AT&T CEO Warns of Higher Prices in Wake of T-Mobile Failure
May 3, 2012, 7:55 AM by Eric M. Zeman
AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said that consumers should expect to see the price of wireless services increase, which he attributes to the company's failed bid to purchase T-Mobile USA. Speaking at the Milken Institute's conference on Wednesday, Stephenson said that the wireless market can't sustain the current number of competitors and that consolidation would have helped. The FCC and Department of Justice blocked AT&T's attempt to purchase T-Mobile USA last year. AT&T has already raised some fees charged to consumers this year, but Stephenson didn't spell out any specific future price increases.
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Comments
GOOD!
That's the way an open market is supposed to operate!
Balance between suppliers and consumers. Now, consumers will have to start paying attention to how much data they're consuming.
What's wrong with that?
Balance between suppliers and consumers. Now, consumers will have to start paying attention to how much data they're consuming.
What's wrong with that?
Exactly. Let's also let them merge into 1 or 2 companies and charge us WHATEVER they want to. No problem. If anyone doesn't like it, START YOUR OWN CELL COMPANY THEN. Free & Open Markets should work exactly like this. Let's not stop here, let's have M...
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A look at the future
"Stephenson said that the wireless market can't sustain the current number of competitors and that consolidation would have helped."
And Stephenson may be right. Go ahead, AT&T. raise your prices and watch the customers run screaming. The wireless market may be in jeopardy because of too many competitors, but a price increase will most certainly resolve THAT issue. Been waiting for Sprint to finally bring service to my rinky dink little town. I've been with AT&T since 2006, but if they try to use the merger failure as an excuse to jack my bill up, I'm out.
And Stephenson may be right. Go ahead, AT&T. raise your prices and watch the customers run screaming. The wireless market may be in jeopardy because of too many competitors, but a price increase will most certainly resolve THAT issue. Been waiting for Sprint to finally bring service to my rinky dink little town. I've been with AT&T since 2006, but if they try to use the merger failure as an excuse to jack my bill up, I'm out.
price increases only effect new customers, existing customers plans are almost always honored by grandfathering in.
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Mark_S said:
Should put on his swimming trunks and do the back-stroke back to Cuba.
Actually, Raplh's position is not what you think. The structure changed when the bells got back together. This new at&t is far too ...
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Could ATT become the next Sprint and start bleeding customers?
Wouldn't that be interesting if ATT started bleeding customers!!! Even more interesting if Tmo benefited from customers leaving ATT. . .
that is like saying people are leaving mercedes to get a kia !
you cant compare att to sprint! i havnt tried sprint, but my friends did 10 years ago and their coverage sucks!
you cant compare att to sprint! i havnt tried sprint, but my friends did 10 years ago and their coverage sucks!
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I don't think so, the business models are VERY different.
I'm sure EVERY price increase will cause a few to leave but not in large numbers.
I'm sure EVERY price increase will cause a few to leave but not in large numbers.
Enter AT&T haters...
though I think in this case, it's justified. What the hell, AT&T. Making my job harder than it has to be.
A part of me thinks AT&T proposed this merger because there is too much competition in the market place and raising prices on its own wouldnt bode too well. So what do they do?
Make a bid for a company they simply cant buy, would get rejected and ha...
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Make a bid for a company they simply cant buy, would get rejected and ha...
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That would be anyone who's ever used AT&T or anyone who's ever dealt with them, wouldn't it?
sorry at&t customers
sorry at&t customers.... looks like this is a preemptive strike to warn you that YOUR prices are going up.... meanwhile i will enjoy my unlimited "4g" SGS2 on t-mo for 20 donuts a month and pay that same 20 donuts when lte is fired up with my shiny new SGS3 with lte.... and for those who respond by saying that it's really not "4g" ... i will take my mere average of 18.35 mps over your _____ any day for 20 donuts a month... unlimited that is with no caps....... 😳
yeah. your mere average of 18.35 mps on tmobile in the year 2014? haha
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Hmmm not totally Unlimited..Once the customer’s Web usage exceeds the Data Speed Reduction Threshold (2 or 5BG ) , the customer’s speed is reduced to (at most) 50 kbps (comparable to dial-up). $20 is not bad at all. Let's just cross our fingers & ...
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Not so fast, vedelorme, in which T-Mobile market are you located? I can tell you the LTE prospects for that market.
AJ
AJ
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Now if only their coverage in Rural areas was worth a sh*%.
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This will be bad to all of us cause other 3 big Carriers will follow AT&T raise the rates.
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Nice!
What kind of plan is this magical $20 you speak of? I've got T-mo and its costing me at least $50 (+fees/taxes) for 500 min & unlimited data (2GB high speed). I checked their website, and I just don't see anything that low (but am very very intrigue...
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I Generally Find
I generally find that prices decrease with less competition. It's like when Albertson's closed. The first thing Publix did was lower all of their prices. 🙄
That might be, because the vendors and distributors they buy from have now a surplus of materials, they want to get rid of them fast before spoilage dates and make some of the money back on their purchases, they also have to hold less stock = less spa...
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Next news flash is AT&T to lose customers for raising prices.....
This guy is something else! Whining like a baby because he didn't get his way & help "increase" competition by allowing AT&T to acquire TMO. Now as a result of this defeat, AT&T customers will be punished. These customers have 3 other network choices & a host of MVNOs to choose from. They don't necessarily need AT&T direct. Then if AT&T chooses to mess with their MVNO's like Straight Talk/Net10 GSM, H20 & Red Pocket, maybe a giant like America Movil with 280 million customers (owner of 20 million strong Tracfone/Straight Talk & Net10) could start their own nationwide network here & give us consumers even more choices. I really respect what AT&T has done improving and expanding their network but this CEO sucks. I hope he goes soon.
Message from AT&T Executive:
"We were going to raise your rates due to the 'costs of the merger', but since that failed we are now going to blame the rate increase on something else. Either way, I get my bonus. Thank you. That is all".
Great way to put it...lol
Excuses...Excuses...Excuses
Before the Tmobile purchase was denied AT&T had already contemplated a price raise in there service. Now there going to blame the goverment jajaj so funny.
AT&T can blame the FCC and DOJ, but neither of them are responsible for AT&T raising prices.
AT&T sets the rate, not the government. AT&T makes a choice to continue to lower service and raise prices and bitch about spectrum (a lot of it, they hold ...
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AT&T sets the rate, not the government. AT&T makes a choice to continue to lower service and raise prices and bitch about spectrum (a lot of it, they hold ...
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