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Tag: John Legere

  • John Legere Offers Elon Musk Help, Musk Rebuffs It

    John Legere Offers Elon Musk Help, Musk Rebuffs It

    John Legere, the famous former T-Mobile CEO, offered to run Twitter for Elon Musk, an offer Musk brusquely turned down.

    Legere is something of a legend in the business world after transforming T-Mobile from the fourth-place carrier to the powerhouse it is today. Most CEOs would welcome his insight into turning a company around, but Musk isn’t most CEOs. Twitter’s new boss rebuffed Legere’s offer to run the company.

    Legere took the rejection in stride, offering some free advice to Musk:

    At this time, Musk has yet to respond to Legere.

  • T-Mobile Blocking iOS Private Relay

    T-Mobile Blocking iOS Private Relay

    T-Mobile may bill itself the “Un-carrier” that puts customers’ needs first, but its latest move is a little more “Big Brother” as it begins blocking iOS Private Relay.

    Apple included Private Relay (still in beta) in iOS 15 and macOS Monterey. The feature is similar to a VPN in that it “hides your IP address and browsing activity in Safari and protects your unencrypted internet traffic.”

    Given that it bills itself as putting customers first, and given it has suffered a number of high-profile hacks, one could be forgiven for thinking T-Mobile would welcome a feature that better protects its users’ privacy. Unfortunately, one would be mistaken.

    First noticed by Mac user Jon Guidry, it appears T-Mobile is taking a page from European carriers and is starting to block Private Relay in the US.

    ”@TMobileHelp What the hey? Why are you keeping us from using @Apple’s #icloud private relay?”

    — Jon Guidry (@guidryjd), January 10, 2022

    9to5Mac has confirmed that T-Mobile is indeed moving to block the feature, although it hasn’t completed its efforts, meaning Private Relay may still work for some US users.

    In March 2021, we wrote about T-Mobile opting customers into a targeted advertising program that would use their data to deliver personalized ads. The carrier also said it would sell that data to third-party companies as well.

    It seems clear, based on its attempt to block Private Relay, that T-Mobile doesn’t want anything interfering with its data mining operation. Evidently, it’s not enough to actually charge for a service, and deliver one record quarter after another. The company evidently believes it has the right to mine data from its paying customers, and will stop at nothing to block attempts to prevent it from doing just that.

    John Legere used to famously refer to Verizon and AT&T as “dumb and dumber.” Perhaps T-Mobile should start lumping itself into that category too.

  • T-Mobile and Sprint Complete Merger; John Legere Steps Down

    T-Mobile and Sprint Complete Merger; John Legere Steps Down

    It’s official: T-Mobile and Sprint have merged to create the New T-Mobile.

    After years of trying to merge, T-Mobile and Sprint have finally sealed the deal, completing their long-awaited merger on April 1. The two companies went through an arduous process of gaining approval from the FCC and DOJ, only to face a lawsuit from a coalition of states intent on stopping the merger. Ultimately, the companies were successful in court, with the judge ruling in favor of the merger.

    With the merger complete, the U.S. wireless landscape is entering new territory. Rather than two strong competitors, followed by a distant third and fourth, there are now three strong competitors. The New T-Mobile is particularly well-positioned to compete with Verizon and AT&T, thanks to the spectrum it now has as a result of the deal. The carrier already had ample low-band spectrum, which it is using to power its nationwide 5G network. It also has quite a bit of high-band, mmWave spectrum that is used to power the fastest type of 5G. The merger with Sprint now gives T-Mobile a plethora of mid-range spectrum, which offers the coveted middle ground between low-band’s range and penetration vs mmWave’s high speeds. As a result, it’s safe to say the 5G wars are T-Mobile’s to lose.

    Simultaneously, T-Mobile also announced the completion of its long-planned transition from John Legere to Mike Sievert as CEO.

    “During this extraordinary time, it has become abundantly clear how vital a strong and reliable network is to the world we live in. The New T-Mobile’s commitment to delivering a transformative broad and deep nationwide 5G network is more important and more needed than ever and what we are building is mission-critical for consumers,” said Mike Sievert, president and CEO of T-Mobile. “With this powerful network, the New T-Mobile will deliver real choice and value to wireless and home broadband customers and double down on all the things customers have always loved about the Un-carrier. T-Mobile has been changing wireless for good — and now we are going to do it on a whole new level!”

