• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

Gallbaro

Banned
Kodiak690 said:
So if VZW buys Sprint does that mean it'll probably be the end of Unlimited data? :\
Click to expand...

They may not buy sprint, as DOJ would probably get involved at this point. But they may lease its spectrum. Effectively killing to company to nothing more than a rent collecting entity.
 
S

SimleuqiR

Member
zou said:
That's incorrect. Most newer phones support all 3G bands, it's usually just locked in the firmware. T-Mobile could easily ask the manufacturer to unlock ATTs 3G band and the phones would work just the same. MY UK BB 9700 for example would work on both ATT as well as T-Mobile US using 3G, while my T-Mobile US 9780 has the ATT bands locked and won't.

So not going to be an issue. And if your phone doesn't have the hardware to support all bands, you should get a new phone regardless.
Click to expand...

I have my doubts that even if some of these T-mobile 3G phones are able to work on AT&T 3G, by updating/unlocking the modems, that these corporations will do such a consumer friendly thing.

But as far as I can tell, none of the T-mobile Mytouch 3G (not Blackberries) phones will work on AT&T 3G bands. Correct me if I'm wrong. And I mention the Mytouch line because it is T-mobile most successful smartphone line since the Sidekick.

They will want you to upgrade with a new plan and a new phone. The contract cycle is two years, so most accounts from now to when this merger is completed will probably require a new phone regardless.


Smiles and Cries said:
sauce?
Click to expand...

Sorry dude. I have no idea.
 
N

numble

Member
SimleuqiR said:
I have my doubts that even if some of these T-mobile 3G phones are able to work on AT&T 3G, by updating/unlocking the modems, that these corporations will do such a consumer friendly thing.

But as far as I can tell, none of the T-mobile Mytouch 3G (not Blackberries) phones will work on AT&T 3G bands. Correct me if I'm wrong. And I mention the Mytouch line because it is T-mobile most successful smartphone line since the Sidekick.

They will want to you upgrade with a new plan and a new phone. The contract cycle is two years, so most accounts from now to when this merger is completed will probably require a new phone regardless.
Click to expand...
It's not like they will turn off AWS 3G at the exact moment the deal closes. Once it closes in 12 months, then they are permitted to actually start doing things to the towers, that takes time, and I bet they wait until a certain percentage of people have finished their contracts with non-ATT compatible phones before switching over.
 
K

kehs

Banned
zou said:
That's incorrect. Most newer phones support all 3G bands, it's usually just locked in the firmware. T-Mobile could easily ask the manufacturer to unlock ATTs 3G band and the phones would work just the same. MY UK BB 9700 for example would work on both ATT as well as T-Mobile US using 3G, while my T-Mobile US 9780 has the ATT bands locked and won't.

So not going to be an issue. And if your phone doesn't have the hardware to support all bands, you should get a new phone regardless.
Click to expand...

Nah, MFG's go out of their way to create specific radios that support only ATT or TMobile.

It's more a less a safeguard from both companies to keep people from jumping ship with a free phone. There are very few phones that are quad band here in the states.
 
P

Priz

Member
Coworker shared a joke about this. Haven't seen it referenced so far, so thought I'd pass it along.

"So AT&T and T-Mobile are getting married but there won't be any reception."

:)
 
C

clav

Member
Verizon has no interest in buying Sprint according to Verizon CEO.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/22/us-verizonwireless-interview-idUSTRE72L0K820110322

Verizon Wireless CEO says no interest in Sprint deal
9:35am PDT
By Sinead Carew
ORLANDO, Florida | Mon Mar 21, 2011 11:07pm EDT

(Reuters) - The chief executive of Verizon Wireless said he has no interest in buying Sprint Nextel Corp (S.N) even as the company stands to lose its top position in the U.S. wireless market because of a merger between AT&T Inc (T.N) and T-Mobile USA.

Verizon Wireless CEO Daniel Mead also said he would not oppose AT&T's plans to buy Deutsche Telekom's (DTEGn.DE) T-Mobile USA for $39 billion.

The CEO said the company did not want to be distracted from its goal of being the most profitable U.S. wireless operator. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (VZ.N) and Vodafone Group (VOD.L).

"We're not interested in Sprint. We don't need them," said Mead, speaking to Reuters ahead of the CTIA Wireless Conference.

AT&T announced plans on Sunday to buy T-Mobile USA in a massive deal to create a new U.S. mobile market leader.

Mead said U.S. regulators would likely approve the AT&T/T-Mobile deal if the companies agreed to certain conditions. AT&T is expected to have to sell some assets in order to get regulators to approve the deal.

"Anything can go through if you make enough concessions," Mead said.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew, writing by Lewis Krauskopf in New York; Editing by Vinu Pilakkott)
Click to expand...
 
E

esquire

Has waited diligently to think of something to say before making this post
So much bitching, God damn. I sometimes wish AT&T was the only telecom in the world. The ultimate troll.
 
K

kehs

Banned
kaskade said:
I think tmobile did away with that.
Click to expand...

They still have it, it's not advertised only though. It's only in store.

There are numerous no contract carriers, usually local and smaller (US cellucalr, Simply Mobile, Virgin Mobile, etc).
 
S

SimleuqiR

Member
N

Nerevar

they call me "Man Gravy".
The FCC is hopeless at this point. As long as the Republican majority remains in the house or (God forbid) actually takes hold in the Senate, the FCC will be forced to approve it with toothless concessions that all but guarantee higher prices and a lower quality of service for the American consumer. But hey, it's the free market at work.
 
