Four More Small U.S. Carriers Launching iPhone on May 18 with $50 Discounts

Konrad9 said:

What does Tim Cook have to do with this story?

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he is getting every one board, there may not be a lot of buck from these small customer, but he is making sure every one is covered.

same with Samsung lawsuit also, he is making progress if not complete success.

I like that iPad 2 16Gb dropped to $399

iPad 3 launch was very successful and smooth, with out any hiccups

Patience....

unlimitedx said:

They declined the chance due to apple's terms

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There are talks of US Cellular adding the iPhone 5. We shall see...If they do I'm going back to the iPhone quicker than mexican cheese through your GI tract! I tried to like Android, but damn...

DakotaGuy said:

I'm suprised US Cellular hasn't added it yet.

unlimitedx said:

They declined the chance due to apple's terms

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The latest rumblings are USC is waiting for LTE. Guess we'll find out later this year.

chrmjenkins said:

The iPhone's radio supports that. Apple only has to do a transceiver (if their current one doesn't support it) and antenna that does it. Other phones out there support AWS and AT&T's 3G.

In any event, t-mobile claims 1700 MHz support by end of year and LTE next year. They could be gearing up for the iphone as we speak.

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The iPhone's radio does not support 1700Mhz (AWS) band.
Apple is not going to make a version just for T-Mobile.
All the other carriers mentioned can use the iPhone as-is.

There are only a small handful of phones that can work with both AT&T and T-mobile HSPA networks. They use a different Qualcomm modem than the one used in the iPhone.
The Samsung T-989 and SHG-I727 (GS2 variants) are the only ones that I'm aware of that are cross compatible.
And they still require a radio firmware flash to make the switch. It's not automatic.

Am I the only one who would feel nervous doing business with a company who doesn't even have a wikipedia page?

I keep expecting a news story to come out about one of these regional providers where it turns out they're just like those fake Apple stores in China...simply a front for a con-man with a big imagination.

carlgo said:

These little carriers fascinate me. Do they serve those who don't travel out of the area, does the traveller get switched over to VZ, etc? What are the upsides and downsides of hooking up with a regional carrier?

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Yeah, I really don't understand them either.

I know the big carriers will drop you if you spend all your time roaming. Do these small guys not have that clause? Or do they only have customers who just don't travel much?

Not to mention the fact that they're just leasing the signal from the big guys even when you are home. How does that work? Shouldn't that mean they're always going to be more expensive? I just really don't understand how it all works.

So they are getting the iP4S six months after its launch, does that mean they won't get the next iPhone until this time next year. Probably.

this phone is such an anachronism right now I wouldn't get if even if it were offered free, the competition just blows it away, and has been doing so the past few months. Just put it next to the new htc's, the samsung galaxy and the nokia n and it literally looks like a turd, heavy dated design, small screen, the phone that apple couldn't be bothered to redesign except of course for the antenna where they had to.

Siri what's the weather like to today? Your appointment with the denstist is at a 8. Thank you siri, eff you siri...

In advance, don't get me wrong this is great that certain regional carriers and customers are able to get the iPhone now.
I really wish though Apple would have a way to flash CDMA iPhones (or even GSM since the 4S is truly the same device) to another carrier's firmware. It would be great if a consumer could get a used Sprint/Verizon 4S and use it on a regional carrier, or if say they moved from the regional carrier's coverage they could get service on Verizon.

Konrad9 said:

What does Tim Cook have to do with this story?

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Everything.

If he didn't approve this would not happen.

It's as simple as that.

Tim Cook is the new face of Apple, the man who's doing an exemplary job of seeing that Apple continues it's amazing success.

This is the Jobs strategy

Some people seem to be saying that this is Cook's idea. No, remember the iPod? That started Mac only. Then it went to iTunes. Then iTunes came out for Windows and the iTunes Store went worldwide.

Meanwhile, Apple was putting the iPod into every segment of the market, and at every available price, from the shuffle to the mini and Nano to the "Classic."

