T-Mobile and Sprint Aiming to Close Merger as Early as April 1

[smirking]

I have no idea what this means, but I've always had Verizon tho I've been eyeballing T-Mobile. Was always worried about service, this makes it at least better I guess.

Yeah, I'm hoping together they provide a viable third option. It's strange to see this being argued out in court as something that would reduce choice for consumers. For some people it's quite the opposite. In so many places T-Mobile or Sprint might as well not even exist because their signal is so bad. At least now Sprint-Mobile might be a credible third option.

 

[Emanuel Rodriguez]

Well, I was hoping that this didn't go through. I have Sprint, so I guess this will change my stuff. Darn.

Sprint was expected to die in the next few years. You were going to have troubles either way. Better this way, because what's left of Sprint can be salvaged and used by T-Mobile.

 

[4jasontv]

Yep... Those AG's are fools to not try to score a deal for their states.... instead suing and losing. These people don't see the bigger picture..... sure we are losing a national carrier.... but the 5G buildout will create an alternative broadband provider to those who have been stuck with one cable company/teleco monopolizing the markets they operate in. The next couple of years are going to be exciting with 5G and Starlink launching!

This point has gone on for three generations now.

1. In the near term 5G will only be in markets that already have competition.
2. 5G is a different class of product than cable. 5G prices will be higher than cable. Cable speed will be faster and more reliable than 5G.
3. Data caps on 5G will be far lower than cable.

Source: history. See 3G rollout; 4G.

“No, no. This time will be different.”

 

[konqerror]

This point has gone on for three generations now.

1. In the near term 5G will only be in markets that already have competition.
2. 5G is a different class of product than cable. 5G prices will be higher than cable. Cable speed will be faster and more reliable than 5G.
3. Data caps on 5G will be far lower than cable.

Source: history. See 3G rollout; 4G.

“No, no. This time will be different.”

1. In the near term cellular will only be in markets that already have competition.
2. Cellular is a different class of product than wireline. Cellular prices will be higher than wireline. Wireline will be higher quality and more reliable than cellular.
3. Overage costs on cellular will be far higher than wireline.

1. In the near term VOIP will only be in markets that already have competition.
2. VOIP is a different class of product than TDM. VOIP prices will be higher than TDM. TDM will be higher quality and more reliable than VOIP.
3. Bundled minutes on VOIP will be far lower than TDM.

FTFY

 

[seenett]

Id love to give sh*t about any of this stuff, but none of these carrier deals/uncarrier/no contact plans help with the real world: I dont have 4 phone lines (me, wife, brown haired son and blonde daughter). I have 4 phones for immediate family members, 3 iPads (2 personal, one business), and 1 apple watch. That is "8 phone lines". Where the F is my discount? Everything gets charged as a phone.

 

[Chazz08]

Tmobile has horrible indoor service where Sprint has full LTE indoors in my area. I do have Tmobile but hoping the indoor service improves.

That’s how it is here where I live. I’m hoping for the same thing! It would be awesome.

 

[Krizoitz]

I have no idea what this means, but I've always had Verizon tho I've been eyeballing T-Mobile. Was always worried about service, this makes it at least better I guess.

The reality is service quality difference between the companies (as in the wireless signal you receive not the customer service) is not dramatically different overall. Where Verizon has had (and maybe still does, I haven't checked in a while) an advantage is overall total area covered. But the thing is if you spend all/most of your time around major populated areas, a lot of that extra coverage area will never matter to you. Its far better to see which carrier is best in the places you spend most of your time. See if your neighbor has a t-mobile or ATT phone and what kind of reception they get at your house. Likewise for your work place. Thats the real test.
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So basically the public share owners are getting screwed getting .1 share lol

My total shares might equate to one single Tmo share cause of this...bs

Read a little more next time:

Softbanks rate is effectively 11.31 Sprint shares per 1 t-mobile share
Everyone elses rate is effectively 9.75 Spring shares per 1 t-mobile share

No its not equal but its not ridiculous either.

 

[Reason077]

I’m surprised they’re keeping the T-Mobile branding rather than going with “New Sprint”.

First of all, Sprint is just a cool name for a mobile network because it implies speed!

Second, T-Mobile is a foreign brand started by Deutsche Telekom. In this era of Trump, you’d think there’d be more pride in American brands. What happened to “America First”?

 

[Lazy]

I’m surprised they’re keeping the T-Mobile branding rather than going with “New Sprint”.

First of all, Sprint is just a cool name for a mobile network because it implies speed!

