T-Mobile and SpaceX’s efforts to join cellular and satellite phone service are getting a bit of help from the FCC.
The FCC has unveiled “a new regulatory framework to facilitate innovative collaborations between satellite operators and wireless companies.” The framework will help cellular operators better tap into the growing network of satellites being used for internet service.
T-Mobile and SpaceX announced a deal for the nation’s second-largest carrier to use SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation to help provide coast-to-coast coverage in the US.
“We’ve always thought differently about what it means to keep customers connected, and that’s why we’re working with the best to deliver coverage above and beyond anything customers have ever seen before,” said Mike Sievert, CEO and president of T-Mobile, said at the time of the announcement. “More than just a groundbreaking alliance, this represents two industry-shaking innovators challenging the old ways of doing things to create something entirely new that will further connect customers and scare competitors.”
The FCC’s proposed framework would make it easier for T-Mobile, SpaceX, and other companies to integrate their services:
The FCC proposes allowing authorized non-geostationary orbit satellite operators to apply to access terrestrial spectrum if certain prerequisites are met, including a lease from the terrestrial licensee within a specified geographic area. A satellite operator could then serve a wireless provider’s customers should they need connectivity in remote areas, for example in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert, Lake Michigan, the 100-Mile Wilderness, or the Uinta Mountains.
“We are fast heading to a world where next-generation wireless networks will connect everyone and everything around us,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “They will open up possibilities for communications that we cannot even fully imagine today. But we will not be successful in our effort to make this always-on connectivity available to everyone, everywhere if we limit ourselves to using only one technology. We are going to need it all—fiber networks, licensed terrestrial wireless systems, next-generation unlicensed technology, and satellite broadband. But if we do this right, these networks will seamlessly interact in a way that is invisible to the user. We won’t need to think about what network, where, and what services are available. Connections will just work everywhere, all the time. “
T-Mobile has announced a deal to acquire Ka’ena Corporation, the parent company of Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile.
Mint Mobile is the successful budget carrier owned by Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds serves as the company’s pitchman, bringing his unique blend of humor to the role. That humor was on full display in the announcement revealing the deal:
“Mint Mobile is the best deal in wireless and today’s news only enhances our ability to deliver for our customers. We are so happy T-Mobile beat out an aggressive last-minute bid from my mom Tammy Reynolds as we believe the excellence of their 5G network will provide a better strategic fit than my mom’s slightly-above-average mahjong skills. I am so proud of the entire Mint team and so excited for what’s to come,” said Ryan Reynolds.
“Mint has built an incredibly successful digital direct-to-consumer business that continues to deliver for customers on the Un-carrier’s leading 5G network and now we are excited to use our scale and owners’ economics to help supercharge it – and Ultra Mobile – into the future,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “Over the long-term, we’ll also benefit from applying the marketing formula Mint has become famous for across more parts of T-Mobile. We think customers are really going to win with a more competitive and expansive Mint and Ultra.”
“Our brands have thrived on the T-Mobile network, and we are thrilled that this agreement will take them even further, bringing the many benefits of 5G to even more Americans,” said David Glickman, founder and CEO of Mint, Ultra and Plum. “This transaction validates our meteoric success and will unite two proven industry innovators committed to doing things differently in the wireless industry.”
Following the deal’s close, David Glickman and Rizwan Kassim will continue to manage the brand, which will largely remain independent. Reynolds will continue in his creative role, likely serving as the brand’s pitchman for years to come.
The deal is worth up to $1.35 billion, a combination of 39% cash and 61% stock, and is expected to close later in 2023.
T-Mobile does not have a good reputation when it comes to cybersecurity, and that’s about to get a whole lot worse.
T-Mobile has had multiple cybersecurity breaches over the last few years, impacting tens of millions of users and costing the company hundreds of millions in settlements. Unfortunately, that may be just the tip of the iceberg, according to a new report from Krebs on Security.
According to Krebs, three different hackers groups claim to have accessed the company’s internal systems:
Three different cybercriminal groups claimed access to internal networks at communications giant T-Mobile in more than 100 separate incidents throughout 2022, new data suggests. In each case, the goal of the attackers was the same: Phish T-Mobile employees for access to internal company tools, and then convert that access into a cybercrime service that could be hired to divert any T-Mobile user’s text messages and phone calls to another device.
