T-Mobile
T-Mobile and Sprint End Merger Discussions
T-Mobile and Sprint jointly announced that they have ceased talks to merge as the companies were unable to find mutually agreeable terms. “The prospect of combining with Sprint has been compelling for a variety of reasons, including the potential to create significant benefits for consumers and value for shareholders. However, we have been clear all along that a deal with anyone will have to result in superior long-term value for T-Mobile’s shareholders compared to our outstanding stand-alone performance and track record,” said John Legere, President and CEO of T-Mobile US, Inc.
Size Matters
[Commentary] One of the most important components in designing a successful spectrum auction is establishing the right license sizes -- both the amount of spectrum devoted to each license and the geographic area it covers.
As history shows, providing enough small blocks and a mix of geographic areas will help ensure the auction does not become a playing field for only Verizon and AT&T. 50 megahertz of prime spectrum nationwide is at stake as the Federal Communications Commission finalizes its AWS-3 auction service rules, and not surprisingly, Verizon and AT&T are advocating for big blocks covering big geographic areas.
However, an auction with too many large blocks is a configuration that has the real potential to dissuade competitive carriers from participating in the auction. By contrast, smaller spectrum blocks with a mix of large and small geographic areas will provide the greatest opportunity for a wide variety of bidders to participate and obtain licenses that match their licensing needs.
T-Mobile Celebrates 1st Anniversary of LTE Rollout By Launching Major Network Upgrade Program
Over the past year, T-Mobile US has abolished a litany of consumer pain points through a series of revolutionary new programs and services -- and Americans have responded by making T-Mobile the fastest growing wireless company in the US today, the un-carrier announced it is continuing its relentless pace of industry innovation by launching a major new program to expand what has already become the fastest LTE deployment in the US.
Less than one year since launch, T-Mobile's 4G LTE network already reaches 210 million people in 273 metro areas nationwide. Building on the unprecedented pace of its LTE rollout, T-Mobile is now kicking off a major new program to upgrade its 2G/EDGE network with 4G LTE. The company plans to complete 50 percent of the work in 2014 alone, and expects the program to be substantially complete by the middle of 2015. The upgrade will provide customers who currently experience 2G/EDGE coverage new access to 4G LTE, and many already covered by 4G LTE will enjoy access to 4G LTE in even more places.
In addition, T-Mobile plans to begin deploying 4G LTE in the new 700 MHz A-Block spectrum the company is in the process of acquiring. In a span of just six months, T-Mobile deployed its 4G LTE network coast to coast and at a pace unprecedented in the US wireless industry -- going from zero to nationwide coverage between March and September 2013.
T-Mobile Doubles Down on Flagship Simple Choice Plan with More 4G LTE Data, Tethering -- and Unlimited International Texting
In another industry first, T-Mobile US announced the company is offering customers more 4G LTE data and tethering and unlimited international texting -- at no extra charge. The updates reflect the latest stage in the evolution of T-Mobile's flagship Simple Choice plan, which launched the company's Un-carrier consumer movement last spring.
All Simple Choice customers will automatically enjoy the added benefits of these updates without taking any action whatsoever - in another Un-carrier departure from industry norms. First, in a move to stay out front of Americans' fast-growing demand for mobile data, the company announced it is sweetening the deal for Simple Choice customers already enjoying unlimited data, talk, and text on America's wicked-fast network - now doubling the amount of high-speed 4G LTE data and tethering to 1GB included in the $50 Simple Choice service plan.
"In the mobile age, wireless data caps and overage fees are just this side of extortion," said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile. "Take the basic plans from the Big Two with ridiculously low data limits that hit you with fat overages each month. It's like getting your data from the neighborhood loan shark and paying 100 percent interest when the bill comes due. It's the classic shakedown."
The expansion of Simple Choice to include more of T-Mobile's fastest data and tethering comes as wireless data usage -- and tethering laptops and tablets to the web via connected devices -- continues to surge. T-Mobile customers use nearly 50 percent more data now than they did in 2013 when Simple Choice first launched, outpacing the industry's growth rate in mobile data usage. And monthly usage on unlimited 4G LTE plans has nearly doubled to over 5GB.
[March 7]