AT&T To Acquire T-Mobile USA
Mar 20, 2011, 1:46 PM by Rich Brome @richbrome
updated Mar 20, 2011, 1:57 PM
AT&T and Deutsche Telekom have reached a $39 billion deal for AT&T to purchase T-Mobile USA. The companies cite spectrum and capacity issues as the primary reasons for merging. The new AT&T plans to deploy LTE 4G technology to 95 percent of the population. The transaction is expected to close in approximately 12 months, pending regulatory approval. The deal combines AT&T's 96 million subscribers with T-Mobile's 34 million for a total of 130 million subscribers. Both companies use GSM and HSPA+ technology, making the network integration easier from a technology angle.
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Comments
What do you think, can TMO Customers keep grandfathered plans/features?
In the new AT&T, I wonder if T-Mobile Customer will be able to keep their grandfathered plans and features. I for example am on the $49.99 1000 minute family plan with preferred (free) myfaves, $10 unlimited messaging for families (every line on the account) and have the preferred unlimited web for phone first devices for $5.00 per line. I also get a AAA discount of 14% off per bill. So I get a lot for just a hair under $70 plus the discount for two lines. Option this out with AT&T, I think I'm at around $210 or so plus tax? If they knock out grandfathered deals like this, Boost Mobile's $35 (eventually) plan per line is just screaming for me!
This would be optimal. Anyone know if Alltel customers were able to keep theirs with the Verizon merger?
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That is almost always the case with these kinds of mergers
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YOU CAN!! THATS UNTIL YOU OR ANY ONE ON YOU PLAN NEEDS A NEW PHONE. WHICH MEANS IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY PLAN AND SOMEONE WANTS TO UPGRADE. THATS WHEN THE WHOLE PLAN WILL CHANGE. U CAN KEEP YOUR PLAN!! BUT SAY HELLO TO EBAY , CRAIGSLIST ETC. TO GET A PHON...
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On the flip side of all this as much as I dislike AT&T now, I would grow quite fond of them if they did let all of us on T-Mobile Grandfathered Plans/Features keep all of our stuff. I bet what will happen though is a stripping of the " grandfathered ...
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This includes all those $45 unlimited plans and also the obnoxious $19.99 plans... Every Dobson Cellular One plan that people had, they could still keep - to this day, even after switching equipment, SIM cards, etc. AT&T has been very good to those cu...
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Those plans and rates are what was killing t-mobile. The company's plan to try and lure mass amounts of customers into their network by using cheap plans in the hopes that, when those masses came in, they'd be able to use that little revenue to pay fo...
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At&t has lied to every carrier they acquired in my area and forced them to either "get with us or lose service"
That's back when I got a ton of customers from Edge Wireless. Great move at&t. Something tells me they will do the same thing here.
I wit...
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That's back when I got a ton of customers from Edge Wireless. Great move at&t. Something tells me they will do the same thing here.
I wit...
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To tell you the truth I am more concerned about my dealer lines. I work for Tmo and have 3 dealer lines. âšī¸
Yes all plans created before the purchase of our company will stay Grandfathered in. it will take approx: 12 months before FULL merger will take place. so all plan currently offered will stay the same until merger is finished. and the if that plan is ...
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What we need now is 225 million strong AMERICA MOVIL to build a network here....
Now there will be only 3 major carriers and I wouldn't say that a Verizon-Sprint merger is that far-fetched. That would leave 2 if it happens (hope not!). The small regional/city-only carriers like U.S. Cellular, Metro & Cricket will likely be absorbed eventually too. This would leave me wishing that America Movil, the largest carrier in the Americas with 225 million customers would come to the U.S. and build out a network. They have the resources and are massive and would instantly be the largest cell carrier here with nearly 100 million more customers than ATT/TMO combo. Please bring America Movil here Carlos Slim!!
Yeah, American Movil, Carlos Slim, he makes every other CEO look like a saint.
