AT&T to Buy T-Mobile USA

[Cliffs_Daughter]

I saw that new Sidekick... but they're not releasing it until AFTER their 'offer' to me ends.

Those jerks.

[CS Foltz]

Oh goody! I can't wait till the lousy AT&T service takes effect! I have had T Mobile since it was Powertel way back when...............even was in on the original Powertel installs for the Jax MTA/Savvanah BSC! Since they were bought out by Voicestream, site maintanance has been going down the hill! Have been to AT&T in the Mo/Kan Market for upgrades and I would be embarassed to claim any of those site as have been done by myself of people that I knew! I don't think this is going to be good for the overall wireless market in any shape fashion  or form! Anyone remember when Ma Bell was broke up and what happened with the premise of cheaper service? Here we go again!!

[Shwaz]

Seems like a blasé  move to me. Both T-Mobile / AT&T have mediocre networks and coverage. What may be significant, now AT&T will own the entire GSM customer base... on one giant mediocre network.

I think Sprint's days are numbered. They have great coverage and decent prices but they've always lagged behind in actual phone selection. I wouldn't be surprised if Verizon made a move on them.

I've had Verizon for years. I've been happy with their coverage, prices and customer service. I'm a little worried that data plan pricing is going to increase significantly and it's already been said that 4G will come with tiered data plans... that probably won't affect too many people... accept those like myself that run wifi tethering for free on a jail broken phone  

Here's something positive though... new technologies that may lead to a reduction in both data cost & cell service.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/03/21/technology/light_radio/index.htm?hpt=T2

[hillary supporter]

im worrid that earthlink news is reporting an end to unlimited data plan.
This from eartlink:

â€" No more unlimited data plans. AT&T has stopped offering unlimited data plans in favor of plans with monthly data usage caps and overage fees. T-Mobile USA still offers "unlimited" data for smartphones for $30 per month, but slows down downloads after 5 gigabytes of traffic in a month. If the deal closes, current "unlimited" subscribers would likely be grandfathered in, but AT&T would probably stop offering the plan to new subscribers.
I just signed with t mobile, so will i get the grandfather clause!

[cgaskins]

Would this growth of AT&T bring any jobs to Jacksonville?

[Cliffs_Daughter]

im worrid that earthlink news is reporting an end to unlimited data plan.
This from eartlink:

â€" No more unlimited data plans. AT&T has stopped offering unlimited data plans in favor of plans with monthly data usage caps and overage fees. T-Mobile USA still offers "unlimited" data for smartphones for $30 per month, but slows down downloads after 5 gigabytes of traffic in a month. If the deal closes, current "unlimited" subscribers would likely be grandfathered in, but AT&T would probably stop offering the plan to new subscribers.
I just signed with t mobile, so will i get the grandfather clause!

I may have to hit them up for the renewal with a sorta-what-I-want phone tonight just to get that.  I will sorely miss the unlimited plans.

[Shwaz]

im worrid that earthlink news is reporting an end to unlimited data plan.
This from eartlink:

â€" No more unlimited data plans. AT&T has stopped offering unlimited data plans in favor of plans with monthly data usage caps and overage fees. T-Mobile USA still offers "unlimited" data for smartphones for $30 per month, but slows down downloads after 5 gigabytes of traffic in a month. If the deal closes, current "unlimited" subscribers would likely be grandfathered in, but AT&T would probably stop offering the plan to new subscribers.
I just signed with t mobile, so will i get the grandfather clause!

The problem, when you upgrade to your next phone it will almost certainly require the 4G network and new contract.

[mtraininjax]

No value in wireless, but there is in data and with data networks growing, I would not be suprised to see the Feds break up ATT wireless into 2 companies, one for wireless, other for data.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

U.S. Moves to Block AT&T Merger with T-Mobile


The Justice Department filed a complaint on Wednesday to block AT&T's proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile, a deal that would create the largest carrier in the country and reshape the industry.

The complaint, which was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, said that T-Mobile "places important competitive pressure on its three larger rivals, particularly in terms of pricing, a critically important aspect of competition." The complaint also highlighted T-Mobile's high speed network and its innovations in technology.

"AT&T's elimination of T-Mobile as an independent, low-priced rival would remove a significant competitive force from the market," the complaint said. "Thus, unless this acquisition is enjoined, customers of mobile wireless telecommunications services likely will face higher prices, less product variety and innovation, and poorer quality services due to reduced incentives to invest than would exist absent the merger."

