Plutonius
macrumors G4
If AT+T doesn't get T-Mobile, Sprint will and at terms much less favorable to the T-Mobile shareholders.
AT+T owning T-Mobile is not that great but I'm not sure if Sprint owning T-Mobile is any better.
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U.S. Government Moving to Block AT&T's Acquisition of T-Mobile
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If AT+T doesn't get T-Mobile, Sprint will and at terms much less favorable to the T-Mobile shareholders.
AT+T owning T-Mobile is not that great but I'm not sure if Sprint owning T-Mobile is any better.
soco
macrumors 68030
And that is the exact counterpoint to the merger. People think Spring, Tmo, etc. are big competition for AT&T and Verizon and that's just not true. They don't bring in money the way AT&T and Verizon do. Sinking Tmo into AT&T would just make the situation worse.
Source?
ThomasJL
macrumors 68020
iPhone 5, T-Mobile, GSM, and international travel
I switched from T-Mobile to Verizon in order to get the iPhone 4. I despise AT&T with a passion. If the acquisition is blocked and Apple decides to release two separate models of iPhone 5 -- a GSM model and a CDMA model -- then I will gladly switch back to T-Mobile. For people who travel internationally, an unlocked GSM iPhone is a huge asset, as it allows us to use local SIM cards in any country we travel to. We get a local phone number and don't have to pay any international long distance and international roaming fees.
The iPhone 5 will definitely support T-Mobile's 3G bands, whether Apple decides to make the iPhone 5 available to T-Mobile or not. We know that because the Verizon iPhone 4 contains Qualcomm's MDM6600 chip, which supports all CDMA and GSM 3G bands, including T-Mobile's 1700 MHz AWS band. (Of course, you cannot use the Verizon iPhone 4 with T-Mobile, since the antenna wasn't designed for it and also because there is no SIM card slot.)
I switched from T-Mobile to Verizon in order to get the iPhone 4. I despise AT&T with a passion. If the acquisition is blocked and Apple decides to release two separate models of iPhone 5 -- a GSM model and a CDMA model -- then I will gladly switch back to T-Mobile. For people who travel internationally, an unlocked GSM iPhone is a huge asset, as it allows us to use local SIM cards in any country we travel to. We get a local phone number and don't have to pay any international long distance and international roaming fees.
The iPhone 5 will definitely support T-Mobile's 3G bands, whether Apple decides to make the iPhone 5 available to T-Mobile or not. We know that because the Verizon iPhone 4 contains Qualcomm's MDM6600 chip, which supports all CDMA and GSM 3G bands, including T-Mobile's 1700 MHz AWS band. (Of course, you cannot use the Verizon iPhone 4 with T-Mobile, since the antenna wasn't designed for it and also because there is no SIM card slot.)
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True. Deutsche Telecom has been trying to get rid of T-Mobile USA for a while now. Their only options were Sprint or AT&T. Verizon didn't need them. Sprint could use the customer base, but given that they still haven't fully integrated Nextel's customer base, they aren't in a strong position to take on yet another incompatible infrastructure base.
Mattie Num Nums
macrumors 68030
All this does is setups up Verizon's ability to buy Sprint. So now you Have Tmobile/ATT and Sprint/Verizon vs little people. 2 crap companies ATT/Verizon ruling the US Cel market, driving up prices, and destroying any hope for a little man to rise up. Sprint is the only provider now who seems to actually understand that Unlimited Data means Unlimited Data.
Amen, brother.
It can be hard for iOS users to appreciate what T-Mobile brings to the table, but for starters:
- "Unlimited" means unlimited. Period. Use it as much as you want. No hidden fees, no surprises.
- When you have the unlimited plan, tethering is not only allowed, but actively encouraged. My T-Mobile phone came with two apps preinstalled to make tethering ultra-easy, one for USB and another to use my phone as a wifi hub.
I had feared these things would be gone once T-Mobile got snatched up into the clutches of AT&T. Hopefully this won't be a concern any longer.
saving107
macrumors 603
Their has to be some kind of irony there that all these threads are Merging together, in a topic discussing the Government blocking AT&T and T-Mobile from Merging together...
Ah. So basically given the choice, you would screw over about 1/3 of your fellow Americans so that you can make a few hundred dollars profit?
Sounds like you and AT&T are a match made in heaven.
WannaGoMac
macrumors 68030
Which is why the AT&T *******s refuse to unlock any iphones even after contract. Crossing my fingers that the Verizon iphone will be GSM unlocked.
Great to see DOJ step in, but even if they successfully block it, how much longer can T-Mobile survive on its' own? They are losing customers every single day.
Plutonius
macrumors G4
Take a look at all the financial shows. T-Mobile went to Sprint before AT+T made an offer (effectively ending any negotiations between T-Mobile and Sprint). T-Mobile is not doing well (as others have said) and they need a buyer.
andiwm2003
macrumors 601
take it easy. his location is in Oxford UK so he is not screwing his fellow US citizens at all. The world is larger than the US you know🙄
You clearly don't have an understanding of the state of affairs here in the USA.
AT&T doesn't give a rat's *** about T-mobile's subscribers. They want T-mobile's spectrum leases so that they can turn around and sell it as a premium service.
They call it a 'merger', but AT&T doesn't merge with anyone. They gobble up companies
How is his attitude any different than those that own stock in Apple and make silly comments? 😉
DT wants out of the US market.
T-Mobile USA is bleeding customers.
I still have a feeling the deal will pass, just with a lot more divestitures and concessions.
T-Mobile USA is bleeding customers.
I still have a feeling the deal will pass, just with a lot more divestitures and concessions.
NAG
macrumors 68030
Not really, I think they use different frequencies e.g. unlocked iPhones only can use T-Mobile's EDGE network here.
Plutonius
macrumors G4
Unlimited is eventually going away for everyone since it's not currently sustainable with video streaming and tethering.
Macopotamus
macrumors regular
The USA needs MORE competition in the market not less, the government is smart to block this.
Cell service in the USA is terrible and overpriced when compared to EU, Asia, and South America, and it's due to a lack of competition and investment in the market place. Why would prices get lower when the few big bloated corporations can price fix and gouge everyone $0.25 for a text message and $0.40 a minute of talk time? The USA is the most uncompetitive landscape in the world for broadband and mobile, the last thing we need is a mobile monopoly.
Cell service in the USA is terrible and overpriced when compared to EU, Asia, and South America, and it's due to a lack of competition and investment in the market place. Why would prices get lower when the few big bloated corporations can price fix and gouge everyone $0.25 for a text message and $0.40 a minute of talk time? The USA is the most uncompetitive landscape in the world for broadband and mobile, the last thing we need is a mobile monopoly.
No, it's quite bad actually.
The best thing for consumers would be ONE GSM network and ONE CDMA network in the country. But with multiple networks for each standard, we are doomed forever to sub-standard cell reception because there simply isn't the room (and money) to build out robust networks that cover everyone.
This will actually probably increase prices, as carriers will have to spend MORE money to develop networks that could have been improved instead by combining networks.
Next time you are in an area you can't get decent coverage in, remember that it's "good for consumers" 🙄
There's a reason most other developed nations have national networks, with various carriers working on that same network.
NAG
macrumors 68030
Pretty much all of the network companies could use some competition (cable is an obvious one).