The hackers’ goal was SIM-swapping, a term for when a hacker is able to gain control over a victim’s cellphone number.
The data regarding attacks was collected by monitoring various Telegram channels used by the hacker groups. The message “Tmobile up!” or “Tmo up!” was posted anytime a hacker successfully SIM-swapped a target.
Krebs initially planned on counting the instances for all of 2022, working backward from the end of the year. Unfortunately, the number of hacks racked up much faster than anticipated.
But by the time we got to claims made in the middle of May 2022, completing the rest of the year’s timeline seemed unnecessary. The tally shows that in the last seven-and-a-half months of 2022, these groups collectively made SIM-swapping claims against T-Mobile on 104 separate days — often with multiple groups claiming access on the same days.
It’s unclear why T-Mobile is suffering so many of these attacks. While there are similar efforts against Verizon and AT&T, the number of successful attempts is far less. Some experts believe the magenta carrier is not doing enough to secure its systems.
“These breaches should not happen,” said Nicholas Weaver, a UC Berkeley researcher. “Because T-Mobile should have long ago issued all employees security keys and switched to security keys for the second factor. And because security keys provably block this style of attack.”
For its part, T-Mobile told Krebs it is combating the issue while also emphasizing it is an industry-wide problem.
“And we are constantly working to fight against it,” the statement reads. “We have continued to drive enhancements that further protect against unauthorized access, including enhancing multi-factor authentication controls, hardening environments, limiting access to data, apps or services, and more. We are also focused on gathering threat intelligence data, like what you have shared, to help further strengthen these ongoing efforts.”
There is evidence to suggest the company is making progress, with the hacker groups complaining that their access after a successful swap is being severed much sooner than before. Some have even theorized that T-Mobile’s security team may be monitoring the Telegram channels.
While it’s encouraging to see T-Mobile is making progress, it’s still disturbing that the company is experiencing this many breaches.
Apple’s iOS 16.4 may bring a nice surprise for iPhone users, potentially unlocking 3Gbps 5G speeds.
Apple just released the first beta of iOS 16.4. The new version brings a number of new features including Web Push, a new way of implementing push notifications for web apps.
According to 9to5Mac, another new feature is vastly improved 5G speeds:
Among the new features and changes with the first developer beta of iOS 16.4, a new toggle has arrived in the Cellular settings for iPhone. The new option brings support for the 5G Standalone (SA) service offered by T-Mobile. Notably, 5G SA can deliver wildly fast speeds up to 3Gbps and it looks like iPhone could be the next device to take advantage of the tech.
T-Mobile is already leading the US 5G race. Having the iPhone support its latest network technology will be a big win for the magenta carrier, and could help drive even more defections from other carriers.
Neville Ray, T-Mobile’s President of Technology, is retiring after 23 years of leading some of the company’s biggest innovations.
T-Mobile announced Ray’s intention to retire by Fall 2023, with Executive Vice President and Chief Network Officer Ulf Ewaldsson taking his place. Throughout his tenure, Ray helped the company transition from a 2G carrier to the 5G powerhouse it is today.
During that time, Ray was a fixture in the company’s commercials, quarterly calls with investors, and the company’s biggest product announcements.
“Under Neville’s network leadership we have accomplished so much together, and it’s amazing to think that milestones he’s helped T-Mobile achieve – the many network firsts, breakthroughs and innovations – have brought us to where we are today, taking the crown as the nation’s overall network leader,” said T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert. “There are so many things Neville has contributed to this company but one of the most important has been his commitment to building the best, most effective Technology team in this industry that will continue to deliver for our future. Neville and his team have worked tirelessly to bring the Un-carrier from last to best in network performance and made T-Mobile’s network a true competitive weapon. What’s even more exciting is that we’re just getting started! As this next chapter of the Un-carrier story is beginning to unfold, we owe a lot of gratitude to Neville for all he’s done to carve this path that will continue to lead us into the future!”