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Tracfone...
american movil is already here
tracfone, straight talk, net10.
tracfone, straight talk, net10.
I think I'm the only one for this...
As long as the DOJ attaches stipulations to the purchase/merger to set ourselves up in the future, we're all set.
Primarily, if they attach a regulation that states AT&T must wholesale it's entire network at a regulated price to MVNOs, then we won't have to worry about it becoming too large.
In fact, large carriers should slowly become wholesale networks and let multiple MVNOs compete for our services.
Primarily, if they attach a regulation that states AT&T must wholesale it's entire network at a regulated price to MVNOs, then we won't have to worry about it becoming too large.
In fact, large carriers should slowly become wholesale networks and let multiple MVNOs compete for our services.
At first, this sounded practical.
I think the problem is that we would not be accessing a choice of networks. We essentially would be dealing with a third party of the same carrier(s).
In the auto industry, we have many choices of autos to choo...
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I think the problem is that we would not be accessing a choice of networks. We essentially would be dealing with a third party of the same carrier(s).
In the auto industry, we have many choices of autos to choo...
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I think that it is better for telecommunications companies to be bigger rather than smaller. Consolidation means fewer areas with no coverage and stronger coverage in areas where coverage already exists. It means networks which are stronger and m...
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Well thank god it wasn't Sprint!!!!
Ok the initial shock is wearing off..
So what if we have one GSM carrier. We'll have all the coverage in the world and spectrum galore!! Not only that but us magenta users wont have to worry about boarding Sprint's sinking ship!
This was the only logical outcome honestly. Sprint and T-Mo would have been impractical and not in the best interest of either party or the consumer. Sprint uses different technologies, has too many financial problems, etc. Let them die on their own. Sprint's the Titanic and AT&T is the Carpathia. The choice was obvious
So what if we have one GSM carrier. We'll have all the coverage in the world and spectrum galore!! Not only that but us magenta users wont have to worry about boarding Sprint's sinking ship!
This was the only logical outcome honestly. Sprint and T-Mo would have been impractical and not in the best interest of either party or the consumer. Sprint uses different technologies, has too many financial problems, etc. Let them die on their own. Sprint's the Titanic and AT&T is the Carpathia. The choice was obvious
So, I take it facts aren't going to be used in this discussion?
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Just because my carrier sucks doesn't mean AT&T is great. That's like saying you're smarter than a kindergarden class.
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I've been on this forum for several years now and all you have done is promote your hatred for Sprint.
If this acquisition goes through, you are going to be very , very sorry you didn't give Sprint the benefit of the doubt. I think your insight is...
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If this acquisition goes through, you are going to be very , very sorry you didn't give Sprint the benefit of the doubt. I think your insight is...
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T-Mobile staying a separate company would have been the best solution if only someone else besides an existing carrier had made a bid.
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AT&T...
did something similar when ATTWS was for sale and Vodaphone flirted with purchasing that entity. Cingular's parents jumped in and offered a large sum to close the sale. It made sense for them then and it does now. I hate it though. This can not be good for consumers.
Azeron,
I don't think any major merger like this is healthy for the consumer and I am an AT&T customer and honestly, no complaints. (and I don't deny others do have problems). But if it does go through, I hope to hell coverage gets better, an...
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I don't think any major merger like this is healthy for the consumer and I am an AT&T customer and honestly, no complaints. (and I don't deny others do have problems). But if it does go through, I hope to hell coverage gets better, an...
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CellStudent said:
What's that letterhead gonna look like...
đŗ đŗ đŗ đŗ đŗ
It's an acquistion NOT a merger. It will be AT&T - period. The T-Mobile name will be a thing of the past. At least here in the US.
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AT&T-Mobile
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đ
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The Duopoly is almost complete.........
If it looks like, smells like, tastes like, sounds like and feels like choice is becoming a relic of the past, it is.
