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AT&T and Sprint Trade Barbs Over T-Mobile Merger

Google should just step in and buy T mobile then they will have a hardware company Motorola a software company Google and a national cell carrier call it .... G- Mobile!

They can just sell Android devices only.
 
aohus said:
to anyone who seriously thinks the end user will benefit from a AT&T/T-Mobile merger is laughable. consumers will lose, and corporations and their top tiered executives will win.
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I don't think that's true completely. While I can see competition being harmed in areas where Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile have a strong presence and Sprint does not, areas without a strong T-Mobile presence will only be helped. Here's a good example:

http://vtdigger.org/2011/09/06/mull...mobile-a-boon-to-vermonts-broadband-buildout/

Basically, T-Mobile does no business in Vermont (they have towers here, but only Verizon, AT&T and Sprint compete for business and have a presence). As a result, VT citizens stand to benefit if AT&T had control of T-Mobile's spectrum. I'm sure there any many other areas where this is the case or T-Mobile is an insignificant part of the market. Obviously, the DOJ needs to ensure that in those areas, competition is preserved. But I think it's dead wrong to say that no consumer will benefit.

And to suggest this is insignificant because VT is a small state is misleading. Most major metro areas have additional providers available like MetroPCS. It's in active T-Mobile markets without strong discount providers and without an competitive 3rd national carrier (i.e. Sprint) where there should be concern. Everywhere else I imagine will stay neutral or stand to benefit.
 
The few that object to this proposed merger have not looked at the fine print. T-Mobile USA has barely been staying positive for a good while. T-Mobile USA is hardly providing any added competition and the cellular spectrum and tower resources they own and operate is being wasted with the lack of customers. Sprint will obviously object because they can't pull a profit with their terrible leadership as it is.
 
I think it's time to buy Sprint stock. Nowhere to go but up.

What's hurt Sprint is not simply poor management, a large part of it is the lack of good phones on the network. Soon that's going to change.
 
Spectrum Abuser said:
Or Sprint goes into bankruptcy when their terrible leadership and debt once their bank runs dry. Hasn't it been 18 quarters since they turned a dime?
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Well don't put your life savings in Sprint... but I think they have a chance to make a real comeback. Definitely worth putting at least a couple hundred bux in.
 
Another one for the Jordan Golson awful article pile.

Someone should tell him that market cap does not equal company value.
 
"When Sprint and Nextel merged in 2005, the companies said the value of the merged company would be $70 billion. Today, Sprint's market cap is just over $9 billion."

Dan Hesse must have this poster hung over his desk...


Dissapointment.jpg
 
i-John said:
I take a different view on whether the merger is good or bad for customers.

I think it's good. Added spectrum on the AT&T Network helps coverage and data speeds. They are still investing heavily in backhaul.

Having 4 (2 with decent coverage, 2 without) isn't really good for customers.

Customer choice isn't always about price. People want it all without paying for it.

I've used Sprint and t-Mobile and speed and coverage were horrible. I'd rather the added coverage and speed when I need it rather than a cheap alternative.

Price gouging and price-fixing can be regulated. It's like illegal immigration, there are plenty of laws covering it, they just need to enforce them.
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It's better to have real competition and have the market govern prices rather than have the government try to enforce price control.
 
MacRumors said:
Dan Hesse and Sprint have a poor track record. Sprint's stock price is down more than 80% since Dan Hesse took over as CEO in December 2007.
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Poor Dan, how could he know what an impact the Apple iPhone would have on his customer base? It had only been out a few months when he stepped into the job. I don't think anyone expected the impact it would make; certainly not Steve Ballmer.

aohus said:
thats just like saying: 'man, i just want android and iOS to dominate the mobile space. Windows Phone 7/Mango, WebOS, RIM, and the rest should go to hell.'
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Hey, that works for me! RIM is self-destructing, WebOS was on life support until the CEO pulled the plug, and Steve Ballmer won't arrive to the party until all the beer is gone.

Tarzanman said:
Why do people keep calling it a merger? Its a takeover. If you're a mid level manager at T-mobile then you should already be looking for a new job
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That's already going on and hurting T-mobile as we speak.

macinnv said:
I would be interested in only two US carriers if they can then have the bargaining power to push around Apple more and force carrier branding on the front of the iPhone.
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Yeah, straight back to the bad-ol'-days.

vikingjunior said:
Google should just step in and buy T mobile then they will have a hardware company Motorola a software company Google and a national cell carrier call it .... G- Mobile!

They can just sell Android devices only.
Click to expand...

