T-Mobile

T-Mobile plans to light up its nationwide 5G on Dec 6, laying a foundation for the New T-Mobile’s massive network that will have the capacity to deliver breakthrough connectivity initiatives to millions if the T-Mobile/Sprint merger closes in 2020.

As we’ve made our case for the New T-Mobile, we’ve been listening to the Federal Communications Commission and many others. We submitted a set of commitments to the FCC around the New T-Mobile to address what we’ve heard. Ultimately, the commitments are about our shared goal to put the US at the forefront of 5G innovation, driving massive economic growth, helping bridge the Digital Divide, creating more competition, and of course, giving consumers and businesses more for less.

New York’s Public Service Commission has approved T-Mobile's acquisition of Sprint with some conditions related to jobs and benefits provided to employees in the fourth most populated state in the country. The state agency determined that the merger is “not expected to cause interruptions or changes in service for existing Sprint wireline customers.” Moreover, as a condition for approval, the commission is requiring the company to continue to operate its relay call center in Syracuse and honor existing contracts until they expire.

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.

[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.

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.