Corporate America shafts it again to the consumer without K-Y Jelly. đ˛
Corporate America shafts it again to the consumer without K-Y Jelly. đ˛
I used to work in the international department at at&t so I know a little bit about the situation, and the fact is that in most countries there are only two or three major wireless carriers and they do fine.
I'm not particularly worried about it. ...
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I'm not particularly worried about it. ...
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The consumer likes getting shafted. Americans don't even TRY to save. As long as they want it... Why waste good vaseline?
Standard template
1 It's the end of the world!
1.1 Company X should have gone with company Z instead.
1.1.1 They're all going to f$ck us in the a$$!
1.1.1.1 No they're not.
1.1.1.1.1 Yes they are.
1.1.1.1.1.1 No they're not.
1.1.1.1.1.1.1 Yes they are. You suck.
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 No they're not. You suck more...
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1...And it goes on.
My $0.02 if anyone cares. đ
1.1 Company X should have gone with company Z instead.
1.1.1 They're all going to f$ck us in the a$$!
1.1.1.1 No they're not.
1.1.1.1.1 Yes they are.
1.1.1.1.1.1 No they're not.
1.1.1.1.1.1.1 Yes they are. You suck.
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 No they're not. You suck more...
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1...And it goes on.
My $0.02 if anyone cares. đ
If it is any consultation, I would take your two cents and heavily invest in an aggressive portfolio.
John B.
John B.
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No upside to GSM now...
The benefit of GSM was the ability to switch carriers with the switch of a SIM. Unless AT&T is forced to make changes, I really don't like this.
The actual benefits of GSM are improved security, near universal, worldwide coverage, and the ability to 'multi-task' by using voice and data concurrently. The main benefit of the SIM card is the ability to easily transfer billing information from on...
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Then maybe once AT&T and VZW both have LTE and use SIM cards for that tech LTE will fill that void for you?
Well...
Say bye bye to any new phones for a year, what manufacturer would make a new a new phone for a company that's just hanging in limbo till they get merged with someone else? Maybe a couple boring flip phones, but i really don't see any cool smart phones in the future
I don't see why not, it's not like the phones are going to suddenly stop working when at&t takes over....this is quite different than when Altell properties were acquired by at&t and Altell customers had to ditch their old equipment to get an at&t pho...
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Looks Like........
T-Mobiles 4G Girl just bent over to pick up one of the new 4G phones. The AT&T guys were more than happy to walk right up, pick up her skirt, and give her the good ole corporate "Thrust" đ˛
That will teach her to wear such provocative clothing around corporate sex predators.... đ
That will teach her to wear such provocative clothing around corporate sex predators.... đ
Solid business move. Good for everyone.
I read somewhere in the blogs below "this must be stopped! Justice must prevail!!!"
What justice? Who is losing here? WHO???
"there is very little competition now!!"
BS, there is plenty of competition and it grows every day! Pre-paid companies are getting more aggressive, plus there are hundreds of regional carriers as well as two major carriers to compete with.
On top of that, there is no end to innovation in sight!! There will continuously be better options out there as people and companies come out with the next big thing. The cool thing about innovation is IT REQUIRES PEOPLE BE UNHAPPY WITH CURRENT OFFERINGS!!!
Stop encouraging the government to get involved, those idiots can barely manage thier own lives.
What justice? Who is losing here? WHO???
"there is very little competition now!!"
BS, there is plenty of competition and it grows every day! Pre-paid companies are getting more aggressive, plus there are hundreds of regional carriers as well as two major carriers to compete with.
On top of that, there is no end to innovation in sight!! There will continuously be better options out there as people and companies come out with the next big thing. The cool thing about innovation is IT REQUIRES PEOPLE BE UNHAPPY WITH CURRENT OFFERINGS!!!
Stop encouraging the government to get involved, those idiots can barely manage thier own lives.
It is a respectable quality to be optimistic. I think you will find that your optimism in this case will be overshadowed by reality. In as little as 8 years ago, there was far more competition. This is a very short time to lose many carriers.
Pre-...
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That's the only sensible thing about that rant.