Sievert continued, “This has been a thoughtfully planned succession and I am thrilled we have an excellent leader in Ulf Ewaldsson to lead our Technology teams. When Ulf joined T-Mobile four years ago, he brought years of experience and deep network strategy leadership capabilities that allowed him to hit the ground running and bring our leading 5G network to life. That’s exactly what he did – and what he will continue to do as President of Technology, leading the best team in our industry! Our goal is always to build a strong bench of leaders who are ready to fill key positions when they’re needed, and this is a perfect example of that approach.”
Ewaldsson joined the company in 2019 after a 27-year career at Ericsson. He was quickly promoted to EVP and Chief Network Officer in 2021. Ewaldsson has played a crucial role in helping T-Mobile achieve many of its recent milestones, especially in the 5G race. There’s no doubt Ray will be missed, although Ewaldsson certainly has the experience needed to succeed him.
T-Mobile is ending its AutoPay discount for accounts paying via a credit card, requiring a debit card or bank account instead.
T-Mobile offers a $5 discount per line for accounts that have AutoPay enabled. The company currently offers the discount regardless of how a customer chooses to pay.
According to CNET, however, the magenta carrier is ending AutoPay support for accounts being paid with a credit card. As early as May, customers will need to switch to a debit card or bank account to keep their discount.
A T-Mobile spokesperson told the outlet it was making the change to “continue providing customers with the best value in wireless,” adding that the “majority of our customers use their bank account or debit card for AutoPay and will continue to get a discount on top of an already great rate plan value.”
T-Mobile is finally killing off Sprint SIM cards, some three years after the magenta carrier purchased its rival.
T-Mobile purchased Sprint in April 2020, creating the second-largest carrier in the US. Despite T-Mobile’s efforts to migrate Sprint customers to T-Mobile SIMs, some Sprint customers have continued to hold on to their legacy cards.
According to The T-Mo Report, T-Mobile finally forcing the issue, with May 1 as the final deadline for customers with a Sprint SIM. The company is sending out notices to customers, informing them of the deadline:
T-Mobile Sprint SIM Card Notice – Credit The T-Mo Report
T-Mobile customers that want to continue service after May 1 will need to take action or switch to another carrier.
T-Mobile has released its fourth quarter and year-end results, and it is abundantly clear the magenta carrier is the undisputed winner of 2022.
T-Mobile reported 314,000 net account additions in Q4 2022, totaling 1.4 million for all of 2022. Net customer additions came in at 1.8 million for Q4 and 3.1 million for 2022. Notably, this makes T-Mobile the only operator to post year-over-year growth.
The magenta carrier was also the only one to improve its churn rate — the rate of customers that switch from one carrier to another — posting a 0.92% churn rate for Q4 and 0.88% for the year.
The company’s High Speed Internet was a major hit, adding 524,000 customers in Q4 and 2.0 million for the year, another industry-best.
The company’s net income increased 250% year-over-year, hitting $1.5 billion in Q4. Net income for the year did decrease by 14% year-over-year, but that was attributed to merger-related costs, as well as loses related to the sale of the wireline business.
“With record postpaid account and customer net adds that translated into industry-leading postpaid service revenue and cash flow growth, T-Mobile absolutely smashed 2022 by once again focusing on putting customers first,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “In true Un-carrier fashion, we have no plans to slow down in 2023. Now that we are being recognized as not only the 5G leader but the clear overall network leader in the U.S., our differentiated and sustainable growth strategy is opening up even bigger pathways for our future!”
T-Mobile’s turnaround, from a struggling fourth-place carrier to its current position, is truly remarkable and a testament to what can happen when a company puts its customers first.
T-Mobile’s latest data breach may have cast a wider net than previous ones, with Google Fi customers among those impacted.
T-Mobile alerted customers in mid-January that it had been hit by a data breach, one that impacted some 37 million customers. However, it appears T-Mobile’s customers weren’t the only ones affected.
Google Fi has sent a notice to its customers indicating their data may also have been included in the T-Mobile breach. Below is the email customers received, via 9to5Google:
Dear Google Fi customer,
We’re writing to let you know that the primary network provider for Google Fi recently informed us there has been suspicious activity relating to a third party system that contains a limited amount of Google Fi customer data.
There is no action required by you at this time.
This system is used for Google Fi customer support purposes and contains limited data including when your account was activated, data about your mobile service plan, SIM card serial number, and active or inactive account status.