Shares of AT&T dropped nearly 4 percent on the news, to less than $29. Deutsche Telekom shares fell 5 percent in trading in Frankfurt.

Ever since AT&T announced plans to buy T-Mobile from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion in March, the deal has proved controversial. Lawmakers, consumer advocates, and rivals have voiced opposition to the merger, saying it would significantly reduce competition. The deal would have left just three major players: AT&T, Verizon and the significantly smaller Sprint Nextel.

"Sprint urges the United States government to block this anti-competitive acquisition," Vonya McCann, Sprint's senior vice president for government affairs, said back in March. "This transaction will harm consumers and harm competition at a time when this country can least afford it."

AT&T has moved to drum up support for the deal of late. On Wednesday, it announced plans to bring 5,000 call-center jobs back to the United States.

"Does this shore up an issue that people have?" Randall Stephenson, AT&T's chief executive, said in an interview on Tuesday. "Sure, I hope it does."

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/US-Moves-to-Block-ATT-Merger-nytimes-2904609364.html?x=0

[Lunican]

Hopefully this deal won't go through. It would leave AT&T with the only GSM service in the United States.

[avonjax]

This is a terrible deal for EVERYONE but ATT. Just like cable and satellite, which if you will recall, was an industry that promised more selection and better prices, but what did we get, crap channels and constant rate hikes.

When AT&T and Verizon are the only players, I guarantee the prices will rise. And if you want unlimited data you will pay, and pay big. Canada and Europe offer unlimited data plans and DO NOT PUNISH their customers for tethering.

I used to work for BellSouth and the only reason they had decent, I said decent not great rates, was because there was competition keeping the prices down. As soon as there are only two left, we will all be SCREWED.

I currently have Verizon, by way of Alltel, and Alltel had extremely well priced plans with unlimited data.  Verizon originally had unlimted  data plans and then stopped. When they offered 4G, again they offered unlimited data, but that lasted about a minute. Now the blood suckers have stopped that.

When my contract is up in a few months I'm gonna go with Sprint until Verizon buys them and then it's onto a prepaid and maybe Virgin Mobile for internet. Under my current living conditions I need to have wireless internet and before long it will be both too expensive and too slow. My hope is that people will abandon these crooks and go into a different direction. It's companies like wireless providers that make so many people despise big corporations.

We love to brag about how much greater we are compared to the rest of the world, yet in telecommunications we are so far behind. These companies use sophisticated, advanced  equipment but restrict their use, for one simple reason, blood sucking greed. They get us hooked on their products and then either raise prices or restrict their use.

[Lunican]

Verizon went ahead and changed the customer agreement for people under contract with unlimited data plans.

Verizon Wireless Says Company Won’t Throttle Speeds, Except When It Does:

Verizon also found a way to keep customers from canceling penalty-free, noting contract changes that reserved the right to implement network management techniques were made in February.  The 60-day window for the “materially-adverse” contract change cancellation policy expired in April.  Verizon:

By alerting customers in February 2011, and including the notice in our terms and conditions as of February 3, 2011, we made sure customers knew we began reserving the right to implement Network Optimization practices.  In February 2011, we began alerting customers:

·         Data Management â€" (note: now named “Network Optimization” to more accurately describe the tools) â€" Verizon Wireless may reduce data throughput speeds in a given bill cycle for customers who use an extraordinary amount of data and fall within the top 5% of data users.  The reduction will only apply to those using congested cell sites and can last for the remainder of the current and immediately following billing cycle.  The reductions will only apply when appropriate in locations and at times of peak demand.
·         Data Optimization â€" (note: now named “Video Optimization” to more accurately describe its function) â€" Verizon Wireless is implementing optimization and transcoding technologies in its network to transmit data files in a more efficient manner to allow available network capacity to benefit the greatest number of users, and although unlikely, the process may minimally impact the appearance of the file as displayed on the mobile device.

http://stopthecap.com/2011/09/19/verizon-wireless-says-company-wont-throttle-speeds-except-when-it-does/

[coredumped]

Canada has it a LOT worse than us. They have to sign a 3 year contract to get phones at a discounted rate! Anyone remember when we only had to sign a 1 year contract for discounts on phones?

If we are to envy anyone, it's Europe, they do cellular right, but we are certainly not the worst.

[hillary supporter]

If we are to envy anyone, it's Europe, they do cellular right, but we are certainly not the worst.

Absolutely