-Mobile girl in those ads. She’s hot. She’ll be missed.
I second that.
Yeah, I like her!
Agreed, this deal needs to be either quashed or have serious strings attached. AT&T on raising bandwidth prices to screw the consumer (see http://www.stopthecap.com) when they had plenty of bandwidth will only keep raising rates and lowering the bar. Those who say Verizon is competition are comparing apples to oranges since Verizon barely works outside of the U.S.
Hey Obama, you paying attention?
From an industry perspective, and even from a consumer perspective, this deal sucks.
The silver lining, the only possible winner, is the possibility of workers’ rights. T-Mobile has historically been anti-union, and this merger may open the possibility for T-Mobile employees to organize.
How is this a win? Oh, right. Unions are supposed to be good. I forget that all the time.
Too much pandering to the unwashed masses who’re only interested in CHEAP, and who blindly parrot the party line, “AT&T is EVIL!”
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
After the dust settles, few will miss or pine over T-Mobile’s disappearance.
WE’RE the biggest losers of all. Here’s why, and what I wish regulators would do to protect us: http://doctordisruptive.com/2011/03/21/att-tmobile-sucks/
T-Mobile is a company heading to failure. A “consumer friendly” company that is helpful for Android cannot be run as a charity. End result is that while many competing providers of infrastructure may be desirable, it is simply not an affordable business model, German company cannot afford to subsidize the consumer friendly options lauded in the article.
Regarding competition for phones and infrastructure, recall the US is not the center of the universe and that Europe, Asia, et al, are huge markets who in general ask ATT and Verizon, who are they?
The US is rapidly heading towards a more marginal role in smart phones based on saturated minority market. A more interesting question to ask is how will the US compete with a 100s of millions of users versus billions of users world wide.
So like will you still be able to use t-mobile only phones like the Mytouch 4G????
So like will you still be able to use t-mobile only phones like the Mytouch 4G???? I don’t wanna lose this phone its awesome!!@
what i have heard is no
Okay genius, how’s that going to work for those who already invested in these phones?
Very true on all of your points. It’s going to be a sad day for consumers very soon…
There are two branches of government that review these deals before they are allowed to proceed, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice … consumers should be ok. Plus, how can AT&T compete with Metro PCS
‘s hilarious indian commericals without this illegal merger.
Please, oh please, will Google please step up and take a majority holding of T-Mobile. Or if not Google, I’d settle for Apple. Or Nabisco. Anyone but the death star of customer satisfaction.
I’ve had every phone company and I have to say Att was the worst service ever. Signal drops everywhere! So what if you can use the phone in other countries when you can’t even use it in your own damn country! someone said now Tmobile customers can get better phones. Tmobile already has better phones. The only phone Att has that’s exclusive that’s worth even talking about is the IPhone. I have Verizon now but I had Tmobile for 4 years and never had an issue. The only reason why I left was because I wanted the IPhone for Verizon. There was no way in hell I was getting the iPhone for Att. This is a bad merger and money will be lost. People can’t afford Att. This actually is a great move for Sprint because now they have the cheapest plans and people might start going back to them.
I have liked being a tmobile customer since it started, and am very worried that I will lose the customer service that I have had!
I understand that T-Mobile has better phones/service while offering better customer service. I also have seen many people switch to T-Mobile. So why is it they are being acquired? Doesn’t that point to the fact that they are inferior to AT&T?
it is not going to be ok.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/T-Mobile-Customers-Against-an-ATT-Takeover/155495861178808
Maybe we the consumers should buy T-mobile and start a people-owned carrier with low fees, no locked phones, and the best customer service. Do you think anybody would still go to AT&T?
IF T-Mobile is so great why isn’t everyone jumping on board with them today? If T-Mobile is so great why did they agree to be bought by AT&T?
If AT&T is so horrible how come their churn is decent and they have 90+ million subscribers?
I understand people’s concerns but I am not sure it is fully warranted.
While selling T-mobile may “End a headache for Deutsche Telekom” it will create a huge headache for T-mobile users (who currently have better service and more options than AT&T users), for mobile users in general (who will now only have one option for service if they use GSM), and for the economy, which only suffers when the number of competitors is reduced to essentially unregulated all-powerful behemoths.
Fight the merger! http://www.facebook.com/SaveOurDroid
Don’t forget that wamart and google will have influence in what att will be able to do. I have worked for many major corps that bow to walmart’s rules. There was a reason that walmart chose tmobile for it’s family talk plan.
I swear in the next 30 years everybody will be serving to one company. One company will own us and manipulate us. Don’t think the deal will go through? That’s what everyone kept saying about NBC and Comcast, now we’re dealing with that night mare and Comcast’s throttling bandwidth crisis. Where does it end? It doesn’t.
Every time I go to an outlying area, my ATT phone gets no reception while all the locals happily talk on their TMobile phones. I’m going to be very happy piggy backing on TMobile’s network whenever I’m off the beaten path.
Dale is spot on. This merger leaves only one carrier for folks who need phones that work outside the US.
Interesting opinions here, but I’m curious if any of them are based on facts or historical reference with regards to competition in the industry here in the US and abroad. Also, for all those out there that think they are now screwed as Tmo customers or employees, don’t you realize that some of the things that you appreciate about Tmo are what made it an attractive acquisition for AT&T? Why wouldn’t AT&T want to tap the skills and experience of Tmo employee to improve it’s position in JD Power?
Totally agree with this article. But if justice has eyes, it will block this deal to prevent GSM monopoly, and it will allow Apple to have its iPhone running on T-Mobile.
-former T-Mobile customer and a current ATT customer
Wall Street thinks there are several winners here, including the equipment manufactures and device makers. http://blogs.forbes.com/ericsavitz/2011/03/21/the-attt-mobile-deal-sorting-out-the-winners-and-losers/
Welcome my friends to the machine. And I wouldn’t doubt if android becomes like the iphone soon. Closed off, years behind what it should be and lame.
sprint is no more deserving then att. it good sprint not get this company
AT&T has deep pockets. They have the politicians in their pockets. Sadly, the Feds will not be on the consumers’ side. There’s so much Crony-Capitalism going on, I’m pretty sure AT&T, with their union dogs, will lobby the hell out of the FCC or SEC. The government will have no choice but to yield.
