AT&T to acquire T-Mobile USA

[NsXMas]

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/03/20/att-mobile-att-buys-t-mobile-usa/?hpt=T2

I wonder if this can actually be completed...if the FCC allows this to happen.

Hopefully this is not allowed...I hate AT&T...as a current T-Mobile customer.

 

[MJK]

This definitely does not seem good for the average consumer.

 

[LMR]

This would s*ck since I'm a T-Mobile customer.

 

[Hapa88]

or it could get better! As your network coverage would expand. :wink:

 

[Swift]

I went back to a prepay POS phone after my experience with AT&T. Thats how bad they are.


T-mobile was great until i moved...

 

[BD]

I have ATT and I'm pertty happy. I guess living in S. Cal is a plus.

 

[jond]

Somehow I doubt this will fix their problems.

 

[SilverStone05]

or it could get better! As your network coverage would expand. :wink:

Now there's a novel idea! :biggrin:

 

[RYU]

As a self-proclaimed data hog myself i'm surprisingly happy with T-mobile's coverage. This is offset by the fact that I can use wifi in most places I frequent and i'm on wifi/gsm about 50/50. I like T-Mo's customer service and I hated ATT's - after speaking with friends QoS on ATT is still not much better. This is not good news for me.

I left Pacbell when they were acquired by ATT. I'm considering I may now have to do the same if this thing goes through.

$0.02

 

[LMR]

or it could get better! As your network coverage would expand. :wink:

Coverage has not been a problem for me. T-Mobile customer service has been great along with the best prices on their plans. AT&T service is terrible.
AGAIN, this would s*ck.

 

[ss_md]

this would s*ck.

Well said!!

 

[d.n]

I'm a tmobile user - phone provided by work so I never deal with customer service. With that said, the coverage maps are quite different. I live near San Francisco and while tmobile coverage is good, ATT coverage is much better and there are some spotty places (like my house) with tmobile, but anybody who visits and has verizon or ATT have full bars.

You can also have data and voice active at the same time with ATT. Not the case for tmobile (this is a problem for me as in my line of work, I get pages via Email, but when there are problems, I'm on the phone so I don't get pages until the call ends). Ditto for those who tether their phones.

Lastly, I went to Houston last year on a bus trip and WOW. Tmobile coverage is amazing down there (probably carry over from the baby bell days). I don't think I ever saw anything below full bars which was odd.

So it would seem there may be a plus on both sides of the coin and I'm looking forward to seeing how things will improve. Before joining tmobile 2yrs ago, I was a long time ATT customer (9-10yrs).

 

[NsXMas]

I don't think AT&T has the blackberry wifi call capability... on T-mobile if the network goes down, or if I'm traveling internationally, and all I have is a wifi network, I can use my T-mobile blackberry to make & receive wifi-based calls as if I were within a T-mobile network.

That is an excellent feature.

Plus T-mobile has different 3G frequencies than AT&T, so how will that be addressed for T-mobile customers who have invested in T-mobile phones?

I really don't think the FCC will allows this merger to happen though...it greatly reduces the competitiveness of the cellular companies.

 

[jond]

Plus T-mobile has different 3G frequencies than AT&T, so how will that be addressed for T-mobile customers who have invested in T-mobile phones.

I didn't think T-Mobile owned any cell towers. I thought they only rented towers from AT&T?

 

[NsXMas]

I didn't think T-Mobile owned any cell towers. I thought they only rented towers from AT&T?

T-mobile owns over 7000 sites / towers: http://www.t-mobiletowers.com/about.aspx

AFAIK they do not rent from AT&T...

PS: T-mobile customers will NEED new handsets if the deal is allowed: http://androidcommunity.com/att-t-mobile-customers-will-need-new-handsets-20110321/#

 

[Budweiser®]

T-mobile owns over 7000 sites / towers: http://www.t-mobiletowers.com/about.aspx

AFAIK they do not rent from AT&T...

PS: T-mobile customers will NEED new handsets if the deal is allowed: http://androidcommunity.com/att-t-mobile-customers-will-need-new-handsets-20110321/#

Correct, I believe there are be roaming agreements between T-Mobile and AT&T for EDGE (2g) and below, but they use different 3G frequencies and as such the devices supplied by them are not cross compatible.

From what I've seen so far AT&T is planning on taking T-Mobile's 3G frequencies and using them for their LTE network build out so T-Mobile 3G devices will no longer function on 3G in about a year (or whenever they begin to convert the network over).

 

[Hapa88]

I don't know you guys are soo afraid of. . . All you T-Mobile guys will get access to God's own headset. . The iPHONE! Woohoo!

Plus the FCC needs to approve it and it needs to pass any regulatory/Anti-Trust issues first, so it may not even happen. .

 

[NSXrunner]

For the price AT&T isn't bad....for the quality diff story. My current location in Aliso Viejo seems to be a black hole for AT&T reception.

As for what this means for the consumer. Less competition = higher prices. You may not see it immediately, but you watch, it will slowly creep up.

 

[NSXrebel]

I'm all for it, I get great service/coverage from AT&T. This will only make it better.

 

[LMR]

I'm all for it, I get great service/coverage from AT&T. This will only make it better.

And you and everyone else will be paying more for it, so that makes it better

 

[NSXrebel]

And you and everyone else will be paying more for it, so that makes it better

Show me where it says we'll be paying more for it.

 

[RYU]

I don't know you guys are soo afraid of. . . All you T-Mobile guys will get access to God's own headset. . The iPHONE! Woohoo!

Plus the FCC needs to approve it and it needs to pass any regulatory/Anti-Trust issues first, so it may not even happen. .

oh no.. not you too.. say it ain't so!!!!!!!!

if this deal does go thru and you need to be on GSM like me.. then you're screwed. It'll be a GSM monopoly.

 

[NetViper]

I don't know you guys are soo afraid of. . . All you T-Mobile guys will get access to God's own headset. . The iPHONE! Woohoo!

Plus the FCC needs to approve it and it needs to pass any regulatory/Anti-Trust issues first, so it may not even happen. .

http://www.bgr.com/2011/03/21/t-mobile-we-do-not-offer-the-iphone/

 

[DRIFTER]

If Im not mistaken T-Mobile has an extensive 4g network. It would make sense for one of the largest carriers (AT&T) to pick them up. AT&T is lacking the 4g network in most locations. Most likely cheeper to just buy out the competition.

From my experience with Cingular going to AT&T I got increased cell coverage and better signal strength in my location. I very rarely drop calls or cant surf the internet. My bill has been the same for the past 5 years (Cingular family plan) so I cant complain. This will just increase coverage for AT&T and T-Mobile users.

 

[NetViper]

IIf Im not mistaken T-Mobile has an extensive 4g network. It would make sense for one of the largest carriers (AT&T) to pick them up. AT&T is lacking the 4g network in most locations. Most likely cheeper to just buy out the competition.

From my experience with Cingular going to AT&T I got increased cell coverage and better signal strength in my location. I very rarely drop calls or cant surf the internet. My bill has been the same for the past 5 years (Cingular family plan) so I cant complain. This will just increase coverage for AT&T and T-Mobile users.

You are sort of mistaken. T-Mobile's 4g network is basically the same as ATT's 3g network. Both are now using HSPA+. T-mobile does not have any LTE networks that verizon has launched. AT&T is getting ready to roll out LTE as well.

4g is a mess of marketing garbage right now. It makes no sense. ATT started marketing their phones as 4g just because T-mobile was saying they were now 4g using basically the same technology they already had.

IMO, LTE is the next gen.. though according to the officials, it is still not fast enough to be called 4g.