Cook is doing an effective job of executing the Jobs strategy.

Swift said:

Some people seem to be saying that this is Cook's idea. No, remember the iPod? That started Mac only. Then it went to iTunes. Then iTunes came out for Windows and the iTunes Store went worldwide.

Meanwhile, Apple was putting the iPod into every segment of the market, and at every available price, from the shuffle to the mini and Nano to the "Classic."

Cook is doing an effective job of executing the Jobs strategy.

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For sake of reference, it is well documented Jobs hated the idea of giving iTunes to Windows. He had to be talked into it by Schiller and others.

shanmugam said:

he is getting every one board, there may not be a lot of buck from these small customer, but he is making sure every one is covered.

same with Samsung lawsuit also, he is making progress if not complete success.

I like that iPad 2 16Gb dropped to $399

iPad 3 launch was very successful and smooth, with out any hiccups

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Attributing the entirety of Apple to Tim Cook is just as absurd as attributing the entirety of Apple to Steve Jobs. There are thousands of employees working to make everything you see, not one man.

Apple will let any cell carrier sell the iPhone as long as they have the cash, it really doesn't matter.

Case in point: Apple advertising their devices as 4G on carriers that don't have a single 4G tower.

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ixodes said:

Everything.

If he didn't approve this would not happen.

It's as simple as that.

Tim Cook is the new face of Apple, the man who's doing an exemplary job of seeing that Apple continues it's amazing success.

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"Excuse me Mr. CEO, a company would like to sell our devices, they have enough money to buy the number of devices they wish to purchase."

'...hm. No. I don't think our company should be making money, let's stick with the most hated cell carrier in America.'

"But they want to give us money"

'Nope, their service and reputation is too good'

"But we have no contractual oblig..."

'I SAID GOOD DAY!'


What you're suggesting is Apple wouldn't allow a Mom & Pop shop to re-sell iMacs... and it is utter insanity. I cannot comprehend how your brain works, because there is no logic to it.

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Swift said:

Some people seem to be saying that this is Cook's idea. No, remember the iPod? That started Mac only. Then it went to iTunes. Then iTunes came out for Windows and the iTunes Store went worldwide.

Meanwhile, Apple was putting the iPod into every segment of the market, and at every available price, from the shuffle to the mini and Nano to the "Classic."

Cook is doing an effective job of executing the Jobs strategy.

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Cannot even fathom how poorly the iPod and iPhone would have sold if you couldn't hook them up to Windows machines... nevermind how much less popular digital distribution of music and movies would be.

Small White Car said:

Yeah, I really don't understand them either.

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They're a relic (pretty sure that's the word I want here) of the time when the FCC doled out spectrum instead of selling it. The FCC also wanted competition, so they doled out a lot of spectrum to what the industry calls "Mom and Pop" cellular companies. They got the A-band spectrum, while the wireline guys got B-band spectrum.

People also tend to forget that there weren't any national operators. No Verizon, no AT&T... It was the baby bells (Ameritech, etc) and these smaller companies.

As you know, over time there was a massive amount of consolidation and compaction to get where we are today, with a few "national" operators and a few regional players.

(Aside: I put quotes around "national" as all of the major "nationwide" operators are not national at all. Many of the mom and pop shops simply lease the rights to the spectrum to a larger player and you never hear about them AT ALL. There are many Verizon regions where you would think that it's Verizon - but it isn't, it's Verizon equipment using someone else's spectrum.)

Small White Car said:

Not to mention the fact that they're just leasing the signal from the big guys even when you are home.

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This is not true at all. Many of the mom and pops have business models where they have a small number of cell sites, and they collect roaming revenues from the nationwide operators.

I know of one such operator who has a grand total of 5 cell sites in a totally rural area between two large south central cities. While you as the consumer wouldn't know it, once you have a call up on one of those 5 cells, they bill your provider for that call. It can be lucrative in many cases.

nickdelvecchio said:

is this making anyone else think the "iPhone5" is closer than the fall???