I agree this f company have so much dough they just buy everyone (FCC, SEC, etc) that are in their ways. Shit if they want to they can just buy the president of the united states. I don’t know what good will that do, but haha. Lol
Anyone who doesn’t see this as troublesome doesn’t remember Ma Bell. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_Bell
It is a matter of control and the FCC will allow it. I wonder if anyone cares about the United States other than the common? I think all of the big cell phone are crooked, they charge us by the minute but we have to pay monthly or our phone is cut off. Are they charging monthly or by the minute?
Side note: The dumb part about this for me is that i just renewed my contract with T-Mobile just last month with my phone upgrade. Go figure.
I’m not super super worried about the hole technical side if the switch goes through. Although I do enjoy T-Mobile low rates, I can handle the increase in price if that’s what it comes down to. What I AM worried about is ATT’s HORRIBLE customer satisfaction reputation. I’ve been with T-Mobile for years and they’ve always been really good to me. I wanted to upgrade to the Samsung galaxy S vibrant when they first came out, but I couldnt upgrade my phone for free for another 10 months. T-Mobile told me to not worry about it; they would let me upgrade my phone with no outrageous upgrade charge. I can say with confidence that ATT would have told me to stick it where the sun don’t shine! So higher rates along side with horrible customer service could be a turning point to Verizon for me once my 2 year contract is up. But who knows, maybe there rates wont be unfathomably high and they’ll offer some cool new phone’s in the near future. I could handle the bad customer service if that was the case. I guess we’ll just see how this one plays out!!!
I have been a T Mobile customer since it was VoiceStream… There is a reason why I stayed with T Mobile…. I liked them. T Mobile has excellent service and an affordable data plan. AT&T better leave the prices and plans alone… or they will lose tons of customers. Not happy about this buyout…. thanks for selling out T Mobile.
not good not good not good, short term yes there be a few benefits to current att customers. but won’t last. not to mention is there a law agiast the establishment of munupletys . att would sound like a muniaple to me. lets face the reason most people stay with gms network around the word is cdma network real suck. personal i think every one should ban together an not let this merger go thought. other wise will all be in trouble . you have to understand it hard enough to afford life cost has it is if this go thought. price are going to sky rocket. not to mechanic the jobs that are going to be losted. i don’t think any one really seeing the bigger picture . t- Mobil user has to just cause to freak out. this merge only really benefits the big cooperate guys and share holders. an how long you think that going to lasted. anything to make a quick buck.
As a tmobile customer i hope this deal don’t go through..at&t will raise the price up just like verizon doing. I’m tired of all these big companys tryin to buy each other. You see why airlines tickets are so much because everyone is coming together as one company. Let Tmobile stand along.
In the old ‘regulated’ environment, AT&T was a good company which did a lot of good things like getting the country wired. After deregulation and the reformation of all the parts under the new ‘unregulated’ AT&T, the consumer will lose.
To be good for consumers, they need competition among providers. As the industry consolidates, prices will start to rise and innovation will slow. Do not let this merger happen.
This is fking sucks. Hope it won’t go through, because I hate fking AT&T. There prices and network sucks period. No unlimited data plan too? Come on what kind of shit is that? They just want to control fking everything. Raising the bar my ass I got more drop calls than any other carriers. That was why I’ve told them to f off the first place and came back to Tmobile. Never look back since.
I have been with T-Mobile since they were voice stream. 10+ years. I can get them to take anything that was charged to my phone. I do believe if I called in a huff they would send me a pizza if that’s what I demanded. If I am told that I am now an at&t customer I will cancel my plan.
look even if att and tmobile merge att still has to honor tmobile customers original 2yr contract by law
nope, they just need to give notice that a change is taking place and give you the option to leave or stay with the new plan.
First, I can’t stand AT&T, but I gotta have an iPhone. I never wanted to settle for T-mobile. Verizon has the best service, but they need to work out the kinks with their version of the iPhone before I switch over. My theory is that if you don’t like it, move back to the mountains.
guys everyone is jumping the gun here 1st off at&t hasn’t gotten tmobile yet 2ndly what if sprint gets tmobile we’ll being a tmobile customer i thing that would push sprint-tmobile above at&t
AT&T will start launching LTE in the summer however it won’t be available to TMO subscribers right away.
this is really going to suck. Att is really not consumer friendly and they will jack up the prices. we will lose so much as customers but i will definitely leave if the merger happens. I have my problems with tmobile but im willing to deal because they are very customer oriented unlike the rest. Here i come sprint if this happens.
Cosmo: There’s a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it’s not about who’s got the most bullets. It’s about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think… it’s all about the information!
I worked in Wireless for about 10 years. This story is pretty ridiculous. It sounds almost as if the person has no idea of how the wireless world really works. Phone makers will still make massive profits as there are other huge markets out their for their devices. Pricing will increase regardless of a merger. They can only remain low for so long. Eventually all the players will want to make more cash so they will collectively increase rates. Google is massive and can take care of itself. Network suppliers will always have it over the cell phone companies cause without them, good luck finding affordable network equipment. People will not move to Verizon based on price because historically, they have always been more expensive. This article is just wrong all the way through.
Do you think that if TM had been keeping its eye on the bottom line, as it should, it would be buying Sprint, or at least not rupturing cash and customers? Don’t you think if they could have stayed in business alone they would? Since there are Millions of AT&T customers and Millions of Verizon customers, none of which are moving to TM maybe TM has been doing something wrong?
i would have left at&t if i didn’t have an iphone….and I would NEVER leave AT&T for verizon. when my iphone is dead, i’m going to a socially conscious carrier.
This sucks! I’ve been a loyal T-mobile customer since it was VoiceStream. I have always hated ATT! If they force me to pay more, I would rather give my money to verizon or sprint instead.
This sucks> I have ATT. Knowing that it is part of a monopoly is kind of disturbing!! What is going to happen to the current customers of T-Mobil? will they be moved to ATT? or will their contracts be released?
If this merger goes through a lot of customers will cancel their plans, including me. I have t-mobile and will not pay the fees that AT&t are charging.
I left At&t for tmobile 7 years ago….I’ll do it again! this sucks if it happens….screw at&t monoply. ..
I have att and I recently switched from t mobile the reason I switched was bad reception out side the major cities but I have to pay a lot more witch am fine with the only bad thing is 2gb of data is not enough but is the merger gets back unlimited data I say good merger if not hell no why should cheap t mobile have the same signal straight as me high payer of att
I would posit that the biggest losers are T-Mobile employees who will be back in the unemployment lines…and dealers who have spent their livelihood developing exclusive relationships with T-Mobile – just to be sold down the river. Some (such as myself and at least two others I know) better find something quick or we may lose our house, but oh well, at least the stockholders will have some more money; it always warms the heart to see the rich get richer. At least there will be a year or so for us to be in limbo.
