T-Mobile acquisition and wishful thinking

[realistdreamer]

OK, the 'experts' here have assured me that the iPhone 5 will not be a 4G phone. Frankly, logic says they're right. Too much of a battery life hit without a good solution this year. Little consumer demand outside of the geek community.

That said, it could be that AT&T is buying T-Mobile because they know that iPhone 5 will be LTE ready and they're not ready. They may be doing this as a desperate move to compete with Verizon for iPhone enthusiasts.

Remember T-Mobile is LTE and right now AT&T isn't. Apple may have chosen a technology since having the same radio for two different versions of 3G and 4G is not feasible.

Unfortunately, even if I'm right, Apple could have given them 1 year's notice. I just think it's silly for the flagship phone on both Verizon and AT&T to be slower than the other phones on each of their networks for 18 months. That just sounds painful particularly given Jobs deemed the iPhone an internet device. Since I don't own an iPhone, I'm not sure Apple's thinking on these matters, but it seems a competitive slip (of course, one they could withstand).

Oh well, a guy can dream can't he?

 

[generik777]

iPhone 5 is not going to be LTE, simple as that. Also T-mobile is HSPA+ not nationwide LTE like you think.

 

[sting7k]

Tmobile does not have an LTE network. They have HSPA+ which is 3G. On top of that the deal won't be completed until this time next year at the earliest so they will not have access to any of their infrastructure until it is completed with approval from the FCC and DOJ.

 

[Duvi]

Technnically LTE is 3G as well... haha. But yeah, T-mobile doesn't have LTE.

AT&T is buying (or attempting to) because of the resources that T-mobile has. They would be able to match Verizon covering 95% of the U.S. with LTE (if the merger goes through).

I really think, aside from cheap plans, it would be in the best interest of consumers for them to merge. If they don't, AT&T and T-mobile will be unable to compete with Verizon and their LTE.

 

[generik777]

it would be in the best interest of consumers for them to merge. If they don't, AT&T and T-mobile will be unable to compete with Verizon and their LTE.

I don't see the logic there. Less competition is never in the best interest for the consumer. So Verizon gets a lead over AT&T when it comes to LTE, how could that be bad for the consumers? All it would do is give incentive to AT&T and others to hurry up and upgrade their own equipment rather than lagging behind. You don't "compete" by eliminating competition.

 

[sting7k]

Technnically LTE is 3G as well... haha. But yeah, T-mobile doesn't have LTE.

AT&T is buying (or attempting to) because of the resources that T-mobile has. They would be able to match Verizon covering 95% of the U.S. with LTE (if the merger goes through).

I really think, aside from cheap plans, it would be in the best interest of consumers for them to merge. If they don't, AT&T and T-mobile will be unable to compete with Verizon and their LTE.

AT&T is going to build their LTE network, Tmobile has nothing to do with that. What AT&T lacks is enough wireless spectrum for everyone on their network. That's what they need from Tmobile and the main purpose of the buy out. They can't get more from the FCC right now so the only way to get it is to buy someone else.

 

[jassi]

With AT&T and T-Mobile now getting all chummy with yesterday acquire promulgation, this was fateful. T-Mobile customers are perception at their soon-to-be new wireless bourgeois and salivating over the delicious mouthful of all-in-one rotatable functionality that is Apple's iPhone. Originally story to AT&T and now lendable on Verizon as vessel, the Apple device hasn't yet prefabricated its way to the third- and fourth-place networks. And according T-Mobile, it's not effort to.

 

[generik777]

With AT&T and T-Mobile now getting all chummy with yesterday acquire promulgation, this was fateful. T-Mobile customers are perception at their soon-to-be new wireless bourgeois and salivating over the delicious mouthful of all-in-one rotatable functionality that is Apple's iPhone. Originally story to AT&T and now lendable on Verizon as vessel, the Apple device hasn't yet prefabricated its way to the third- and fourth-place networks. And according T-Mobile, it's not effort to.

You talk weird.

 

[kch50428]

You talk weird.

It's one or both of two things: English not their native language, and/or - spam fail.

 

[Duvi]

I don't see the logic there. Less competition is never in the best interest for the consumer. So Verizon gets a lead over AT&T when it comes to LTE, how could that be bad for the consumers? All it would do is give incentive to AT&T and others to hurry up and upgrade their own equipment rather than lagging behind. You don't "compete" by eliminating competition.

T-mobile isn't competing... they are losing customers. They have the cheapest plans and yet are losing subscribers every quarter along with Sprint. One of the networks will buy T-mobile, whether it's Sprint, Verizon or AT&T. They are looking to get BOUGHT! It wasn't a takeover.

You're not gonna go with Sprint because they are in the negative as well, are not even using the same technology (WiMax vs. 3G/LTE) and haven't even proven they can handle a merger, example being Nextel.

You don't want it to be Verizon because they'll just blanket the country and no one would be able to attain that level of coverage, which would lead to customers leaving Sprint and AT&T.

They chose AT&T because they are in need of spectrum/capacity that T-mobile has and doesn't even need. They are also getting a nice piece of AT&T and a wad of cash.

AT&T is going to build their LTE network, Tmobile has nothing to do with that. What AT&T lacks is enough wireless spectrum for everyone on their network. That's what they need from Tmobile and the main purpose of the buy out. They can't get more from the FCC right now so the only way to get it is to buy someone else.

There is a reason the 2GB plan came into effect before LTE was even being built out. Their network can't even handle all the traffic. T-mobile has a network losing customers and will not be around any longer. The logic is, Verizon will have the bigger and best network in which AT&T can not catch up to w/o help.

