AT&T buys T-Mobile

[BudSooner]

It's on Yahoo's front page, what is the next the next big name carrier that gets gobbled up by them?

[cccasooner2]

I'll have to read it. I hope they got a good price from the "square heads" because the last T-mobile quarter sucked. Please don't be upset at my language, I'm part "square head".

[yermom]

gah.

how long until they hose their old customers?

[MR2-Sooner86]

With all the money they got from the iPhone the past four years they have the cash to do whatever they please...except fix their service and coverage :mad:

Lucky for me I switched from AT&T not too long ago.

[yermom]

i've been on T-Mobile for almost 8 years, but at least i'm not on a contract

[BudSooner]

how long until they hose their old customers?
Ya got 5 minutes?:D

[cccasooner2]

One of the yahoo AP releases.

On Sunday March 20, 2011, 4:02 pm

NEW YORK (AP) -- AT&T Inc., the country's second-largest wireless carrier in the United States, on Sunday said it will buy T-Mobile USA, the fourth-largest, from Deutsche Telekom AG in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $39 billion.

AT&T will pay about $25 billion in cash and the balance in company stock in a deal that gives Deutsche Telekom about an 8 percent equity stake in AT&T.

T-Mobile is coming off of two years of flat revenue as it struggles to compete with much larger rivals AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Bellevue, Wash.-based T-Mobile USA's subscriber count has stalled at just under 34 million, though it posts consistent profits.

There have been reports over the last year that Deutsche Telekom has been looking at radical moves to let it get more value out of its U.S. holding, including a possible combination with Sprint Nextel Corp. or some other U.S. partner.

AT&T said in a statement Sunday the deal gives it an "optimal combination of network assets" that adds capacity sooner than any other alternative. It also said the deal will improve network quality for the customers of both companies and increase the number of cell towers by about 30 percent in some of its most populated areas.

The deal has been approved by the boards of both companies, but will likely face tough scrutiny from regulators. Dallas-based AT&T can increase its cash portion by up to $4.2 billion, with a reduction in the stock component, as long as Deutsche Telekom receives at least a 5 percent equity ownership interest in the buyer.

AT&T will finance the cash part of the deal with new debt and cash on its balance sheet and will assume no debt from T-Mobile.

[yermom]

on the other hand, i wonder how this will work with the networks sharing equipment and using different frequencies for 3G, etc...

[StoopTroup]

.

[MR2-Sooner86]

on the other hand, i wonder how this will work with the networks sharing equipment and using different frequencies for 3G, etc...

I thought they both used CDMA?

[Mixer!]

So who becomes the new #4?

[yermom]

I thought they both used CDMA?


they are the major GSM carriers in the US

they use different frequencies for 3G though. a T-Mobile phone won't get 3G speeds on AT&t and vice-versa

[49r]

Say bye-bye to Sprint then. Rumor had it Sprint was trying to buy T-Mobile to keep pace with VZN and ATT, now they're swinging in the wind until VZN scoops them up to keep up with ATT...

[Breadburner]

No complaints with At&t here.....

[Lott's Bandana]

Buy Apple stock. TM is GSM and there is another new influx of iPhone buyers now.

[yermom]

they probably won't get the iPhone for at least another year, it seems

if i had to guess, i'd say it also depends on a new 4G model

[Sooner5030]

yeah....I hope T-mobile keeps the ability to have GSM prepaid. My quad band GSM phones are handy because I can go from country to country and just change SIM cards.

[Turd_Ferguson]

FWIW, the email I received at work said that we would remain separate and continue to compete in each others markets.

[Turd_Ferguson]

they are the major GSM carriers in the US

they use different frequencies for 3G though. a T-Mobile phone won't get 3G speeds on AT&t and vice-versaI figure that in due time, the RF guru's will make it work.

[StoopTroup]

FWIW, the email I received at work said that we would remain separate and continue to compete in each others markets.

.

[yermom]

I figure that in due time, the RF guru's will make it work.

i figure they can, but would they?