I rather be switching companies then staying with at&t. I had problems with them in the past and I do not wish to stay with them now. At least t-mobile was there when you needed to talk to them who knows if at&t will be there.
Apple .. Why?..?…?
Did you make At&t into the Giant it is!
We are already being held ransom by these monolithic corporations, most of whom collude behind the scenes to agree and set pricing. This merger means that the sham and thin veil of competition will also no longer exist and they can openly raise tariffs and further lower their service. I have been an AT&T customer for 10 years and each year they have gotten worse. Read: http://www.vaishwords.com/2010/11/rethinking-possible-with-at-wireless.html
Personally, I think that T-Mobile has been doing fine on their own in the market especially with the user friendly data packages that they have and I think their signal/service is better than ATT.
AT&T takes Cingular down..now T-Mobile whats next Metro PCS and Simple Mobile in Miami? lmao JUST EATING UP EVERYONE!
You guys don’t even know what the plans are yet just wait then you’ll know what will happen, what if Att decides to offer no contract? Would you still be mad
1. switch to verizon
2. get your company to pay for a phone outside of the U.S.
3. AT&T drops prices because their customers decline
4. everyone’s happy
I think the market spoke on what they thought of having T-Mobile as a choice: TMO’s subscriber base has been shrinking for a while now. The market has chosen the big boys. The market has chosen the larger roaming footprint. The market has chosen the iPhone. Cheaper rate plans, faster speeds, no data caps, #1 customer svc, more Androids, Personal Coverage Check, handing out courtesy credits like water clearly weren’t enough to get TMO to grow (or even hold its size). So what do you expect? Consumers have nobody to blame but themselves if they think this merger stinks. Where were you all two weeks ago when T-Mobile needed you to choose them?
I have been with tmobile for ever and with att buying u guys out I will change because everyone I talk 2 says att sucks. Tmobile losses and so will att
http://phoneblahblog.blogspot.com/
More thoughts on this. The Verizon Altell merger was only good for Verizon, and this one will probably only be good for AT&T.
You are not very bright huh? Other then reporting the obvious your statements were ignorant. Kill yourself.
This thing that Att buying tmobile it is unfair for the users because Att all time rise the price a lot and the poor people can’t afford those expensive plans, special the data one. Att it still in the prehistory with cellphone plans, because when everybody is offering unlimited for for 40 Att is asking for 70. But let me tell you that Att and verizon are the culprit of the lack of technology for poor people. A poor people can’t afford a 30 dollars wireless data plan plus 70 for calls and 20 for message, when tmobile do everything for 60. That is leaving the whole society ingnorant and only the rich people will have the option to get this technology. It is the US law permit this disaster technological? This country should denied this merge because will make the poor more ingnorant and the rich smarter. I think this merge will make us apart from the progress of technology because we won’t afford it.
The merger of the two companies will greatly improve the coverage model for customers in major cities like New York. I have been an AT&T customer through many mergers and this one improves my quality of service. And to think that T-Mobile had a chance to survive the competition was not realistic. And if they merged with Sprint, the two companies would have failed against Verizon and AT&T.
Then let them fail on their own and find out.
@joe… Get real! If you think AT&T will fail then you’re either unconscious or an idiot. Pick your poison.
The market has spoken so now you can move on with your life with whatever company you want to use. That’s the market. Speak with your feet if you want to say something that’s real.
But you’re missing the boat if you think AT&T won’t be a better company with this merger. I’m staying with the already great quality of AT&T which will only get better with additional coverages thanks to T-mobile.
Oh, and the whiners who talk about AT&T alleged poor customer service… not in my case. Besides, where I live and travel, AT&T’s converage is so good and their overall, too, that I rarely if ever contact their customer service department. Also, I can do almost everything I need to do concerning my account on-line.
Does That Mean That we T-mobile users are going to be able to use I-PHONE 4 for our service ???
If T-Mobile is so experimental and innovative, with lower price points and such a good partner with Google, why was it abottom teir wireless company and a target to be acquired, rather than acquiring?
To Unconcerned Andy,
Since when you put bad service with medium-quality service together and come up with a very nice upgrade?! AT&T purchase Cingular, which had a fantastic coverage and turned it to trashy service.
I would hate to be one of the 100,000 employee’s that are going to loose their jobs in this AT&T & T-Mobile merger. T-Mobile has the innovation and the low priced deals that made me stick with them for 3.5 years.
I’m going to move on to Net10 prepaid plans & use a cheap phone once my T-Mobile contract expires in a few months time as for the next 1.5 years I won’t know what price hikes will occur. At least the Net10 prices will be much cheaper than contract rates and I can be in control of my monthly cell phone costs and not worry about extra hidden fees.
Verizon customer services is crap. Verizon also screws up ur bill almost every month and prices are crazy. T-mobile is not the best in the U.S. but is buy for the most enjoyable company to deal with as for as getting ur phone fixed, rates, and customer services. This merger is not going to be a good thing if it happens.
Maybe with the take over T Mobile employes won’t be treated like they work in a sweat shop. That’s how I felt working for them.
To Mark: is your carrier TMO?
Chances are you, like all those complaining, are with either Verizon or ATT.
If people loved T-Mobile then it would have 80 million customers and not 34 M and the best churn in the industry
this is ridiculous and not fair for the consumers who are making these company so much money monopoly in any market isn’t right !!!!
Very sad to hear about this merger going on. I switched from AT&T over 7 years ago due to their crappy reception and service. Now I’m forced to be part of them again. This brings me to consider switching to Verizon or Sprint which aren’t at the top of my list of carriers.
Everyone needs to take it effect just because T-Mobile merges with AT&T. They cannot charge people more who were with T-Mobile. They cannot afford the losses of consumers who are currently with T-mobile. EVERYONE RELAX. T-Mobile has 4G AT&T say they have 4G but T-Mobile are actually have a faster network.That’s exactly why T-Mobile would even agree to merge with AT&T.
Well written article. I agree completely!
I agree calm down.. geez negative nelly. Being in the industry this is a huge gain for T-mobile employees as well as any other jobs that might be created through the merger.