As if Google isn't already in the hot seat in front of congress. I think, in the long run Google has strayed so far from what is making them money, they may find someone else will make a search breakthrough and start eating their lunch.

Apple doing much better at laser focusing on ideas that work and having a long term strategy on how to make money with the idea.
 
Sprint and T-Mobile Merger ???

Can You Say

Water and Oil

Funny while they all wait for the lawsuit, T-Mobile is losing money and value quickly, then at some point no one will want them at all, thus leaving only the three big ones in the US anyway, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, the others do not count as they can not handle what the Big three do.
 
Wicked1 said:
Funny while they all wait for the lawsuit, T-Mobile is losing money and value quickly
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T-mobile is losing money? News to me. I'm pretty sure they are still turning big profits (1billion per quarter), although yes, their profits are decreasing. But that does not mean they are actually losing money.
 
Ruahrc said:
T-mobile is losing money? News to me. I'm pretty sure they are still turning big profits (1billion per quarter), although yes, their profits are decreasing. But that does not mean they are actually losing money.
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Their value, revenue, customer base, and profits are continuously declining while their operating costs aren't changing much. DT has also stopped financially supporting T-Mobile, thus they've completely lost one stream of money as the other starts trickling until it stops flowing.
 
Ruahrc said:
T-mobile is losing money? News to me. I'm pretty sure they are still turning big profits (1billion per quarter), although yes, their profits are decreasing. But that does not mean they are actually losing money.
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T-Mobile USA while still profitable today, has had over a 50% decline in revenue from this time last year. They have a net loss in subscribers in their latest results... don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but they have had negative subscriber growth for the last two quarters.
This trend is not sustainable and at this rate, they will be bankrupt in less than 2-3 years if not sooner.
 
I think Sprint was being stupid in making clear their intentions before the merger is denied.
 
macinnv said:
I would be interested in only two US carriers if they can then have the bargaining power to push around Apple more and force carrier branding on the front of the iPhone.
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Why do you want carrier branding on the front of the iPhone? It does nothing for you as a consumer.
 
SeaFox said:
Why do you want carrier branding on the front of the iPhone? It does nothing for you as a consumer.
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Are you kidding me?

A: "Aw, I have no reception here!"
B: "Really? I have full bars." *looks at A's phone and sees Z carrier branding*
B: "HAHAHA That's why! You have an iPhone from Z! Mine's from Y, so I get better coverage" *even more smug*
 
butterfly0fdoom said:
Are you kidding me?

A: "Aw, I have no reception here!"
B: "Really? I have full bars." *looks at A's phone screen and sees Z carrier branding*
B: "HAHAHA That's why! You have an iPhone from Z! Mine's from Y, so I get better coverage" *even more smug*
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I know you're joking but I'm still going to fix this for you to illustrate how unneeded carrier branding on the hardware is.

Also, such an exchange would never happen, it would go like this:
A: "Aw, I have no reception here!"
B: "Yup, that's AT&T for you."
 
Bottom line is this: They're shutting down if the merger doesn't happen, so either way, there will be one less competitor. This way, at least someone will still be using their spectrum. I don't see any downsides. There are only downsides if you didn't know that they're already planning on closing up shop in the US, but now you do. ;)
 
The logic of it is that if Sprint is so adamantly against it, it would be bad for them. If it is clearly bad for Sprint, it is probably good for everyone else. It is troublesome that Sprint is so easily able to manipulate the media and the government to act solely in the best interests of Sprint.
 
DESNOS said:
Bottom line is this: They're shutting down if the merger doesn't happen, so either way, there will be one less competitor.
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Guffaw! How 'bout a source for that?

Companies of this size, especially ones that provide what's considered a "necessary utility" (not the same as a real utility like electric/gas/water) don't just close up shop like that.

If AT&T is not allowed to buy T-Mobile, and if TMo is absolutely unable to continue business on it's own afterwards, then what will happen is a group of investors will swoop in and buy them up. Service will continue uninterrupted in such an event for end users. This has happened many times before with smaller cable television companies (the ones that overbuild and compete with the big name incumbents). When they go down they either enter bankruptcy protection and sort out their mess, or some other small company adds them to their roster, in either case, nobody has to rush to find a new provider or be left with no signal.

Also, in the event that a company like this does decide to really close up shop they legally must notify customers in advance before closing down, and when I say in advance, I mean months in advance.

So why don't you quit spreading your FUD, you're just trying to rile up all the T-Mobile subscribers into thinking they're going to lose their phone service if this merger isn't approved.
 
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