Second, T-Mobile is a foreign brand started by Deutsche Telekom. In this era of Trump, you’d think there’d be more pride in American brands. What happened to “America First”?

“Sprint” may be a cool name, but it is a lousy brand after two decades of Sprint the company using it.

T-Mobile doesn’t have anything foreign sounding about it, and probably most people have no idea about Deutsche Telekom’s ownership.

 

[4jasontv]

1. In the near term cellular will only be in markets that already have competition.
2. Cellular is a different class of product than wireline. Cellular prices will be higher than wireline. Wireline will be higher quality and more reliable than cellular.
3. Overage costs on cellular will be far higher than wireline.

1. In the near term VOIP will only be in markets that already have competition.
2. VOIP is a different class of product than TDM. VOIP prices will be higher than TDM. TDM will be higher quality and more reliable than VOIP.
3. Bundled minutes on VOIP will be far lower than TDM.

FTFY

I left my glasses at home. I can’t see your point. Wanna try and explain?

 

[TopherMan12]

The reality is service quality difference between the companies (as in the wireless signal you receive not the customer service) is not dramatically different overall. Where Verizon has had (and maybe still does, I haven't checked in a while) an advantage is overall total area covered. But the thing is if you spend all/most of your time around major populated areas, a lot of that extra coverage area will never matter to you. Its far better to see which carrier is best in the places you spend most of your time. See if your neighbor has a t-mobile or ATT phone and what kind of reception they get at your house. Likewise for your work place. Thats the real test.

That's a key point. Which is "best" depends on your area. I live in the Atlanta area. Pretty much going to get 100% coverage from all the providers so I went after the best value which, for me, is T-mobile.

I’m surprised they’re keeping the T-Mobile branding rather than going with “New Sprint”.

First of all, Sprint is just a cool name for a mobile network because it implies speed!

Second, T-Mobile is a foreign brand started by Deutsche Telekom. In this era of Trump, you’d think there’d be more pride in American brands. What happened to “America First”?

Well, we are talking about global mega-corporations with investors worldwide who sell products made almost exclusively in China. Kind of hard for most to see "America" in all that. Besides, buying American "first" is a nice campaign slogan, but that is about where it begins and ends in reality.

 

[mwd25]

These companies give their super special pinky swear they will do this or that. The government buys it, yet its been proven time and again with Comcast and others, they DONT FOLLOW THROUGH. So then what? They are not held accountable and worse the government doesnt bother to put in any mechanism to guarantee that they do. It would be very easy to write in penalties to the deal if they dont follow through with their pinky swear of what they will do. But no.

 

[Someyoungguy]

Now for the merger for AT&T and Verizon.

Now you're talking an 800 lb gorilla there. That would beat the pants off the T-Mobile/Sprint deal.

Yes, keep rooting for monopoly. But while you wait, you might want to check into what monopoly was like while I was growing up in the 70's with Ma Bell.

- You didn't "own" the phone lines in your house. Someone from the phone company had to come extend a line into a new room. Even when they came out with bulky, 4-pronged jacks in 1976, you still couldn't move the phone without calling someone, but before that phones were permanently wired (no connectors).

- You had to lease your equipment, so you paid for your phones forever. There were no upgrades in functionality other than adding tone dialing.

- Long distance rates were expensive. In January, 1973, calling someone 39 miles away for 10 minutes would cost $1.24. Calling someone 2,455 mile away for the same amount of time was $4.50. That equates to $7.24 and $26.26 in 2019 dollars, respectively (source: table 13 in https://transition.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Reports/FCC-State_Link/IAD/ref97.pdf)

 

[auriconis]

Id love to give sh*t about any of this stuff, but none of these carrier deals/uncarrier/no contact plans help with the real world: I dont have 4 phone lines (me, wife, brown haired son and blonde daughter). I have 4 phones for immediate family members, 3 iPads (2 personal, one business), and 1 apple watch. That is "8 phone lines". Where the F is my discount? Everything gets charged as a phone.

Check into why you're paying that way. I'm on T-Mobile, and a device like an apple watch is only an additional $10 a month, not an entire phone line. A tablet is another $20 a month. I just looked these numbers up on the T-Mobile website itself. On top of that additional taxes and fees are already included, so what you see is what you pay, not the extra "we are Verizon" tax that Verizon customers have to pay. The one iPad being a business one may be the only tricky part; I'm not sure if they price differently for business devices. Plus, for what it's worth, they also pay for your netflix account if you have one of the higher plans.
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What I want to know is will this make a difference to my current device. What will this mean to my service immediately. As in, will I be able to access Sprint's network as well, meaning that if there are areas (which honestly are few by me) that T-Mobile doesn't work but Sprint does, will I be able to access that Sprint network now.