Personally, I am not pleased with this merger. I see benefits for consumers and downfalls as well. Tmobile has the largest and fastes 4G network which is why ATT wants it. Tmobile spent their money wisely years ago to be prepared for this, where as ATT did not. While consumers thought that tmobile was behind, they were a actually ahead of the game. True, ATT offers great voice coverage in more rural areas (they close these areas out to tmobile towers), so tmobile customers will benefit from the voice coverage. However, Tmobile is hands down #1 in customer service. The customers service is there frontline to consumers to make sure they are happy with their service. The reason for this is, tmobile is a wonderful company to work for. They really make sure their frontline employees are happy with their job, and in return the employees take care of the consumer. If the current tmobile employees remain employed, their employer will then be ATT. Think about it… You know what happens then. If tmobile employees do not remain employed, we are looking at millions more signing up on unemployment, and adding that many people into the rat race of finding a job. Now, that can’t be good for our falling economy can it?
Personally, I am not pleased with this merger. I see benefits for consumers and downfalls as well. Tmobile has the largest and fastest 4G network which is why ATT wants it. Tmobile spent their money wisely years ago to be prepared for this, where as ATT did not. While consumers thought that tmobile was behind, they were a actually ahead of the game. True, ATT offers great voice coverage in more rural areas (they close these areas out to tmobile towers), so tmobile customers will benefit from the voice coverage. However, Tmobile is hands down #1 in customer service. The customers service is there front line to consumers to make sure they are happy with their service. The reason for this is, tmobile is a wonderful company to work for. They really make sure their front line employees are happy with their job, and in return the employees take care of the consumer. If the current tmobile employees remain employed, their employer will then be ATT. Think about it… You know what happens then. If tmobile employees do not remain employed, we are looking at millions more signing up on unemployment, and adding that many people into the rat race of finding a job. Now, that can’t be good for our falling economy can it? This is much larger than phone line ups, and rate plans. This is affecting millions lives, careers, and families as well. Unfortunately, this is what th world is coming to… Let’s all get over it. The rich are getting richer and now the middle class is going to get kicked to the curb.
I think the only thing people haven’t talked about yet is the whole sim card part. Are us T-Mobile customers gonna just keep our sim cards are we switching to sim cards with our same info or are they just getting rid of them entirely? If so then they just have to spend lots and lots of money on remaking all the phones. Also, At&t has better phones? That’s a laugh. The iphone sucks and everyone knows it. Plus Apple doesn’t really do much to improve it. Change one thing and the look stays the same plus just add like a number one or the second generation to the end of the name. Not such great marketing. Aas far as I can see this switch is entirely horrible. T-Mobile has beyond better service and coverage. Beyond better phones. Beyond better customer service and beyond better prices. We were the first ones to partner with Google and get their amazing phones. I should know. My G2 is amazing in everything. Anyways if this switch happens we won’t be getting all the greatness that T-Mobile has to offer in service and everything else. Plus with the switch and the no control on the prices. The prices will most likely be unreasonable. And everyone loves the fact that the android market has so many features and many many more apps that are free and if At&t did get us and make there own market and force us to use it there would be such a big riot. Plus the android market has 30x more apps than Apples app store. Overall, T-Mobile is beyond better and this merger just screws everyone.
They better not approve this deal! I have been with t-mobile for 8yrs and never had a problem! This is a disaster! T-mobile plz don’t b a sell-out!!!! i would rather go with criket, metro pcs, or boost before i go to at&t
I can’t believe att is buying tmobile! I’ve been with tmobile for 10 years! I love their custome service, way better than att, and tmobiles prices are amazingly awesome!
The way I see there will always big guys and little guys in business world . And those who rage against the machine and do stuff like jail break IPhones so they can use them on other nets. If AT&T decides to get ridiculous with their service it will make a new market for anti big business companies to reintroduce competition for wireless. I’m going to stay optimistic until I have buy my sat phone. It will equate in the if AT&T get too price happy. :oD
This merger needs to be stopped not only for the consumers but also for t-mobile employees. All t-mobile employees were sent emails telling them that there were going to be lay-offs of 40,000 u.s. t-mobile employees. In the times we are in we dont need 40,000 jobs lost just so at&t can say they have the most customers. The governmet needs to turn this down and let there be competition between the 4 carriers.
This is bad for consumers, after the T-mobile AT&T merger, there will be no other major competitor in the GSM marketplace. While Sprint & Versizon will still compete with AT&T, the fact of the matter is that CDMA is unavailable in certain markets where GSM is. This is not prevalent in densely populated areas, as both CDMA and GSM towers are readily available. AT&T buying out T-mobile effectively gives AT&T a monopolization over GSM based cell phones. This is BAD because it affects handset manufacterers of GSM based devices, in the effect that they now HAVE to deal with AT&T. AT&T has proven in the past that it doesn’t want new features (such as UMA), and that it would rather prevent users from accessing certain capabilities on their phones. Manufacters want to produce GSM phones due to their ability to be used worldwide. This is bad, this is bad, this is just plain friggin’ bad. Anyone in their right mind, with a decent knowledge of how cell phones work would see that this is a bad idea. Why do you think the FCC is already stating that they will block this merger?
Was getting ready to dump AT&T and go over to T-Mobile. Much more in the way of plans, customer service is unbelievable and I’m not even a customer yet. You can request a copy of the “Chat” you had with their Representative to be emailed to you. They will text you and let you know you are getting close to going over your limit. AT&T won’t tell you your over this month while you are calling about last months bill. People make a big deal about the I-Phone, I am an AT&T customer and I don’t want one, didn’t want to be held captive by the Apple giant. Some of the readers here I can tell never read the Apple software agreement, fools are born everyday, I try to stay up to date on the wording in service agreements. Apple and AT&T are one in a kind they want it all and don’t want to hear from the people who use their equipment.