It does not contain your name, date of birth, email address, payment card information, social security number or tax IDs, driver’s license or other form of government ID, or financial account information, passwords or PINs that you may use for Google Fi, or the contents of any SMS messages or calls.
Our incident response team undertook an investigation and determined that unauthorized access occurred and have worked with our primary network provider to identify and implement measures to secure the data on that third party system and notify everyone potentially impacted. There was no access to Google’s systems or any systems overseen by Google.
If you are an active Fi user, please note that your Google Fi service continues to work as usual and was not interrupted by this issue.
T-Mobile has once again been hit by a massive data breach, this time impacting some 37 million customers’ data.
T-Mobile has written a blog post outlining the details of its latest breach:
We are currently in the process of informing impacted customers that after a thorough investigation we have determined that a bad actor used a single Application Programming Interface (or API) to obtain limited types of information on their accounts.
The company says it shut down the breach within 24 hours of discovering it, and that customers’ most sensitive information was protected.
No passwords, payment card information, social security numbers, government ID numbers or other financial account information were compromised. Some basic customer information (nearly all of which is the type widely available in marketing databases or directories) was obtained, including name, billing address, email, phone number, date of birth, account number, and information such as the number of lines on the account and service plan features.
While the scope of this data breach may have been fairly limited, it’s still disconcerting that the company has experienced two such breaches in as many years, with the last one costing the company $350 million to settle.
Hopefully T-Mobile will be able to shore up its security and prevent further incidents.
T-Mobile and Delta Airlines have announced a partnership to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi, regardless of the customer’s carrier of choice.
T-Mobile customers have enjoyed free in-flight Wi-Fi for some time, but now Delta SkyMiles members will receive the same benefit. The expanded partnership between the two companies goes into effect February 1.
“At T-Mobile, we believe staying connected while traveling should be an easy, seamless experience,” said Mike Sievert, T-Mobile CEO. “T-Mobile customers already get free in-flight Wi-Fi, and now we’re partnering with Delta to bring that experience to all SkyMiles Members so that anyone flying Delta can enjoy online access from takeoff to touchdown.”
The service will first be available on domestic mainline Delta flights, with some 700 aircraft equipped by the end of 2023. The service will expand to include international and regional flights by the end of 2024.
“The ability to stay connected while seeing the world is simply foundational. Delta’s new partnership with T-Mobile signifies another exciting step forward as we lead the industry in delivering a differentiated onboard experience that’s as comfortable and personalized as sitting in your own living room,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian.
T-Mobile has given a glimpse into its full-year performance, handily beating both Verizon and AT&T while delivering record results.
T-Mobile says it added 1.4 million postpaid net accounts and 6.4 million postpaid net customers over the course of 2023, both of which were a record high and best in industry results. The company also added 3.1 million postpaid phone net customers, its best performance since its merger with Sprint.
Even more impressive, the company added 2 million net High Speed Internet customers, more than Charter, Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon combined.
“2022 was definitely the year of the Un-carrier as T-Mobile just posted amazing results — our highest ever postpaid account net adds (the best measure of our industry-leading growth in customer relationships), both postpaid customer net adds and broadband customer growth that are expected to lead the industry, and our lowest-ever churn numbers,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “It’s clear that T-Mobile’s ability to offer both the best network and value is bringing new customers to the Un-carrier and enticing those who join us to stay. And our momentum won’t stop as we continue to translate our long-established 5G lead into overall network leadership and execute on our unique growth strategy. We are perfectly positioned to profitably take further market share in 2023 and beyond!”
T-Mobile is taking aim at Comcast with its latest 5G Home Internet promotion, inviting customers to “Make Xfinity Your Ex.”
T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet has been growing at a rapid pace, providing customers in rural and under-served areas a strong option for high-speed internet. The company is offering Comcast customers up to $750 to cover early termination fees, as well as 50% off of the monthly fee for 5G Home Internet, bringing the price to a mere $25 per month.
“It’s clear Xfinity customers are tired of the BS. They’re hungry for a better option — and now they have one with T-Mobile 5G Internet,” said Mike Katz, President of Marketing, Innovation & Experience at T-Mobile. “At a time when Comcast is locking customers into contracts and increasing their costs, the Un-carrier is here to provide people with a new option that’s free from contracts, packed with value and finally giving Big Internet some real competition.”