 

[coolsean20]

I’m surprised they’re keeping the T-Mobile branding rather than going with “New Sprint”.

First of all, Sprint is just a cool name for a mobile network because it implies speed!

Second, T-Mobile is a foreign brand started by Deutsche Telekom. In this era of Trump, you’d think there’d be more pride in American brands. What happened to “America First”?

The Sprint brand and name has too much baggage associated with it. They’d be dumb to mention anything about Sprint in the new name.

 

[konqerror]

I left my glasses at home. I can’t see your point. Wanna try and explain?

It's all the same until it suddenly isn't. Like you, people didn't see the disruptive power of innovations like cellular and VoIP, and quoted the same problems over incumbents: too expensive and poor quality.

 

[AndyDiamond]

great - now hopefully they fix that terribly dated T-Mobile logo

 

[MistrSynistr]

Well, I was hoping that this didn't go through. I have Sprint, so I guess this will change my stuff. Darn.

Yeah, you'll get better service and better deals now.

 

[Mousse]

Goku + Vegeta = Gogeta. Goten + Trunks = Gotenks. Sprint + T-Mobile = New T-Mobile?

 

[WWPD]

So..it's going to be called "New T-Mobile"? That's a terrible name.

 

[Helpplease123]

So..it's going to be called "New T-Mobile"? That's a terrible name.

Just keep the name T-Mobile and push the "new" stuff in ads.

 

[musukosan]

You’ve got to be kidding.

Nope, I'm not kidding you.

 

[sw1tcher]

I’m surprised they’re keeping the T-Mobile branding rather than going with “New Sprint”.

First of all, Sprint is just a cool name for a mobile network because it implies speed!

Second, T-Mobile is a foreign brand started by Deutsche Telekom. In this era of Trump, you’d think there’d be more pride in American brands. What happened to “America First”?

Just tell people that the T in T-Mobile stands for Trump.

 

[WRChris]

What do you get when two companies with very limited coverage areas merge into one? One company with limited coverage.

 

[BuffaloTF]

Id love to give sh*t about any of this stuff, but none of these carrier deals/uncarrier/no contact plans help with the real world: I dont have 4 phone lines (me, wife, brown haired son and blonde daughter). I have 4 phones for immediate family members, 3 iPads (2 personal, one business), and 1 apple watch. That is "8 phone lines". Where the F is my discount? Everything gets charged as a phone.

?

Apple Watch is 10 bucks. iPads are 20.

Neither are charged as a phone.
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Yes, keep rooting for monopoly. But while you wait, you might want to check into what monopoly was like while I was growing up in the 70's with Ma Bell.

- You didn't "own" the phone lines in your house. Someone from the phone company had to come extend a line into a new room. Even when they came out with bulky, 4-pronged jacks in 1976, you still couldn't move the phone without calling someone, but before that phones were permanently wired (no connectors).

- You had to lease your equipment, so you paid for your phones forever. There were no upgrades in functionality other than adding tone dialing.

- Long distance rates were expensive. In January, 1973, calling someone 39 miles away for 10 minutes would cost $1.24. Calling someone 2,455 mile away for the same amount of time was $4.50. That equates to $7.24 and $26.26 in 2019 dollars, respectively (source: table 13 in https://transition.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Reports/FCC-State_Link/IAD/ref97.pdf)

Yes, what it was like in the 70s...

-Phone bills were 5 dollars instead of 60 like they are today with "competition". Really, we allowed AT&T to set the terms of their own breakup be around some notion that long distance rates were expensive, but we rarely called long distance in this world, and the increase in connection prices skyrocketed to a point where all savings were lost and it was net-negative.

-You had 100% functional devices. They were built so rock solid on purpose... Western Electric didn't want to pay for service calls so those things lasted forever.

-You had a 99.999% SLA required by law. That equates to less than 6 minutes of downtime per *year*. Anything that went wrong was met with an army of people to correct issues as close to instantly as possible. Like when a water main breaks and your water & sewer department shows up at 3 AM, digs through pavement, fixes it, and it looks like nothing happened by 6 AM.

-We were then treated to non-traditional players in Cable companies in the 90s that gave us free long distance to anywhere in the US, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and various other islands in the Caribbean to make us look even sillier for not wanting industry regulation and AT&T.