AT&T buys T-Mobile from Deutsche Telekom

[GbrilliantQ]

Wowzers! AT&T and Deutsche Telekom have entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of T-Mobile USA for $39 billion in cash and stocks. The combined customer base of this upcoming behemoth will be 130 million humans, though the agreed deal will have to pass the usual regulatory and closing hurdles before becoming complete. The two companies estimate it'll take them 12 months to get through all the bureaucracy -- if they get through, the proposed network merger will create a de facto GSM monopoly within the United States -- but we don't have to wait that long to start discussing life with only three major US carriers. AT&T envisions it as a rosy garden of "straightforward synergies" thanks to a set of "complementary network technologies, spectrum positions and operations." For more details on that, hit up the Mobilize Everything site below or jump past the break for the official press release.

Source: Engadget

AT&T on Sunday acquired T-Mobile from Deutsche Telekom in a $39 billion deal that will create the largest wireless carrier in the U.S. Almost immediately, AT&T started its campaign to get the deal approved by regulators.

The deal will have some serious ripple effects in the industry. Among the key items:

AT&T and T-Mobile will have a lot of spectrum for expansion.
Coverage for both carriers should improve.
That spectrum will give AT&T a lot of headroom for 4G LTE expansion.
It’s unclear whether regulators will go for this deal—even though AT&T blew Washington a lot of kisses in its statement.

Competitively, Sprint becomes a distant third place player and it’s unclear whether the company has much of a way forward. Sprint has to resolve its relationship for Clearwire and plot a 4G LTE plan. Meanwhile, AT&T and Verizon Wireless were already dominating the market and now Sprint lacks the heft to compete. T-Mobile and Sprint have been rumored to merge.

Indeed, Sprint will need a merger partner and Verizon Wireless may be a potential option. That move would create a U.S. wireless duopoly with a bevy of smaller players.

As Jason Hiner noted earlier, the wireless parts make sense. Both AT&T and T-Mobile operate on GSM and that means the networks can come together faster. In addition, AT&T’s plan to move to LTE can now become T-Mobile’s. AT&T will have about $80 million in total wireless revenue combined with T-Mobile, up from $58.5 billion today. AT&T also needed more wireless spectrum.

Source: zdNet

http://newsroom.t-mobile.com/article...quires-tmobile



This is a sad sad day. I moved over to T-Mo April of last year, because I was tired of AT&T; high rate plans, crappy customer service and terrible network. I never had a 3G connection with them in any city I lived in. I hope they don't ruin T-Mo like they did Cingular.

[2ndgenz28]

Yep AT&T / SBC Global is a power house.


Just makes for better speed on Sprint networks which have gotten better as of late, I use Virgin which is just resold Sprint and can do almost anything now with as little as 0-1 bar, but AT&T ya gotta go stand in the street to get it working. [ Im on the edge of the bubble for range.]

[GbrilliantQ]

Found out today if it goes through, I'll I have to change our phones to AT&T phones. I am not happy with this at all.

My HD2 is amazing. I have Android and WP7 running on a dual boot. You can't do that on any phone, but the HD2..

/not happy.

[Mindz]

Mabe T-mobile's cell towers will boost AT&T's service so they'll actually get reception in the bay area. Right after Verizon gets the iphone... They need to do something or lose almost all business near SF in California.

[MLL67RSSS]

As a former AT&T then Lucent employee after the court ordered divestiture, the thing I find stupifying about all this, an anti-trust lawsuit was filed against AT&T charging they were a monoploy since they offered local AND long distance telephone service. Since then look at all the mergers that have been allowed. AT&T now offers local phone service, long distance service, DSL service, UVERSE television service, and now will have a virtual stranglehold on wireless phone service.

[Steve Dallas]

In other words, AT&T is going to marry T-Mobile.

Unfortunately, there will be no reception afterwards...

[PoorMansCamaro]

i've never had a problem with at&t

[MAGfuz]

I had Cingular when it was Cingular. After the were bought by AT&T, I switched. This may be good or bad for T-Mo customers!

[Iroczlover]

First off guys this has to go through the gov first, they may say no to it

Originally Posted by GbrilliantQ

Found out today if it goes through, I'll I have to change our phones to AT&T phones. I am not happy with this at all.

My HD2 is amazing. I have Android and WP7 running on a dual boot. You can't do that on any phone, but the HD2..

/not happy.

YOu may find that many of the T-mo stuff sticks around if its better than the current att&t stuff they will keep it & just slap their name on it.

Originally Posted by Steve Dallas

In other words, AT&T is going to marry T-Mobile.

Unfortunately, there will be no reception afterwards...

I dont know what the problem is, I have service up at the house where with Verizon we didnt. even more so since att& t came up with the Mircocell for the houses

Originally Posted by PoorMansCamaro

i've never had a problem with at&t

me either, its better now lol

[ADV.1 Matt]

Fed still has to approve it but honestly... when was the last time the Fed blocked one of these massive mergers?

[ewynn9]

AT&T's de la Vega announced that T-Mobile's pricing is not gonna change.

From what I've heard, T-Mobile will be a branch under AT&T. They will more than likely come out with phones that will work on both T-Mobile and AT&T depending on which has a stronger signal. This also allows both companies to combine their efforts towards LTE.

[2010 SSRS]

T-Mobile has the lousiest reception, hopefully AT&T does not to.

[Crowley]

Originally Posted by 2010 SSRS

T-Mobile has the lousiest reception, hopefully AT&T does not to.

Uhhg .. I was hoping that if this goes through that my reception would be much better ... I don't want to hear this .. Two companies with lousy reception get together and nothing improves .. grr!!

[Zabo]

Originally Posted by Steve Dallas

In other words, AT&T is going to marry T-Mobile.

Unfortunately, there will be no reception afterwards...

Said gold digging b**ch then takes everything in the divorce.. Next watch them go after Sprint just because.

In the end they all just suck, but these days wireless anything is like oil. You can try.. but you can't live without it no matter what.