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Sprint and T-Mobile Merger Back on the Table as SoftBank Agrees to Cede Control of Sprint

I normally go to US for 2 to 4 days job trips, and I liked that T-Mobile had this prepaid thing in which you could pay just for internet one day, in my case 4 days of internet, last time I went this year I just went for 2 days and I couldn't get to use my phone, does T-Mobile still has this offers?
So far I only see 30 days plans, and it is a waste since I only get to stay there a couple of days.
If the merge happens, will we get more options???
 
Technarchy said:
Sprint would probably be dismantled. The brand is toxic and associated with crap service. T-Mobile could eat Sprints coverage, spectrum and footprint and instantly be a national powerhouse that can completely change the game.
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They get spectrum but they wouldn't get any coverage for existing customers instantly as the towers would be incompatible with their existing GSM customers' phones though. This is getting out of my area of expertise now but I suppose they can repurpose the spectrum to run GSM instead of CDMA or are the two not just different protocols but also different frequencies in which case they'd need to auction off the CDMA and purchase additional GSM with the proceeds? Someone more knowledgeable than me please educate me here.
 
zorinlynx said:
How about no? The past few years have shown how good it is that we've had lots of competition between wireless carriers. We need MORE competition, not less.

The most recent example is everyone offering unlimited plans again right after Verizon decided to do so.
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Verizon was the last to offer unlimited...or should I read it as "right after, Verizon decided to do so"?
 
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I feel like four major providers is something of a sweet spot in terms of competition benefiting the customer. Hopefully this merger would get stopped by the FCC if it hasn't already been dismantled by the current administration.
 
This merger won't be good for consumers, I like T-Mobile I really do, but having four carriers competing is better than three.
 
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thisisnotmyname said:
Isn't Sprint CDMA whereas T-Mobile is GSM? Seems that this would only be an acquisition of customer base and the Sprint hardware would need to be phased out as customers migrate to GSM devices (or compatible) devices over time.
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This is a very minor deal nowadays. All the major providers use LTE for data. Sprint only uses CDMA for voice. A merger with T-Mobile would see CDMA shut down and voLTE activated. The only reason Sprint isn't shifting to voLTE is their LTE is still very spotty. Verizon still runs CDMA to a degree but I believe I just saw that over 80% of their voice traffic is now over voLTE. You can easily pop a Sprint SIM card out and a T-Mobile in to any recent iPhone and it works.
 
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I would definitely prefer to have 4 carriers but with Sprint languishing and failing to compete over the last several years, I'm not sure if they would survive long term without selling themselves to another company.
 
JustinRP37 said:
This is a very minor deal nowadays. All the major providers use LTE for data. Sprint only uses CDMA for voice. A merger with T-Mobile would see CDMA shut down and voLTE activated. The only reason Sprint isn't shifting to voLTE is their LTE is still very spotty. Verizon still runs CDMA to a degree but I believe I just saw that over 80% of their voice traffic is now over voLTE. You can easily pop a Sprint SIM card out and a T-Mobile in to any recent iPhone and it works.
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Thank you, I wasn't aware of how this has changed.
 
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thisisnotmyname said:
Isn't Sprint CDMA whereas T-Mobile is GSM? Seems that this would only be an acquisition of customer base and the Sprint hardware would need to be phased out as customers migrate to GSM devices (or compatible) devices over time.
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The legacy 2G and 3G networks of both companies would have to run separately until they are sunsetted, but the cellular chipsets in recent smartphones support both carriers' frequencies.

Theoretically, an iPhone/Samsung/whatever on the combined network could roam on both. Older handset hardware cannot.
 
JustThinkin' said:
Here's a clue:

If there's no T-Mobile store near you, you probably can't get good T-Mobile coverage.

If you do, feel free to comment on the quality of coverage in your area, since T-Mobile is clearly marketing there.
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It's about 15 miles away. Weird that no other carrier, not even Sprint, has the same issue. All of them have coverage out here and no stores.

Or are we going by special rules to make up for TMo being a poor network?
 
jgelin said:
As long as TMO is able to keep its management structure in place and Legere as CEO, it could turn out amazing.
I love my cellphone company and the rate too, that's not something many people say with 5 lines and unlimited data too often on other networks.
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Canada only has (had?) three major carriers at one point and their plans were actually worse than the ones the US carriers used to offer. I don't see our carriers continuing to be nearly as competitive if there were only three of them.
 
thisisnotmyname said:
Isn't Sprint CDMA whereas T-Mobile is GSM? Seems that this would only be an acquisition of customer base and the Sprint hardware would need to be phased out as customers migrate to GSM devices (or compatible) devices over time.
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T-Mobile bought MetroPCS, which was CDMA - same story here. They'd have a planned schedule to shut down CDMA and migrate to GSM.
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DrewDaHilp1 said:
I guess what I am saying is if there's a way T-Mobile could get worse, it would be by being bought by Sprint.
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Other way around. T-Mobile would be buying Sprint.
 
I been with T-Mobile for a few years now. In my area it's faster then AT&T but unfortunately my home is right in the middle of a GSMA dead zone so maybe acquiring Sprint might help me... Not too worried seeing how most phones these days use WIFI calling!
 
thisisnotmyname said:
They get spectrum but they wouldn't get any coverage for existing customers instantly as the towers would be incompatible with their existing GSM customers' phones though. This is getting out of my area of expertise now but I suppose they can repurpose the spectrum to run GSM instead of CDMA or are the two not just different protocols but also different frequencies in which case they'd need to auction off the CDMA and purchase additional GSM with the proceeds? Someone more knowledgeable than me please educate me here.
Click to expand...