I like unlimited data n tethering tmobile already have great phones mytouch 4g is doin great for me. Tmobile might not be a big company but they can merg with metro pcs or some other lil company n as atmobile customer we tmobile will b ok. The only reason at&t people are ok with it is bcus it will make them better….they been down for awhile n the I phone was the only thing saving them from death but they just need to quit there not a good phone company never have been……n neva will be at&t customers will b happy but t-mobile customers will down grade for a higher price,more dropped calls,no unlimited data (thats bullshit),no tetharing also bs. This mergis one sided n tmobile should go with anybody else beside at&t. Seriously do research they been the worst company for ages,if the buy out goes through this will be the greatest upset to customers n consumers who are getting great deals…….priceline needs 2 stop this bad deal lol
Speaking of this deal/merger….. as consumers… we need to gather together and voice our concerns. Who do we contact or write to to help stop this deal from being approved?
but I am wondering about something else! I just went with Walmart’s “Family Mobile” which is contracted through T-Mobile! Using my own phone, as most T-Mobile phones work with Family Mobile Sims cards without being unlocked! If This merger goes through, I am wondering if that will screw up Walmart’s deal with T-Mobile? Also, I was with at&t before switching and was worried about all the bad reception all the experts were telling me about and said I’d regret it! Absolutely all false! My reception has been great and I live in a rural area out in the sticks in upstate NY! My reception is equally as good, if not better with Family Mobile (T-Mobile network)! And the price is great. I strongly encourage everyone to check Family Mobile out! But I am still worried about my service if at&t pulls this merger off! Hopefully Walmart had this figured out before they did the contract with T-Mobile in late 2010!
Att is buying tmo on credit, $20 billion loan from tarp handout jpmorgan. Really?
What if they cant repay the loan, who pays?
Tell the govt to tell att No!
Tired as heck of these “too big to fail” just getting bigger and bigger. I cant afford any more loss of value in my house.
Unfortunately att spent 45 million last yr on lobbying, and obama’s new chief of staff, daley, worked for southwestern bell(att) for a long time. After dt, verizon’s stock price went up more than t on potential for price hikes.
The scariest part is the comsolidation of companies who control our rights to access, create and exchange information.
The infuriating part is the arrogance of att to assume its a done deal. Companies are now getting flagrant in their ability to buy politicians.
Had Suncom then turned to T-mobile and had tons of problems then been with at&t for 4 years. I have an Iphone which I lovem great service and pay less than $50.00 per month
I’m from Westchester NY and ATT is the worse telephone company and that is only for residential thank goodness for Verizon residental..I’ve been with T Mobile for 9 years if they merge I don’t like Verizon but ATT is the most expense phone company there is, hello maybe Sprint or Verizon…depends on who has the better plan
So who will I pay for my phone bill? How will this merger work if I have a t-mobile sim card?
This is not a good thing. I have been with tmobile for 10 years. They give me the best price for the service, and the best customer service. I hate Apple and would rather have an android phone, which tmobile has a good selection of. However, anything is better than the alternative, which is tmobile being bought out by Sprint, whose customer service is even worse than att’s.
Verizon wireless is 45% owned by vocative, a foreign company.
Tmobile was 100% a German company.
ATT is a US company, so why is everyone complaining? Do you want to keep sending your money out of the us by using verizon wireless? Or blocking the purchase of tmobile? This is good for everyone, especially the 35 million tmobile subscribers, as they will now keep their money in the US, and have a path to 4G. ATT does more for this country than any other telecom or any business, so think of att as a great American sucess
I’ve been paying $108/ mo for 2 lines unlimited everything 4 da past 2 years with Tmobile. Would I be able to keep my plan?
Everyone will lose of course. For years t-mobile piggy backed its cell service off of at&t cell sites cuz it couldn’t afford to expand what it already had that’s why coverage was what it was; just like sprint does off of Verizon. Sprint will someday go bankrupt cuz it won’t be able to continue to offer its priceplans for too long much less continue to compete against Verizon and At&t on its own. Att does have inferior service it doesn’t matter what anyone says.
If they will merge, me & my neighbors here in Austin, Texas will be on the road & will rally not to make this deal push thru.
Yesterday, AT&T announced another stupid thing that they are planning to slap to AT&T customer ( I was with them for 10 years – its horrible & expensive…
Here is the latest news: Earlier this morning, Ol’ Blue confirmed yet another change to the way they do business. They announced that they would be raising both the one-year agreements and no-contract pricing on smartphones, quick messaging phones, and feature phones alike.
All smartphones (save for the iPhone) purchased with a one-year agreement will jump $150 from their previous listing and iPhone early upgrades will go up $50. Smartphones bought without a contract will be selling for $50 more than before. Messaging and feature phones will be raised $10 from their current pricing for one-year agreements and $20 more for contract-free.
For GOD sake, they are not stopping in making absurd ideas to make more money.
I have TMobile now & they gave my family the best plan of the lifetime – $59.99 (750 minutes) $5/each (for my 2 kids) $20 (unlimited 4g-im using samsung galaxy s 4g that can download up to 21mbps) then $30 (unlimited any kind of messaging-worldwide-yes any country-send or receive) for 4 lines… no carrier can give that to me now even i will cry blood.
Me & my wife scour all carrier even the small player & they cant do that same pricing with same services.
So, those people like the merger are hypocrite & was paid by AT&T.
Please STOP the merger & let other big company who has empathy for us should buy TMobile
Thanks & GOD bless you all…
Basicly as a T-Mobile customer we will have to deal with higher prices, scrapy apps, and less to choose from on the market. When they switch over there will be no possitives except for the I phone which you will probably have to pay for every app. What is this world coming to. Its bad enough that the economy is not getting any better now this.
@GabrielMonday, April 4 2011;
Lies! You provide no documentation such links to articles or web sites. Scare tactics do no one any good. Give us facts or don’t whine about it.
@Chris Dickson, April 5 2011;
You provide no documentation such links to articles or web sites. Scare tactics do no one any good. Give us facts or don’t whine about it.
I don’t know who all agrees, but IF this merge is to happen I am hoping we can have TMOBILE capabilities with ATT prices,without the extra charges.
Yeah, T-Mobile users are about to get the business. If you don’t believe that’s it’s going to get real bad, ask a former Cingular subscriber. Talk about your basic screwjob. My next phone will be a contract, and I’ll be laughing all all the at&t/t-mobile people when you guys start getting beaten over the skull.
I found it very odd how rude T mobile customer service was to me this week. My Mom called me in distress about how T-Mobile reps just screwed her in the same day I had a rude run through with the company I used to respect! Now, all of the sudden, two co-workers complained about their run threw with reps from T-Mobile in this same week! Now I see it is either T-Mobile’s client service doesn’t care in light of the sale of their company or it’s actually ATT reps posing as T-Mobile! Either way they turned my girlfriend’s phone into a worthless brick instead of honoring our agreement to provide internet on the phone I bought her a eight months ago. They were shockingly mean to us and told me she needs to pay an additional $10 and buy a new phone with a 2yr. contract or I cancel her service and loss the money I spent on her phone since it no longer will text or have internet as of the 31st of this month! That’s messed up! They robbed us and are now rude to their loyal customers! What’s going on?