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Actually, no. The fact that these carriers aren't waiting for the next iPhone release (I even have my doubts it'll be called the "iPhone 5") makes it even more likely that a Fall release is what's going to happen.

I'm getting nervous... I have an upgrade in september....

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Relax, it's just a phone.

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Small White Car said:

Am I the only one who would feel nervous doing business with a company who doesn't even have a wikipedia page?

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No. My local deli, fish market and indie record shop don't have wikipedia pages. And while I can get music anywhere, who provides the food I eat is probably more of a concern to me than who provides my cell service.

These small cell carriers are just local to their areas. If I lived in those places, I'd probably get an iPhone with those little guys because I think it's good that small cell carriers still exist out there and haven't been squashed by current duopoly.

They probably cover their licensed areas a heck of a lot better than AT&T and Verizon do anyway.

I keep expecting a news story to come out about one of these regional providers where it turns out they're just like those fake Apple stores in China...simply a front for a con-man with a big imagination.

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You're letting your imagination get the better of you. Even the front shops in China weren't providing cell service. And trademark restrictions are a lot better enforced in the US than in China. If an unauthorized, fly-by-night carrier was offering the iPhone without Apple's blessing in their own backyard, you can bet they'd quash it quick.

I know the big carriers will drop you if you spend all your time roaming. Do these small guys not have that clause? Or do they only have customers who just don't travel much?

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It might be both.

Not to mention the fact that they're just leasing the signal from the big guys even when you are home.

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Not true... actually, there's a lot of cases where AT&T and Verizon customers are roaming on small mom & pop networks like Bluegrass and Golden State when traveling through their service areas, and they don't even realize it.

tasset said:

For sake of reference, it is well documented Jobs hated the idea of giving iTunes to Windows. He had to be talked into it by Schiller and others.

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Once he saw it, it became his strategy. Nothing happened there that wasn't approved by Jobs. It was argued about for months, I'd imagine. He never quashed that. He often reversed himself. Then it was his idea.

Delighted said:

Yes, why is Tmobile not getting in on this action?

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Ask the German Courts.

rjohnstone said:

The iPhone's radio does not support 1700Mhz (AWS) band.
Apple is not going to make a version just for T-Mobile.
All the other carriers mentioned can use the iPhone as-is.

There are only a small handful of phones that can work with both AT&T and T-mobile HSPA networks. They use a different Qualcomm modem than the one used in the iPhone.
The Samsung T-989 and SHG-I727 (GS2 variants) are the only ones that I'm aware of that are cross compatible.
And they still require a radio firmware flash to make the switch. It's not automatic.

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That will change soon. T-Mobile said that they will add 1900MHz support to their 3G/4G HSPA+/future LTE networks beginning in the end of 2012.

rjohnstone said:

The iPhone's radio does not support 1700Mhz (AWS) band.
Apple is not going to make a version just for T-Mobile.
All the other carriers mentioned can use the iPhone as-is.

There are only a small handful of phones that can work with both AT&T and T-mobile HSPA networks. They use a different Qualcomm modem than the one used in the iPhone.
The Samsung T-989 and SHG-I727 (GS2 variants) are the only ones that I'm aware of that are cross compatible.
And they still require a radio firmware flash to make the switch. It's not automatic.

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Incorrect. Here is a list of supported bands in the radio present in the verizon iphone 4 and all iphone 4S's.



UMTS 1700 is clearly marked. WCDMA is the technology both CDMA and GSM carriers in the US use for 3G.

And proof that the iphone does indeed use that radio:

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...ses_world_mode_mdm6600_qualcomm_baseband.html

So, like I said, it's a matter of transceiver supporting it and the antenna supporting it. A firmware flash is a comparatively simple thing.

scaredpoet said:

They probably cover their licensed areas a heck of a lot better than AT&T and Verizon do anyway.

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Ahhhh..... not so fast there.

Most of these tiny regional players are very very undercapitalized. They buy the minimum gear and maintain it poorly. Not as a rule, but unfortunately pretty close to it.