You're largely correct. For starters, LTE has really blurred the lines with the whole GSM/CDMA issue. Once those two technologies are gone (starting around 2020), and everybody is LTE-only, there will pretty much be no compatibility issues.

Anyways: T-Mobile operates a legacy GSM network and LTE on bands 2, 4, 5 (only in Myrtle Beach) and 12.

Sprint operates a legacy CDMA network and LTE on bands 25, 26, and 41. Virtually no T-Mobile devices support these bands -- with the exception of iPhone, thanks to Apple wanting our iPhones to have as broad of carrier support as possible.

T-Mobile would decommission the CDMA network (as they did with MetroPCS), and would have to have manufacturers start including support for Bands 25/26/41 in their T-Mobile SKUs. If you didn't own a device that supports those Sprint bands, but only T-Mobile's bands, you wouldn't see the benefits of the expanded network (same way vice versa).
 
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nickcliborne said:
Merging two bad networks sounds like a wonderful idea.
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Over a decade ago this "might" have rang true but honestly this deal would be questionable if not BAD for T-Mobile. Adding a Franken Network consisting of CDMA 2K, EVDO, WiMAX and LTE scattered about. The only way it would make sense is if they took the LTE cell sites and absorbed them. Then retired the other networks. But that wouldn't happen right away and it would add tremendous complexity and administrative costs to the core network functions with seriously questionable long term value.
 
mjcc said:
I normally go to US for 2 to 4 days job trips, and I liked that T-Mobile had this prepaid thing in which you could pay just for internet one day, in my case 4 days of internet, last time I went this year I just went for 2 days and I couldn't get to use my phone, does T-Mobile still has this offers?
So far I only see 30 days plans, and it is a waste since I only get to stay there a couple of days.
If the merge happens, will we get more options???
Click to expand...

TMO has a prepaid plan that is $3/month that gives you 30 min combined talk/text with add-ons of 1GB/$10/1 week or 500mb/$5/1 day. You can cancel that if you only come once a year or if you come to the US regularly, just continue to ay the $3/month to keep the line and add data when you're here. A friend of mine does this. WiFi calling works on this plan was well.
 
A direct impact of Verizon's new unlimited plans taking away Sprint's pricing strategy. Time to bail. Maybe a combined 3rd place player can be more competitive.
 
These 2 merging companies having 2 crappy services feels like the crappiness is twice as much. I know it doesn't sound logical but that's how I feel like. I'm on T-Mobile right now as much as Legere wants to believe that his network is on par with Verizon is not even close to AT&T. I believe competition is been working really well for us consumers lately and Sprint need to be aggressive. Being on the 4th place (used to be 3rd) has to counter every offer given by competitor. If T-Mobile can offer $160 for 4 lines tax included, I don't think it would hurt them to offer $150. It's the only way T-Mobile tactics has been saying all along. There's no secret on what Legere is been saying publicly. Better offering that consumer wants to hear cheaper plan and discounted phones or maybe easy payments. T-Mobile is throwing some gimmicky benefits as well and that dude knows how to market his product. He got me!
 
Steve.P.JobsFan said:
You're largely correct. For starters, LTE has really blurred the lines with the whole GSM/CDMA issue. Once those two technologies are gone (starting around 2020), and everybody is LTE-only, there will pretty much be no compatibility issues.

Anyways: T-Mobile operates a legacy GSM network and LTE on bands 2, 4, 5 (only in Myrtle Beach) and 12.

Sprint operates a legacy CDMA network and LTE on bands 25, 26, and 41. Virtually no T-Mobile devices support these bands -- with the exception of iPhone, thanks to Apple wanting our iPhones to have as broad of carrier support as possible.

T-Mobile would decommission the CDMA network (as they did with MetroPCS), and would have to have manufacturers start including support for Bands 25/26/41 in their T-Mobile SKUs. If you didn't own a device that supports those Sprint bands, but only T-Mobile's bands, you wouldn't see the benefits of the expanded network (same way vice versa).
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Another point of consideration as it relates to Apple directly is that Apple could no longer sell iPhones with Intel modems as they don't support CDMA. That technology is exclusive to Qualcomm and the licensing fees would likely make it totally unappetizing for Intel to integrate CDMA into any chipsets.

Putting pressure on Qualcomm is something Apple and Intel have agreed to partner on to foster competition and drive down costs. So this would likely delay their plans somewhat.
 
I'm thinking tmobile could do more with sprint's spectrum than sprint is currently. Right out the gate, tmobile would double their 5mhz of low frequency band 12 with sprints 5mhz of low freq band 26. Not many phones support both tmobiles and sprints lte frequencies, but IMO this could be a good thing as long as tmobile is the one calling the shots.
 
Michael Goff said:
It's about 15 miles away. Weird that no other carrier, not even Sprint, has the same issue. All of them have coverage out here and no stores.

Or are we going by special rules to make up for TMo being a poor network?
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It's not a poor network. But if you're in certain areas it will be weak, just like every network (even Verizon) has its weak areas. There are even places where Sprint is the far superior network.

For example, most of Montana will have to wait until later in the year to have good T-Mobile coverage.

You're obviously in a rural or semi-rural area if the nearest stores are 15 miles away. I'm in the suburbs, and I have 4 different T-Mobile corporate stores I go to - three within 5 miles of me. And this is no easy area to cover - it's practically all hills around here (virtually mountains, to those of you in the mid-west and east). Yet the coverage is good. T-Mobile has to go with the numbers, and they've done an excellent job over the years, always being the fastest at rolling out new network technology, with seemingly little bureaucracy holding them up.

A lot of people not only have T-Mobile coverage - they have the best coverage available because they're on T-Mobile.
 
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