If you are a T-Mobile client and want to know the truth, call customer service yourself and witness the truth first hand! Ask to speak to a supervisor or representative who can make an executive decision regarding your bill. They will offend you and read the same BS response they were mandated to communicate. “We don’t care about your problems, no one here can make an executive decision! Just take it or leave the fraudulent offer! Yes, if you bought an expensive phone that NO LONGER does what we promised, you have to buy a new phone! If you ask to speak with a supervisor, they say, “No one here can do anything about it!” Why not just implement that type of business with all the phones T-Mobile gave us as a choice! Then they can force everyone into losing the service that was promised when we signed the contract! A class action lawsuit MUST be implemented for those dealing with this fraud!
Will drop them like a hot potato the second this goes thru. AT&T is the worst, THE WORST!
I think att customers are the winners, we already pay high prices, now we get the benefit of extra cell towers.
Amazing and ironic, that the TMob commercial showing the guy with no shirt. “saying that was what he had to give to AT&T.”
I’m tired of being stuck with high prices on call plans, in fact I was considering a switch from AT&T to T-Mobile when my contract is over this month. We get hit at the gas pumps when the ability to run cars on water has been shelved & the electric car had been killed. Maybe all of us consumers can put in $200 or so each & start our own phone company. FREE ENERGY?
AT&T, let just say they are the far worse company to be with. I have to write to the BBB, and the FCC for AT&T to finally correct my bills. Working with them is like working with a bunch of two years old. Anyway my question is, do the customer has any say so for this. For example, a petition or something.
ok you all need to relax look at it this way with thew combinding of the two comapanies the signal will double. so in places were att didnt get service they will most likely get services. also the prices cant just rise so if you are worried about ur bill rising it wont because you have a contract it will forever stay that price.
While at&t has the worst plans, the iphone and all droid phones can operate on wifi, and in this day and age, wifi is everywhere. there’s even a city in california that is wifi-ed throughout! I can get a cheaper minute plan and have my probably unused minutes rollover, because let’s face it, who even talks anymore.
Tmobile has the most ascetically unpleasing phones. Verizon is awful (I speak from two years of frustrated experience) and Sprint is just weak. I’d go with virgin mobile but they don’t have the iphone.
So first tmobile has all the same phones as art just different names and look. Tmobile was the first to get galaxy s phone. Tmobile gets the nexus phones. So art has? Oh the I phone. The most over priced, over popular pos out today.
art cost more and everyone ones all you can call and use data. Just to confirne what I already thought I just made a call and searched this either and loaded it on my vibrant. AT THE SAME TIME!
So what’s the plus for a tmobile customer?
Pay more, no new GOOD phones we didn’t have and my friends who has attention gets a horrible signal where I live.
Totally agree after 20 years of loyalty to t-mobile I will pay off my contract and go with verizon!
I will say that t-mobile should be proud of been part of our family. AT&T is a very fancy phone company with HD cualities. So don’t get sad now t-mobile user are VIP in society … Welcome to the royalty! One level up.
T-mobil customers lose. I picked T-mobil because it wasn’t beholden to Sprint Verizon or AT&T. It is more customer concious and I don’t think the big 3 are. Why was it we dismantled Ma-Bell again
This goes tru, I drop them. I ran away from these guys (cingular), and im not goin back.
Om, you are absolutely right. The proposed merger is bad bad for every player involved. As a lot of people have mentioned, this deal is leaves the customers with no choice in gan field and leaves att a virtual monopoly with enough bullying power to do whatever it likes in the market.
All effort possible should be made to stop this deal from going through including calling the l legislators and asking them to take a stand on he side of the consumers once.
Everyone should chill and get real… This is about shareholders of AT&T stock and that’s all there is to it. Shareholders WILL benefit! What planet do you live on if you don’t realized that? Get past the emotions and look at reality.
At a Thought, the transition from T-Mobile to AT&T isn’t that bad, since I can stop jailbreaking my iPhone and finally get Unlimited Data on 3G.
Just an FYI if you already have an unlimited data plan you get to keep it.. Its if you change plans then you lose your unlimited bc they don’t offer it anymore but I still pay $30 a month for unlimited data on my iPhone, and with my family plan my phone line us $10 so…. $40 a month for my iPhone? Yes please.
Chairman Reed E. Hundt ,
“In the long and tragic history of inequality between races and gender in America, today we are creating the greatest single opportunity ever made fairly available to small businesses, women and minorities. For the first time in our nation’s history, the federal government is creating opportunities in a new industry in which all Americans will have a fair chance to compete from day one”. “Entrepreneurs’ C Block” is established, which is designed to fulfill the statutory mandate to ensure that small businesses, rural telephone companies and businesses owned by minorities and /or women (referred to as “designated entities”) have the opportunity to participate in providing broadband PCS.
C & F “Entrepreneurs” Block Auctions.
Congress required the Commission to “promote economic opportunity and competition and ensure that new and innovative technologies are readily accessible to the American people by avoiding excessive concentration of licenses and by disseminating licenses among a wide variety of applicants, including small business, rural telephone companies, and businesses owned by members of minority groups and women.”
Designated Entities
The FCC determined that setting aside certain blocks solely for bidding by designated entities for each auction might be necessary to ensure their opportunity to acquire licenses.For the broadband PCS auction, the FCC found that set-asides would be necessary for designated entities due to the ability of large competitors with extensive financial capabilities to outbid those without sufficient access to capital. Blocks C and F were set aside as the “entrepreneurs’ blocks.”
The AT&T & T-Mobile Merger
Back in 1995 AT&T (“Humpty Dumpty”) was not allowed to bid on the C & F “entrepreneurs” blocks licenses and for good reason. If the FCC allows the proposed merger between AT& T and T-Mobile AT&T will end up controlling over 95% of all the original C & F Block “entrepreneurs” blocks spectrum licenses only 16 short years later. “It’s an outrage that this merger is even being considered. The FCC “entrepreneurs” designated entities small business set aside is a monumental failure on a grand scale. Approving the proposed merger between AT& T and T-Mobile as is would be appalling and would virtually shut out all hopes of small business having any opportunity to compete in the mobile telecommunications business. Just to made a bad situation even worse AT&T is asking the FCC not to mandate interoperability so that small carriers can have access to new LTE 4G network equipment , phones and devices that will be able to work on the various bands of 700MHz spectrum as well as having voice & data roaming which AT&T and Verizon claims to be extremely complicated and should not be mandated. What is not extremely complicated and is a very easy decision for the FCC is to deny the proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile. Vincent D. McBride
So many opinions. I hate tmobile phones and have unlocked my att to use with Tmobile. Best idea I ever had.T mobile coverage drops me everyday at least twice and I am in Dallas. Att was so much better about coverage. Wi Fi please. Im going to market a computer with a 1 inch screen. I pay 40 dollars for internet on 4 computers, why would I pay 30 dollars to get a slow computer on a 3″ screen.