Comcast has long held the unenviable distinction of being one of the most hated companies in America. The company continues to dramatically raise prices and charge hidden fees and equipment rentals, among other practices that have helped it earn its reputation.
T-Mobile makes the point that Comcast has gone too long without meaningful competition:
Comcast Xfinity is the poster child for what happens without competition. For over two decades, it’s been a leader of what, today, are the two most hated industries in America – Cable TV and Internet Service Providers. The result is a customer base that, unsurprisingly, really, really dislikes Comcast Xfinity and its catalog of headache-inducing attributes like exploding bills, surprise fees and painful customer service.
T-Mobile clearly wants to give Comcast customers another option and its latest promotion could go a long way toward luring individuals away from the cable company.
T-Mobile has expanded its 5G coverage yet again, helping the company remain firmly in first place in the US 5G wars.
T-Mobile took an early lead in the 5G race thanks to the wealth of mid-band spectrum it gained with its Sprint acquisition. In contrast, AT&T and Verizon have had to pony up billions at FCC auctions to play catch-up. Despite their best efforts, however, T-Mobile keeps charging ahead, growing its lead.
In its latest news, the magenta carrier said it now covers 323 million with its low-band Extended Range 5G and 260 million with its mid and high-band Ultra Capacity 5G. This puts the company weeks ahead of its year-end goal and positions it well for covering 300 million with Ultra Capacity 5G by the end of 2023.
In contrast, Verizon recently announced its 5G Ultra Wideband, the equivalent of T-Mobile’s Ultra Capacity 5G, only covers 175 million.
“We’re rapidly executing on our vision to deliver the highest capacity network this country has ever seen,” said Neville Ray, President of Technology at T-Mobile. “We’ve led in 5G coverage from the beginning, delivering a massive 5G footprint that continues to grow. And with Ultra Capacity 5G, it’s undeniable that T-Mobile customers have access to the most powerful 5G network around.”
T-Mobile has scored a big win, with electric vehicle (EV) maker VinFast choosing the magenta carrier as its exclusive wireless partner.
Automakers are increasingly including wireless connectivity in their vehicles, with EV makers leading the way. VinFast has reached a multi-year, multi-million agreement to use T-Mobile as the exclusive wireless carrier for its smart vehicles in both North America and Europe.
The partnership will see VinFast’s vehicles offer remote services, streaming media and gaming, WiFi hotspot data, live traffic info, and over-the-air firmware and software updates.
“VinFast’s goal is to turn our smart electric vehicles into a platform that connects every aspect of life,” said Mdm. Le Thi Thu Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of Vingroup and Chairwoman of VinFast. “Through our partnership with world-leading partners like T-Mobile, we’re delivering advanced features and functionality designed to make the journey safe, efficient and more enjoyable.”
“Both T-Mobile and VinFast are driven by a customer-first mindset, so it’s inspiring and motivating to support their innovation and the needs of their customers,” said Callie Field, President, T-Mobile Business Group. “Electric vehicles are rapidly evolving from a mere mode of transportation to a companion that offers productivity, entertainment and safety features throughout the journey — and we can’t wait to help VinFast customers experience this, no matter where the road takes them.”
General Dynamics, T-Mobile, AWS, Cisco, Dell Technologies, and Splunk have formed a coalition to accelerate 5G and edge adoption.
The next generation wireless tech is already revolutionizing multiple industries and making edge computing a viable option for many companies. With high speeds and low latency, 5G is competitive with the fastest broadband available.
General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) has formed a coalition with like-minded companies in an effort to further the adoption of 5G and edge computing.
“We share a common vision of how 5G, edge and advanced wireless technologies can transform government operations,” said Ben Gianni, GDIT’s senior vice president and chief technology officer. “Forming this coalition will help us bring our collective strengths together to provide technical differentiation and the most beneficial solutions for our government customers.”
GDIT will focus on designing and deploying secure 5G solutions with its partners, while each member of the coalition will leverage its specialties. AWS brings its cloud infrastructure to the table, T-Mobile will provide the network bandwidth, Cisco will provide 5G and mobile edge computing solutions, Splunk will handle cybersecurity automation, and Dell will leverage its open infrastructure, edge computing, and AI abilities..