This Reminds Me...
...of an April Fool's article Verizon ran about all the other carriers merging to match them. It is simply unbelievable. Does the FCC dare deny this after letting Verizon absorb Alltel. The Duopoly is almost complete. I suppose it is just a matter of time until Verizon buys Sprint. They HAVE tried in the past, but were curtly rebuffed.
We share the same beliefs. However, there is a chance Sprint could benefit from this without VZW. Assets from both ATT and Verizon have been exchanged and forced to divest residual overlapping markets. This means ATT will have to divest more. with mo...
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Yep, then the two can merge and become one. At that point we can all just pay them whatever they want to because as I have been told often here "it's their network, they can do what they want to". If they want to charge us $500 a month for service, w...
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Really? Verizon has tried to buyg Sprint before? I don't recall that!
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Sad, sad day! Now serious data users have only 1 choice, Sprint
Contemplating whether or not to just pay my termination fee and bounce out of this newly combined abortion of a company. I tether and T-Mobile has always been good about this. Now with AT&T calling the shots seems not only tethering is over but who knows on my grandfathered rate plan, messaging plan and data plan. Who knows about corporate discounts too? AT&T's network gives me a tad more calling range but data coverage outside metro areas is just as weak. Who knows how this will go but I am not positive at all now in the outset. Maybe worth it just to pay that fee and head over to Sprint, the last remaining unlimited (and tether-capable) data company.
It'll take around a year or so for the deal to go through, if the FTC approves it. I'm hoping they don't.
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When did VZW stop giving unlimited data and tethering?
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Not likely. Notice that globe (or deathstar, as it used to be called) isn't orange now.
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no they should just combine pink and orange and use that color
It may well be, depending upon whether the government approves it or not. I hope they deny it - I want the market to be more competitive.
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Holy Sh!t.
Talk about putting your money where their mouth is. This is awesome news. Well, except there is a T-Mobile and att store on ever corner here in DFW. This will make for interesting times for store closings!
Will
Will
When Cingular and AT&T Wireless came together they had the same problem. Stores were closed after a few months, and no front line employees immediately lost their job, unless there was a history. People did leave of their own choosing either early o...
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I don't think this will pass Justice Department and FCC approval OR the divested properties are going to be massive.
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Better believe there will be some heads rolling...just like Alltel and Verizon. They will have thirty reps per store until they cut one another down at the knees.
Verizon To Acquire Sprint.
This will be the next step to up the ante. Then the duopoly will be complete.
This acquisition of ATT and T-Mobile, should not be allowed or the inevitable will happen.
John B.
This acquisition of ATT and T-Mobile, should not be allowed or the inevitable will happen.
John B.
But I could see it happening
Slammer said:
This will be the next step to up the ante. Then the duopoly will be complete.
This acquisition of ATT and T-Mobile, should not be allowed or the inevitable will happen.
John B.
Verizon doesn...
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Were you shocked when you first heard about this?
Well--
--now we know the Sprint rumor was designed to drive up share prices. Or a bargaining tool.
I don't think it was a ploy, I think they really were planning a merger with Sprint, but it just fell apart and they went to AT&T as a second option.
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It wasn't a rumor. ATT had bigger pockets. I think the ATT offer was just better for DT. And the fact that Dan Hesse probably laughed in their face when DT wanted 50% control of the new company. I'm also pretty sure that $39 billion gives ATT internat...
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UGH
this crap ALWAYS happens on my days off. Not only do I have to deal with angry T-Mobile customers at work, but I myself will be an angry T-Mobile customer. I hope the FCC blocks this ish but something tells me they won't. I guess luckily I don't need to tether, and I don't use a lot of data...but wireless consumers are really getting shafted if this goes through. Seriously, are we really only going to have two choices in the future? Things are really sliding out of control imo.
It will definetly be interesting when this goes through the regulatory process!
Yes. Every time someone like AJ decries the 'duopoly' people come out of the woodwork ridiculing him. Well...
