AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion

[MacRumors]

AT&T and Deutsche Telekom AG announced that AT&T would be acquiring T-Mobile USA in a cash and stock transaction worth $39 billion.

Article Link: AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion

 

[Full of Win]

I guess there will be no T-mobile iPhone then

My question is - why did Apple not buy them and tell AT&T to pound sand?

 

[Ambrose Chapel]

And then there were three...

So are they doing it to get TMob's 4G infrastructure?

 

[FSUSem1noles]

iPhone 4 incoming to tmobile customers or should I say "new" att customers...

 

[tigres]

This will not go I prey. Ma bell takes over world?

Expect less even more. Sad

 

[puckhead193]

wow... so now its down to 3.

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

$39 billion, is that all!?

 

[grantsdale]

PR: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110320005040/en/ATT-Acquire-T-Mobile-USA-Deutsche-Telekom

 

[doteyes9]

Well then, I hope this doesn't mean they're going to be lazy and just piggyback off of T-Mobile's 4G infrastructure and never go through with building their LTE network. Might be a good time to jump ship to Verizon if Apple were to release an LTE iPhone

 

[Full of Win]

$39 billion, is that all!?

They may be taking on debt as well...don't know.

 

[Apple OC]

I guess there will be no T-mobile iPhone then

I beg to differ ... T-mobile will have the iPhone sooner than everyone thought

this is a smart move by AT&T

 

[aristobrat]

wow... so now its down to 3.

Is it? Most folks should have a choice of several regional carriers as well.

 

[eclipseblur954]

If they keep existing customers prices, this could be great for people on tmobile that enjoy the iPhone

 

[designgeek]

****. I'm on Tmo, I was about to switch to ATT. I wonder what this'll mean.

 

[aiqw9182]

Next up: Verizon buys Sprint.

 

[CQd44]

I don't wanna share the network with iPhone users

 

[Branskins]

Does anyone know how this will improve AT&Ts coverage and network?

 

[acidfast7]

American cell/mobile/handy service is already horrible on a global level. I can't imagine that reducing the competition will help at all.

I weep even more for the digital consumer in the US

 

[gravytrain84]

Next up: Verizon buys Sprint.

I can see this

 

[Loves2spoon]

Does anyone know how this will improve AT&Ts coverage and network?

When our cell towers combine! lol

 

[CQd44]

Also, T-Mobile doesn't require a tethering plan to tether if the phone comes with the option. I don't want that option to disappear!

 

[cvaldes]

Well then, I hope this doesn't mean they're going to be lazy and just piggyback off of T-Mobile's 4G infrastructure and never go through with building their LTE network. Might be a good time to jump ship to Verizon if Apple were to release an LTE iPhone

You have no idea what you are blathering about.

T-Mobile USA has a nice HSPA+ network. However, HSPA+ is not technically 4G, it's more like 3.5G. T-Mobile USA does not have any allocated spectrum for 4G (LTE or WiMax). They were in a bit of a quandary because of this.

Verizon and Sprint already had 4G spectrum (the 700MHz frequency freed up by the FCC when the transition from analog television broadcast to digital). AT&T lost out to Verizon during the government's auction, but later acquired 700Mhz 4G frequencies from Qualcomm.

 

[Slix]

Cool stuff. iPhones galore!

 

[tigres]

How does not scream higher prices for all?
Who can think this is possibly good? AT&T will now have the only GSM spectrum (basically) and can raise the prices, lower the caps, and constrict users even more.

 

[goodwilldrums]

So I guess there will be no more of those annoying att bashing tmobile ads from that chick in the pink dress with the shirtless iphone user?!

Those are pretty annoying