“As part of this new coalition, we can collaborate with other technology, telecommunications and government leaders to help power an inclusive future,” said Carl DeGroote, vice president of federal sales, Cisco. “We’re excited to apply our 5G core and mobile edge compute expertise to accelerate the adoption of 5G and help advance wireless and edge technologies across government agencies.”
T-Mobile announced a major expansion of its 5G Home Internet, covering an additional 6 million households in the Midwest.
T-Mobile has been leveraging its industry-leading 5G network to provide home internet to households around the country, especially those without access to traditional broadband. The company has expanded its service to cover homes in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
“Access to high-speed internet should be a given, yet millions of people across the country still have little to no choice when it comes to their home broadband. As reliance on internet access has skyrocketed in recent years, many ISPs have continued to underserve customers – year after year,” said Mike Katz, Chief Marketing Officer at T-Mobile. “Today, T-Mobile is taking another step to close the Digital Divide and increase access, bringing our Home Internet service to millions more homes across the Midwest. We’re leveraging the power of 5G to help customers break free from Big Internet.”
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is available for $50 per month with AutoPay enabled. Customers on the company’s Magenta MAX are eligible for an additional $20 off.
T-Mobile may be preparing to expand its Home Internet service, this time in the form of a major fiber investment.
T-Mobile is already known for its 5G Home Internet, an internet services that uses its wireless network to serve homes in remote locations. According to a new report by Bloomberg, by way of The Verge, T-Mobile may be preparing to invest billions in a fiber network in an effort to expand its Home Internet service.
The report says the magenta carrier is working with Citigroup to find a “commercial partnership” or to find other financial partnerships that could help it build out the network.
As The Verge points out, if T-Mobile is successful, it would help the second-largest US wireless carrier better compete with Verizon and AT&T, both of whom already have their own fiber networks.
Verizon has the dubious distinction of being the only one of the top three wireless carriers to be losing customers.
Verizon announced its third-quarter results, with the company reporting a net loss of 189,000 postpaid phone subscribers. The company said it was “due to elevated churn partially as a result of recent pricing actions”
According to CNET, Verizon posted similar subscriber losses in the second quarter, to the tune of 215,000. Those loses were similarly the result of increased prices, from raising the price of legacy plans to increasing administrative fees.
The losses put Verizon in an interesting position, as it appears to be the only one of the top three carriers losing subscribers. AT&T gained 708,000 subscribers during this most recent quarter and T-Mobile has similarly continued its growth streak unabated.
Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg painted the subscriber losses as part of Verizon’s attempt to increase profits and operational performance.
“We took a number of actions in the third quarter that helped drive improved operational and financial performance, but we know there’s still more work to be done,” said Vestberg. “The pricing actions we took earlier this year, as well as our new cost savings program, show that we are being deliberate and strategic in our decisions to strengthen our business. At the same time, we are focused on executing our 5G strategy, as we are covering every major market and accelerating our C-Band network build. We are on track to reach 200 million POPs within first-quarter 2023.”
T-Mobile is making a big money grab, making its $35 activation unavoidable and expanding it to almost every transaction.
Activation fees are the bane of most cellular customers’ existence. Despite its “Un-carrier” stance, T-Mobile is getting in on the activation fee bandwagon by expanding it to nearly every transaction possible.
The T-Mo Report gained access to an internal document that outlined the changes, changes which the outlet described:
The fee is charged per-line that is added or upgraded via any method. Whether you’re upgrading your phone to a new device, adding a Bring-Your-Own-Device line, or even ordering a Home Internet line, you’ll pay the new $35 fee.
There are only a few exceptions to the new activation fee, including SIM and eSIM swapping, adding a DIGITS line, or replacing a defective device. JUMP! and JUMP! On Demand subscribers are also exempt.
The new Device Connection Charge will go into effect November 15.
T-Mobile opted to back YouTube TV (YTTV) when it ended its own TVision streaming service, but customers are being left in the cold.
Like many T-Mobile customers, I cheered the company’s entry into the TV streaming market. The magenta carrier has a well-earned reputation for putting customers first and has revolutionized the cell phone industry. Unfortunately, TVision was not meant to be, and T-Mobile announced it was shutting it down less than six months later.