  • T-Mobile Launching T-Mobile Connect Budget Plan Early

    T-Mobile Launching T-Mobile Connect Budget Plan Early

    T-Mobile has announced it is launching its T-Mobile Connect plan March 25, rather than waiting till after the Sprint merger is complete.

    As more and more Americans are impacted financially by the coronavirus pandemic, T-Mobile hopes its Connect plan will help people experiencing financial hardships. The plan is the company’s cheapest smartphone plan it has ever unveiled, and offers unlimited talk and text plus 2GB high-speed smartphone data, for $15 plus tax. The plan will also have full access to T-Mobile’s 5G network. For $25 per month plus tax, customers can upgrade to 5GB of monthly data.

    “Right now, having a reliable, low-cost connection is absolutely crucial for Americans, and with many facing financial strain, time is of the essence. We knew we couldn’t wait for the merger to finalize to launch T-Mobile Connect, our lowest priced smartphone plan, so we’re rolling out ahead of schedule,” said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile. “With T-Mobile Connect, we’re giving those hardest hit an even more affordable way to stay in touch. Half the price of our lowest-ever priced smartphone plan. So everyone can stay connected.”

    Kudos to T-Mobile for deploying this plan early. With countless Americans being laid off, or otherwise losing their jobs, this plan may be a life-saver to people trying to stay connected at an affordable price.

  • T-Mobile and Sprint Reach New Merger Agreement

    T-Mobile and Sprint Reach New Merger Agreement

    Following their court win allowing their proposed merger to move forward, T-Mobile and Sprint have come to new terms.

    In the aftermath of their court victory, it was reported that T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom was renegotiating the terms of the deal as a result of how much Sprint had dropped in value since the original deal was struck. When asked about it, CEO Timotheus Hottges declined to comment on any internal negotiations.

    The two companies have successfully completed negotiations, with Deutsche Telekom taking a 43% stake in the new company, up from 42%. Meanwhile, Sprint parent SoftBank will have 24%, with the remaining 33% held by public shareholders.

    “Today’s announcement is another significant step forward toward finally closing this transaction! Throughout this journey, T-Mobile and Sprint have been singularly focused on one thing: building a supercharged Un-carrier that will offer U.S. consumers a broad and deep nationwide 5G network, more choice and greater competition. We are now on the threshold of achieving our goal. And did I mention how fun it’s going to be sticking it to Dumb, Dumber and Big Cable along the way? This is going to be epic!” said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile.

    “With today’s agreement in place, we are now turning our attention toward our goal of closing this transaction and creating the New T-Mobile as early as April 1, 2020,” said Mike Sievert, COO and President of T-Mobile, and appointed CEO of the company starting on May 1, 2020. “We are on the verge of being able to do what we’ve set out to do from day one — reshape a broken wireless industry and create the new standard for consumers when it comes to value, speed, quality and service. The New T-Mobile is literally going to change wireless for good and now we’re almost ready to get to the fun part: bringing our teams together, building this supercharged Un-carrier and becoming the envy of the wireless industry and beyond!”

  • T-Mobile Posts Another Record Quarter

    T-Mobile Posts Another Record Quarter

    T-Mobile released its quarterly earnings report Thursday and, once again, turned in a record quarter that beat estimates.

    The company posted $11.9 billion in revenue in Q4 2019, up 4% from the year-ago quarter, and beating analysts’ estimates. The company also added 1 million net total subscribers, the 27th quarter in a row the company has added at least 1 million subscribers.

    CEO John Legere touted the fact that the company was able to report such positive results, all the while investing in its 5G network. To put that in perspective, Verizon recently missed earnings estimates in large part because of its own 5G rollout.