N

numble

Member
Pctx said:
A fool's hope.

AT&T is going to pay people off to get this through.
Click to expand...
Really, the $3 billion cancellation fee that they put in the contract is really a guarantee that they will spend as much as $3 billion to lobby Congress/FCC (and they won't need to spend that much).
 
K

kehs

Banned
numble said:
Really, the $3 billion cancellation fee that they put in the contract is really a guarantee that they will spend as much as $3 billion to lobby Congress/FCC (and they won't need to spend that much).
Click to expand...

This sounds like a subtle joke about cellular contracts.
 
S

SimleuqiR

Member
NY attorney general to review AT&T purchase of T-Mobile

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said he wants to ensure the acquisition does not reduce access to low-cost cell phone options.

He said he will "closely scrutinize" AT&T's argument about the benefits of the purchase and weigh that against anti-competitive risks.

Charles McKee, Sprint's vice president of government affairs, said on Monday the company planned to reach out to others to help oppose the deal.

"We will bring the regulatory fight wherever we need to," McKee said.
Click to expand...

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission, which is trying to extend mobile broadband to more Americans, and Justice Department are expected to take at least a year to review the proposed merger and impose significant conditions if they approve it.
Click to expand...

Well, no matter how much this deal is apposed, it's going to go through.
 
K

kehs

Banned
ATT and TMobile Merger hits a hiccup

AT&T’s Thursday filing to the FCC related to the T-Mobile USA takeover was accidentally not redacted allowing for some details to come out that they likely would have preferred to stay private. AT&T unintentionally revealed that it would cost them $3.8 billion in additional capital expenditures to build out their LTE network from the 80% percentage they already planned on to the 97% they want to build. The document was accidentally posted on the FCC website by AT&T’s law firm and has since been pulled.
Click to expand...
 
B

BertramCooper

Banned
Good.

Sadly, I still have no faith in the FCC to stop this bullshit. It's so blatantly anti-consumer, and AT&T attempts to justify it are laughable.
 
S

sooperkool

Member
kaskade said:
I think tmobile did away with that.
Click to expand...


Copernicus said:
They still have it, it's not advertised only though. It's only in store.

There are numerous no contract carriers, usually local and smaller (US cellucalr, Simply Mobile, Virgin Mobile, etc).
Click to expand...

Easy enough to find on their website. I'm actually on the unlimited no-contract Even More Plus plan myself. There is a link to these plans on the main page.

http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/monthly-4g-plans

HamPster PamPster said:
But I paid full price and don't have a data plan!

stupid t-mobile

That said I'm on the no contract plan so maybe this doesn't apply to me. Ehh maybe its time to update the old G1 anyway
Click to expand...

I'm trying to hold out to update from my ADP/G1 until this all falls out. But its looking like a Sprint future for me.
 
Z

ZeroCypher

Member
The AT&T commercials talking about their merger with T-Mobile piss me off since they're trying to convince most of the uninformed consumers it's the best plan. Everytime I see these commercials on tv, I want to throw a rock at it... but then I remember I don't want to break my tv... and I don't have a rock next to me.
 
T

Totalriot

Member
The merger has been canceled.

http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/0,1518,783656,00.html

Google translation:

Washington - The U.S. government's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile by the U.S. phone company AT & T has prevented. The Justice Department in Washington, said the business would be hindering competition and prices rise.

AT & T wants to buy $ 39 billion for the competitors T-Mobile in the U.S.. The business must be approved by U.S. antitrust authorities. Critics fear an overwhelming position of AT & T in the mobile market if the takeover works.
 
MidgarBlowedUp

MidgarBlowedUp

Member
kaskade said:
I think tmobile did away with that.
Click to expand...

$30 per month for Unlimited 4G... period.

Copernicus said:
Nobody knows, but that would be stupid fucking move on the ATT's part(it wouldn't surprise me).

If it did happen, at the earliest it would happen is two years after buyout finalizes(contracts and all that jazz). Unless ATT wants to buy eat the cost of replacing millions of handsets.

Not using T-Mobiles spectrum to further their 3G coverage would make this one of the stupidest buys any company has ever made in the history of buying useful shit and not using it(again, it wouldn't surprise me since it is ATT afterall).


edit: just realized that is their strategy. Wow att, just wow.
Click to expand...

It's kinda funny, but I could care less about my phone being able to use ATT's higher speed data service as it's garbage coverage anyway.
I just hope my phone continues to work and my plan is the same price for the next year at least.
After that, I guess I'll do without a cell phone.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Xbox Explains Why It Doesn't Reveal Console Sales Anymore
2 3 4
174
12K
JohnnyFootball replied
[Bloomberg] Xbox Talking to Partners for Mobile Store, CEO Spencer Says
News Business 2
80
6K
Heisenberg007 replied
Warner Bros. Wants To Shift Away From "Volatile" AAA Console Games, Lean Into Free-To-Play And Mobile
Business Game Dev 2 3 4 5 6
265
10K
LarsQMorient replied
Twitch to shut down in Korea over ‘prohibitively expensive’ network fees
News Business 2
70
4K
Ansphn replied
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 release sees UK's biggest-ever gaming traffic for internet service providers
32
2K
Fabieter replied
Top Bottom