[Lott's Bandana]

FWIW, the email I received at work said that we would remain separate and continue to compete in each others markets.


I got that email when Cingular was in the same boat.

[Turd_Ferguson]

I got that email when Cingular was in the same boat.You couldn't have, the email was dated 3/19/11.

[Lott's Bandana]

You couldn't have, the email was dated 3/19/11.


heh.

[Turd_Ferguson]

Know it's been posted here before, but couldn't resist...

rsCp-1hgfxI

[yermom]

on the other hand, i wonder how this will work with the networks sharing equipment and using different frequencies for 3G, etc...

http://newsok.com/att-t-mobile-3g-phones-will-need-to-be-replaced/article/3550591?custom_click=rss

sounds like they will keep the T-Mobile 3G up until they convert the towers to 4G

i don't have a T-Mobile 3G phone anyway...

[DIB]

they are the major GSM carriers in the US

they use different frequencies for 3G though. a T-Mobile phone won't get 3G speeds on AT&t and vice-versa

I know several people that were using unlocked AT&T phones on T-Mobile, including the iphone.

[jumperstop]

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/2010/12/consumer-reports-cell-phone-survey-att-worst.html


Consumer Reports cell-service Ratings: AT&T is the worst carrier AT&T is the lowest-scoring cell-phone carrier in the U.S., according to a satisfaction survey of 58,000 ConsumerReports.org readers. Of all the carriers rated, AT&T was the only one to drop significantly in overall satisfaction.

Over half of the survey respondents who used AT&T as a carrier owned some version of the iPhone, the Apple smart phone that is exclusive to AT&T, at least for now. Consumer Reports data, reflecting all versions of the phone, found that iPhone owners were much less satisfied with their carrier and rated data service (Web and e-mail) lower than owners of smart phones on other carriers that, like the iPhone, have a host of apps to encourage heavy data use.

“Our survey suggests that an iPhone from Verizon Wireless, which is rumored, could indeed be good news for iPhone fans,” said Paul Reynolds, Electronics Editor for Consumer Reports.


Also big news this year: U.S. Cellular—which serves 26 states, mostly in the South and Midwest—beat out Verizon Wireless as the top-rated provider for contract service. Also, Sprint has pulled even in overall satisfaction with Verizon, which has been the clear top provider in our Ratings in most years since 2003. Sprint even scored better than Verizon in some aspects of customer service, in a remarkable turnaround.

The survey is part of our annual comprehensive cell-phone package, which hits newsstands tomorrow (Dec. 7) as part of the January issue of Consumer Reports. It will also post online at CRO tomorrow morning. Subscribers will be able to get full Ratings and all the details on the story, including city-by-city Ratings for 23 metro areas.




The only reason they keep being able to buy out other companies is because they sold their soul to apple. I have Sprint and never met anyone who is not satisfied with them. Pretty much everyone I know with apple does not like their service. At&t can't buy out everyone, they will just be broken up again for the monoply that they are becoming, just like in the 80's or whenever that was that happened.

[Sooner Tri]

they probably won't get the iPhone for at least another year, it seems

if i had to guess, i'd say it also depends on a new 4G model

We use T-Mobile and have three iPhones. We bought them used and had to jailbreak/unlock them to accept the TM sim card, but they all work great.
Having said that, we'll probably change carriers when our contract expires due to this sale. Expecting rates to jump significantly.

[sappstuf]

http://y2kemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/attDeathStar.jpg

[yermom]

We use T-Mobile and have three iPhones. We bought them used and had to jailbreak/unlock them to accept the TM sim card, but they all work great.
Having said that, we'll probably change carriers when our contract expires due to this sale. Expecting rates to jump significantly.

right, but they aren't going to get anything faster than EDGE speeds on T-Mobile because they use different radios

maintaining the jailbreak thing is a bit tiring. i'm really thinking about jumping ship to Android for that reason

[yermom]

heh. oops.

http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20110320/t-mobile-we-were-totally-kidding-about-atts-crappy-network/