I actually just searched for this article as I already know what shape AT&T is in, but here is some good reading on this and the reason the merger is likely to be approved, just may be a steep hill. Remember XM and Sirius?

The article says soon, but there is a problem already. They just don't want to admit it, especially if they're going to be able to fix it with the merger.

AT&T exec says problems soon without T-Mobile merger - CNN.com

 

[Duvi]

It's one or both of two things: English not their native language, and/or - spam fail.

i'm gonna go with the latter on this one... lol. even if it wasn't their native language, i would understand at least a couple of the sentences.

 

[Harreh]

With AT&T and T-Mobile now getting all chummy with yesterday acquire promulgation, this was fateful. T-Mobile customers are perception at their soon-to-be new wireless bourgeois and salivating over the delicious mouthful of all-in-one rotatable functionality that is Apple's iPhone. Originally story to AT&T and now lendable on Verizon as vessel, the Apple device hasn't yet prefabricated its way to the third- and fourth-place networks. And according T-Mobile, it's not effort to.

What in the world.........?

 

[Harreh]

I don't see how buying Tmo will help AT&T. I have a Tmo galaxy tab. Their service is horrid. I would have bought the Verizon tab but didn't want to add a 5th device to my account.

 

[generik777]

T-mobile isn't competing... they are losing customers. They have the cheapest plans and yet are losing subscribers every quarter along with Sprint. One of the networks will buy T-mobile, whether it's Sprint, Verizon or AT&T. They are looking to get BOUGHT! It wasn't a takeover.

You're not gonna go with Sprint because they are in the negative as well, are not even using the same technology (WiMax vs. 3G/LTE) and haven't even proven they can handle a merger, example being Nextel.

You don't want it to be Verizon because they'll just blanket the country and no one would be able to attain that level of coverage, which would lead to customers leaving Sprint and AT&T.

They chose AT&T because they are in need of spectrum/capacity that T-mobile has and doesn't even need. They are also getting a nice piece of AT&T and a wad of cash.

None of this changes the fact that you are wrong in saying that AT&T buying T-Mobile is good for the consumer. Yes they are buying them for the spectrum, but at the same time they are eliminating a major competitor that has been offering low prices. Do you think AT&T will keep these prices if the merger goes through? Highly unlikely. You should realize that if this goes through, between AT&T and Verizon, two companies will control almost 80% of the entire U.S. cellular market. This will cripple even sprint which is currently 3rd largest, not to mention the much smaller companies such as MetroPCS, Leap, and others.

 

[anon(5335877)]

It's one or both of two things: English not their native language, and/or - spam fail.

How about Google Translate fail? lol

 

[Duvi]

None of this changes the fact that you are wrong in saying that AT&T buying T-Mobile is good for the consumer. Yes they are buying them for the spectrum, but at the same time they are eliminating a major competitor that has been offering low prices. Do you think AT&T will keep these prices if the merger goes through? Highly unlikely. You should realize that if this goes through, between AT&T and Verizon, two companies will control almost 80% of the entire U.S. cellular market. This will cripple even sprint which is currently 3rd largest, not to mention the much smaller companies such as MetroPCS, Leap, and others.

so let me hear your thoughts/ideas on what should happen... please.

because we have two major carriers (t-mobile & sprint) who have the lowest prices of the big four, but are still losing customers. on the flip side, you have the two largest carriers who have similar prices, both being the highest of the four and probably the highest of all the carriers, including the smaller ones, but are adding millions upon millions in subscribers.

you then have one of the big 4 (t-mobile) wanting to sell... once again, "THEY WANT TO SELL". it's not a takeover or anything of that nature, but you want their deal to sell to AT&T stopped and for what to happen?

do you:

a) want t-mobile to be "forced" to continue to lose money and not sell at all

or

b) sell to sprint

or

c) sell to <insert company here>

or

d) other (explain what other is)

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or

e) have the gov't force apple to build for sprint and t-mobile in hopes of stopping the bleeding

 

[Duvi]

Less competition is never in the best interest for the consumer.

maybe you didn't go into the reply i had for sting, but how was the xm + sirius merger (less competition) not in the best interest for the consumer btw? you're worrying about losing 1 to 2 carriers, but this deal eliminated satellite radio competition.

 

[generik777]

so let me hear your thoughts/ideas on what should happen... please.

Maybe we differ here, but I'm not claiming to be an expert on what should happen or what's best financially for a billion dollar company.

we have two major carriers (t-mobile & sprint) who have the lowest prices of the big four, but are still losing customers. on the flip side, you have the two largest carriers who have similar prices, both being the highest of the four and probably the highest of all the carriers, including the smaller ones, but are adding millions upon millions in subscribers.

If your wondering as to why t-mobile is struggling, T-mobiles parent company Deutsche Telekom has said themselves that a major contributing factor with the struggle they are having in the USA is the "handset innovation" that the other carriers have available to them "namely, the iPhone", and that's directly from the CEO. This is probably one of the biggest problems as many people will choose there carrier based on the device that they want.

As far as what I want too happen to fix T-Mobile, It doesn't matter. Like I said, I'm not claiming to be an expert on fixing a billion dollar company. I'm simply saying that you are wrong in saying that the merger is best for the consumer, it's simply not. Is it good for the both AT&T and T-Mobile, sure. Is T-Mobile struggling? Yes. I'm not denying any of that like you seem to be basing all of your arguments on. I'm simply saying that the merger is not in the best interest of consumers.