Our service already sucks with AT&T and if they get t-mobile and throw all of their customers on the same towers here, then we will probably have no service, so I really think it is just not worth it in the end. Yay for all of you who already have great signal and fast speeds, but for the rest of us, we would have just liked to have a signal, and this merger will not help that because they have stated already that they will only be using t-mobile towers for 4G.
I currently have Tmobile and I chose that service OVER AT&T on purpose. AT&T does have the worst reputation and before we returned from Japan, they convinced me, by their attitude and behavior when asking for information, that I would be better off with Tmobile. If the merger goes through, I will be switching carriers.
Ive had at&t ever since they were cingular wireless, and havent had a problem only place i dont get service in fl is in some parts of ym school or in some stores that block the service.
I think this is going to be a major mistake for the consumer. Having had a mobile phone for over 15 years I’ve had every wireless carrier, yes even At&t and I was very dis satisfied with the level of customer service and the coverage area . Being a tech geks I m very interestd in the latest technologies and if this merger happens it will LIMIT the number of phone manufacturer available to the consumers. Also, with the recent events of the Iphonetracking issues I just adds to the problem.
I think it wil be bad just saying
I’m assuming you have already heard about the latest news on the AT&T/T-Mobile deal. http://bit.ly/lSpihE I was pretty surprised to hear that it could be another year before the deal is decided upon by the FCC.
The merger will be shot down. On deck is Google who has the capital to pull the trigger. They are getting their hands into everything. They move to make Android EXCLUSIVE to the new “G-MOBILE”. They will have full control of their own product and the current Tmobile is the most knowledgeable about Android products. That would be GREAT for consumers.
I had AT&T now have T-Mobile, Don’t plan on going back to AT&T because;1 TERRIBLE customer service 2 Outrageous prices 3 I was charged-twice-for interrnet that I didn’t use. This is a biased article, but try to find ANYTHING online right now that doesn’t say this merger is all-around bad news for anyone but the shareholders. The fact of the matter is, if you have T-Mobile, you’re getting screwed, if you have AT&T, you have nowhere to go but up.
I certainly hope that the FCC and DOJ require substantial divestitures. Perhaps enough to add another viable competitor into the fray. US Cellular perhaps?
I’ve been with AT&T for 15 yrs and never had a problem with getting a phone for FREE or with CUSTOMER SERVICE or with their PHONE or DATA SERVICE in general. If I had any trouble, I woulda left them so fast it wouldn’t of been funny!… I think everyone’s worried over nothing.
I do admit I left their landline yrs ago because of high rates and am now with Verizon. But as for mobile service… AT&T can’t be beat!!!
I have had no problems with at&t. I’ve been a customer since cingular and never switched because friends said verizon sucked. My family and I pay $160 for unlimited texted for 3 phones, unlimited data and I think around 700 minutes. At&t has never fucked us over and they’ve always been helpful when called. 🙂
I love my t-mobile phone, a G2X, used to have a G1 and a G2 and loved all of them, I don’t want an iPhone I dont want to have to buy apps from one place, I don’t want the high cell phone bill of an iPhone!!!!!
The T-Mobile / AT&T merger is bad for consumers!
Although national wireless competition would continue between AT&T, Verizon & Sprint after a T-Mobile merger, only ONE of those players utilize GSM, the dominant wordwide wireless technology. So if I have a need to have a GSM mobile phone, I will have only one choice of carrier! Sprint & Verizon are both CDMA based carriers.
That ONE carrier, AT&T, has a history of consumer indifference that is almost as old as the wireless industry. This tradition is well entrenched. Many of AT&T’s component operating companies (the former BellSouth Mobility for one) have long track records of dis-satisfying their retail customers. Remember, the merger of AT&T & BellSouth was a BellSouth take-over of AT&T. They kept the AT&T brand because of it’s national recognition.
I have been a T-Mobile customer since before there was a T-Mobile. I became a customer of Aerial Communication in March of 1999, over a year before Aerial and three other companies joined to form T-Mobile. T-Mobile’s ongoing committment to excellent customer service has kept me happy for over 12 years now. They have won a JD Powers award for Excellence in Customer Service every year since the award was initiated!
So let me recap: (1) This merger will leave ONE choice for people who need a national/International GSM service.
(2) That single choice has a long and distinguished reputation for poor consumer service & satisfaction.
PLEASE, JUST SAY NO!
What will happen to the Sidekick customers? They are solely exclusive to Tmobile. No other carrier can support that device.
I used to be an att customer after they bought out Southwestern Mobile systems in the 1980’s and then Metrocell then att-cingular-att. I am here to tell everyone att sucks. I went with Tmobile during the cingular-att fiasco, due to poor customer service and them lying to me. I ahve been nothing but impressed with T-Mobile. I WILL LEAVE T-MOBILE IF THIS MERGER GOES THROUGH…….enough said?
I’m an AT&T customer and unfortunately AT&T is already flexing it’s muscle ” no tethering or we’ll charge you $45 for limited data and take you off your unlimited plan” and letting GSM users know that once the merger is done they will have no where else to run,they’ll be no Cingular ,no Tmobile only the Death Star.
I left ATT because the service sucked and the customer service was atrocious. I do not want to go back to ATT style of business which is pay more for less service. I sure hope the merger fails.
Att is a horrible company this merg is going to be a disaster for android and t-mobile customers all att wants is more money they suck there customers dry like giant parasites at least t-mobile was a risistance to these leeches but now God help us all were going to be stuck with metro-pcs
This is a bad move in my opinion…. I researched from Japan before returning to the states and choosing a company…. I specifically avoided AT&T as well as Verizon. I hate to see the one company I have been able to rely on go downhill like this. I agree that it gives AT&T the opportunity to be a monopoly which means price gouging and rates going through the roof as well as the prices of phones.
lol @ unconcerned Andy. Maybe TMobile will get better phones, but the UNLIMITED 4G plan they had was kicking At&t and Verizon prices in the ass, I was hoping it would show other BIGGER companies who can spare much more money for infrastructure and making the end user’s life easier, drop prices and cover as much area with 4G as TMobile was, now this is gonna make it Verizon Vs AT&T, sprint barley has shit.. Its going to be shit if it goes through, complete shit, exp for the end user.