Since they also pay poorly, they don't have the best RF planners and network people. Those folks tend to migrate to the big boys for better pay and advancement opportunities.

I had to deal with some of the poor engineering left by one of these small operators when they got taken over by one of the big nationwide carriers. It was obvious that they really just had no idea at all what they were doing. Cell sites were just sitting on unreinforced plywood floors - no concrete pad installed. Antennas were attached to trees fer cripes sakes. Improper termination of T1s... it was bad.

When my customer took over, they applied stringent planning and maintenance schedules as well as re-doing basically everything in sight to their best practices.

It's not all that great working with the moms and pops, honestly. Cheap and clueless - but yes, they do provide competition.

Bluegrass Cellular (Kentucky)
- Golden State Cellular (California)
- Nex-Tech Wireless
nTelos Wireless (Virginia)
- Alaska Communications (Alaska)
- Appalachian Wireless (Kentucky)
- GCI (Alaska)
- Cellcom (Wisconsin):
- Matanuska Telephone Association (Alaska)

Also Verizon and Sprint, and it was offered to US Cellular. And of course at&t. But not T-Mobile. JFC, you're just being dicks now.

nickdelvecchio said:

is this making anyone else think the "iPhone5" is closer than the fall???

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Hell no. iOS 6 hasn't been discussed yet and a new version of the iPhone is always released at the same time. WWDC will unveil iOS 6, then a few months of beta testing, then final release. If it does come out early, maybe a handful of weeks at most....say very late september instead of mid-October like the 4S was.

What about T-Mobile? How can one of the larger carriers completely ignore the iPhone.

smithrh said:

Ahhhh..... not so fast there.

Most of these tiny regional players are very very undercapitalized. They buy the minimum gear and maintain it poorly. Not as a rule, but unfortunately pretty close to it.

Since they also pay poorly, they don't have the best RF planners and network people. Those folks tend to migrate to the big boys for better pay and advancement opportunities.

I had to deal with some of the poor engineering left by one of these small operators when they got taken over by one of the big nationwide carriers. It was obvious that they really just had no idea at all what they were doing. Cell sites were just sitting on unreinforced plywood floors - no concrete pad installed. Antennas were attached to trees fer cripes sakes. Improper termination of T1s... it was bad.

When my customer took over, they applied stringent planning and maintenance schedules as well as re-doing basically everything in sight to their best practices.

It's not all that great working with the moms and pops, honestly. Cheap and clueless - but yes, they do provide competition.

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Love your answers here. You have some interesting information for sure!

east85 said:

Now that Steve Jobs is gone it seems like Apple is willing to send the iPhone to any and every carrier. What a shame, should have stuck with the best.

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I read this post four or five times but I just can't figure out your point.

Did you mean to write to this topic?

If you could explain.

Thanks.

Just like the others

carlgo said:

These little carriers fascinate me. Do they serve those who don't travel out of the area, does the traveller get switched over to VZ, etc? What are the upsides and downsides of hooking up with a regional carrier?

It would seem the small carriers might appreciate their customers more and be easier to deal with, but is even that true?

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They're a fascinating little group of folks! All in all, these "rural" / "regional" carriers (CDMA) probably serve about 4 million subscribers (Comparatively, US Cellular is about 6million subscribers) and most likely they have agreements with Apple directly, just like AT&T / VZ etc.

Their customer service / discounted rate plans are their value-adds (aka reason why they're still in business). Sadly, many of them are moving away from "local" rate plans (for those that stay within the local county lines) and focusing more on nationally-competetive offerings for nationwide roaming.

If you use one of these companies for service they show their company name on the indicator, they have all local support teams, and they actually make a lot of their money from the big guys (VZ, Sprint, AT&T) roaming ONTO their networks - really expensive / wasteful for one of the top carriers to build towers in...oh let's say Ivel, Kentucky.

All in all, this is going to be a make-it-or-break-it year for a lot of these guys now that they're buying the iPhones...to be continued!