T-Mobile partnered with Google to give its customers a discount on YouTube TV as an alternative to TVision. On paper, the deal looked good: one of the leading streaming platforms for a reasonable discount.
Fast forward a year and a half later, and the partnership between the two companies has resulted in an exceptionally poor experience for the consumer, a shocking departure for T-Mobile, a company that has built its brand on customer service.
There are two main ways this partnership fails, both of which I experienced after giving YTTV a try after using Sling TV exclusively since TVision’s demise. As someone who tries to use Google’s services an absolute minimum over privacy concerns, I was lured to try YTTV with a half-price offer for T-Mobile customers that were enrolled in their Magenta MAX plans and used their T-Mobile Home Internet service.
Location-Based TV
Almost immediately, I started getting warnings when watching local channels that I was not in my local area, as defined by the zip code I entered when signing up for YTTV.
I went through the steps to verify my account, but each attempt pinged my location to a city nearly 100 miles away. This wasn’t particularly surprising since using internet speed testing services often showed that city as the location of the T-Mobile servers my internet was being routed through.
Ultimately, there was no way to get my computer to properly reflect my location since it was entirely dependent on where T-Mobile was routing my traffic. I was able to get it working by using my mobile phone to verify my location, but it’s an imperfect solution. The steps must be followed for each browser you use, and it is temporary, meaning you have to periodically go through the steps to keep your location accurate.
I reached out to Twitter to get assistance from T-Mobile’s support team, and while the person I dealt with was very helpful, they were unable to fix the issue. Why? Because T-Mobile’s Home Internet does not support TV streaming services that are location-based.
Twitter exchange with T–Mobile support member
To be perfectly clear: T-Mobile partnered with a TV streaming service that offers localized channels — based on your location — knowing full well that T-Mobile Home Internet was not compatible with that service. Ironically, Sling TV works perfectly with T-Mobile Home Internet despite T-Mobile’s customer support rep saying otherwise.
What’s more, the company cannot claim that it did not intend for T-Mobile Home Internet users to use YTTV with the service since it specifically offered a half-off discount for T-Mobile Home Internet users.
To intentionally promote a service that you know is not compatible and won’t work for the very users being targeted is incredibly disappointing at best…unethical at worst.
Billing Issues and Disappearing Discounts
The second issue is disappearing discounts when YTTV is paused for any reason.
This happened to me through a combination of factors. I had YTTV set up on autopay with one of my debit cards. The card expired and I had to activate the new one.
As I mentioned earlier, I try to use Google as little as possible due to the company’s long history of not respecting user privacy. As a result, while I have a Gmail account, I don’t use it and have set up an alternative email in my Google account.
Like many people who use autopay, when it comes time to update my card I often forget exactly what services are set up on that card until I get notified. Despite having an alternate email set up, Google only sent notifications of the card’s expiration directly to my Gmail account…which I rarely if ever check.
While watching TV, I was suddenly presented with a screen saying the service had been paused until I could update my card, which I promptly did. Imagine my surprise when I was charged the full amount, rather than the half-price amount I had been paying.
After messaging and calling Google’s customer support, I was told that any pause, for any reason, canceled out any promotional deals. What’s more, because T-Mobile no longer offers the half-off discount (it abruptly ended shortly after I pointed out to T-Mobile customer support the questionable ethics involved), there was absolutely no way for me to regain the half-off discount.
Conclusion
Taken together, these two issues shine a spotlight on a major failing of T-Mobile and YouTube TV’s partnership: customer service.
A customer support failing of this magnitude is particularly disappointing as a T-Mobile customer. The company built its brand and owes its amazing turnaround to its legendary customer service. To intentionally promote a partnership with, and offer discounts for, a service that doesn’t work well for its customers is a rare but inexcusable lapse in its otherwise stellar customer service.
For Google’s part, as someone who rarely uses the company’s services, I can’t and won’t comment on whether this is in line with the customer service it normally offers.
At the same time, however, it’s not a good look for Google to be jumping at every possible opportunity to negate customers’ promotional discounts, even if they never intentionally paused or canceled their service.
Taken together, T-Mobile and Google provide a perfect example of everything that’s wrong with the current TV streaming market.
What I wouldn’t give for the old TVision. Short of that, I’d settle for T-Mobile partnering with a service that’s actually compatible with its Home Internet.