“T-Mobile USA has been fairly aggressive in offering cheaper voice and data plans”
I’m suprise the author failed to meantion the fact that T-mobile is losing a ton of money.
T-Mobile loses record number of contract customers
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-05-06-T-Mobile-ATT_n.htm
T-Mobile Releases Depressing 1st Quarter Results. Losing Customers And Money.
http://gadgetsteria.com/2011/05/06/t-mobile-releases-depressing-1st-quarter-results-losing-customers-and-money/
Deutsche Telekom Losing $28 Billion Bet With T-Mobile: Real M&A
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-09/t-mobile-sale-shows-deutsche-telekom-losing-28-billion-u-s-bet-real-m-a.html?cmpid=msnmoney
How would T-mobile Customers win with a company thats strugling to keep its head above water?
I think you are 100 % Right in fact I under over 1000 jobs will be lost if this merger goes through. That’s the last thing we need in this economy ….please don’t let it happen !
Only a 1000 jobs? That not bad considering T-Mobile USA emplyees 42,000 employees. Most industrialized countries such as in Europe only have two carriers to choose from and there doing just fine.
Sprint sees this merger as opportunity as a means of forcing regulatory/concessions that will directly benefit them. Sprint lost the bid for T-Mobile. So Sprints thinking is, let’s see if we can use the “strong arm of government” to get concession that will directly benifit Sprint.
Unfortunately, it’s becoming common practice for politicians and special interest groups to use government to “shack down companies” for their own political or financial gains and to pick winners and losers.
AT&T has never been good with customer service even before the invention of cell phones. When the government separated bell and AT&T Bell’s customer service became exceptional. People use to hate the phone company before the break up. I was a sbc customer until AT&T took them over. Customer service went to hell in a hand basket immediately. So I went to T Mobile. I was a sbc customer 10 years without a problem.
I second the AT&T bad customer service. We, my two brothers, mother, and myself, had Cingular before being forced to have AT&T. I still remember going with my mom years ago to price cell phone plans (I’m her tech expert). AT&T was much higher and the plans were awful, so she went with Cingular. We didn’t have many problems with the service (I had a not helpful guy at one of the stores when I had trouble with a phone), and then AT&T took over. Service is not as good and far too overpriced, support is pathetic, and phones are not great. I think AT&T pushes the iPhones too much. I don’t buy overpriced Apple products and the other options (at least at my last upgrade in October 2010) were just not that good. I decided on a Palm Pre, and here we are at the beginning of June 2011, my Pre is about 7 months old and it’s not functioning properly. The buttons stick and it’s slow at times, but it was the only phone I liked and did what I wanted for a reasonable price. I am very picky when it comes to a cell phone because I am paying for it and will have to use it for at least a year and a half. I need a touch screen and have to have a full QWERTY keyboard, not a touch screen keyboard. Next upgrade I’ll likely be considering an Android or Windows 7 phone now that HP seems to have ruined Palm. I would be considering a carrier change too, but Verizon is just too expensive and both Verizon and Sprint have bad reception in my area.
If only we could have a cell phone company who cared about the customers and what they realistically want.
One thing not mentioned is the loss of jobs in the workforce. We allow these too big to fail companies keep getting bigger. Do you know when AT&T was deregulated a while back (prior to their becoming a behemoth again) the industry had more jobs more inventions more new ways to carry data…Fiber optics was developed in 1966 and yet not introduced until AT&T had competition. Sprint developed Frame Relay…So now we want more jobs and increased creativity in the work force in the public sector…how do we solve this, well lets stop competition…yeah that will work.
Amen.
Sprint is complaining about this merger, but Sprint screwed up when they bought Nextel back in 2005. If Sprint hadn’t gotten involved with Nextel they would have been able to buy Alltel which would have made a lot more sense.
i hate freaking att they suck,i was wonderining how they stayed in buisness now i will have to dump tmobile
I was able to extend my current unlimited plan before the hammer fell, but I have also been informed of some of the underhanded falsifications that aren’t even disclosed in the fine print of some of the new and improved, post-merger calling plans; and the undisclosed restrictions are downright shameful.
The first tangible that I’ve experienced firsthand is the complete absence of customer service. There was a time that it took no longer than ten minutes to get a friendly, knowledgeable T-Mobile Support Representative on the phone… the approximate wait time is now three-and-a-half hours for an incompetent idiot, that will most likely put you back on hold, and eventually terminate the call.
I am the last one to discourage capitalism, but history teaches us that happy customers are the most effective method of expanding one’s market share.
Shame on AT&T.
@VOR116: You are an idiot. The merger has not even happened yet and you are blaming ATT for poor service at T-Mobile. Dumb-axx.
There are no new plans with “underhanded falsifications” because there has been no merger yet. This just proves your telling falsehoods and making it up as you go along. Get off of this blog if you are going to tell outright lies!
One plus I can say about T Mobile is the customer service is unlike anyother I have seen. Meanig the quality is great. However that is where it stops. The phone service is poor. Calls are constantly droped, texting is a pain with constant failed attempts to send and to get good 3G it seems like I need to be out side away from buildings with a clear sky this is with using the mytoutch slide Wich also seems to have problems with certaint wifi signals. Now with the problems I do have it could be the phone or it could be service I don’t know but I can say this. The problems I have now are nothing compared to what is to come. I have first hand seen AT&T screw up what they get their hands on. Years ago they took over a company called cell one. Cell One was what I believe to be the best there ever was for allaround customer and phone service but with in less than a year I was standing under the power lines praying for a signal and getting no where with an answere from AT&T I have gone through their complet destruction once already I don’t want to go through that mess again. Yes I agree when it comes to this merger everyone loses.
I love T-mobile and I can use nearly any phone American or not with their SIM card. AT&T does not allow that and why, ’cause they are greedy bastards. T-mobile is cheap, easy and effective. I have a hacked iPhone and it works perfectly on this network. Fuck AT&T and I hope they get bombed.
There’s no way it’s going to get approved. Verizon has all ready said that if this gets approved, they’ll buy Sprint.