    “T-Mobile continues to deliver incredible results quarter after quarter! In Q4 we set new financial records across the board and recorded our 27th consecutive quarter with over 1 million total net customer additions,” said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile. “We achieved these spectacular results all while launching the first and only nationwide 5G network, announcing Un-carrier 1.0 for New T-Mobile, and delivering a compelling and fact-based argument in court to support our pending merger. Our results continue to show that the Un-carrier strategy works, and it delivers for both customers and shareholders. I couldn’t be more confident and excited about our future and We Won’t Stop!”

  • T-Mobile’s Growth Streak Continues, Added 1.9 Million Subscribers In Q4

    T-Mobile’s Growth Streak Continues, Added 1.9 Million Subscribers In Q4

    T-Mobile has released preliminary results for Q4, showing the company continues its record-breaking growth rate.

    According to the results, T-Mobile added 1.9 million subscribers in Q4, marking the 27th consecutive quarter the company has added at least 1 million subscribers. It also makes the 6th year in a row the company has added at least 5 million subscribers per year.

    “T-Mobile delivered another incredible fourth quarter with strong customer growth, despite a very competitive environment – and we did it while lighting up the country’s first nationwide 5G network and working to close our merger with Sprint,” said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile. “7 million net customers have chosen to join the Un-carrier movement in 2019, and they are choosing T-Mobile because we treat them right, we eliminate their pain points, and we are changing the rules of this industry for customers everywhere.”

    T-Mobile is currently well behind Verizon and AT&T, in terms of overall subscribers, and is currently fighting a coalition of states who are suing to prevent T-Mobile from acquiring Sprint. Should the number three carrier prevail, it will help it significantly close the gap. With the benefits and liabilities a merger may bring, it will be interesting to see if T-Mobile continues its record-breaking growth rate.

  • Sprint’s Former CEO Goes Rogue, Says Company Can Survive Without Merger

    Sprint’s Former CEO Goes Rogue, Says Company Can Survive Without Merger

    After testimony from both T-Mobile and Sprint executives claiming the number four carrier cannot survive without the merger with T-Mobile, Sprint’s former CEO Marcelo Claure flipped the script and claimed the company could be viable on its own.

    Bloomberg is reporting that T-Mobile CEO John Legere had previously testified that Sprint’s $40 billion in debt and unfavorable position in the market meant it would be “sold for parts” without a merger. However, when Claure—currently executive chairman of Sprint; COO of Sprint’s parent company, SoftBank Group Corp.; and CEO of SoftBank Group International—took the stand, he had a different outlook.

    “Those are possibilities,” Claure responded. “I don’t necessarily agree completely.”

    Claure did go on to say that without the merger, the road ahead would be a difficult one and likely require Sprint to leave some markets.

    “Sprint two years from now would be a very different from Sprint today, because we would cease to be a national competitor.” Claure added. He also indicated the carrier would likely have to borrow additional money and raise prices.

    Similarly, current CEO Michel Combes testified that without the deal, Sprint would have to pull back from some markets, although it would still cover three quarters of the U.S. population.

    Given that opponents of the merger do not want to see the U.S. wireless market go from four national carriers to three, Claure and Combes testimony may still help the case for the merger. In effect, both executives are implying that Sprint will cease being a national carrier and join the ranks of a regional carrier should the merger fail.

    In addition, as part of the deal, T-Mobile and Sprint would sell off wireless assets to Dish Network to help it become a new fourth carrier. Dish’s CEO Charlie Ergen testified that his company would be ready to compete with the other carriers “from day one,” once the deal is finalized and it acquires the assets involved.


    Ultimately, the court may decide that the market would be better served by Dish Network acting as the fourth carrier, rather than a crippled Sprint.

  • T-Mobile CEO John Legere Stepping Down In 2020

    T-Mobile CEO John Legere Stepping Down In 2020

    Few executives have had such an impact on their companies as T-Mobile’s CEO John Legere. During his time with the company, T-Mobile more than doubled its subscriber base, went from fourth to third place in the country and negotiated the pending acquisition of Sprint.

    Now, according to a company press release, Legere will step down as CEO when his contract expires on April 30, 2020, handing the reins to current COO Mike Sievert.

    “John Legere has had an enormously successful run as CEO. As the architect of the Un-carrier strategy and the company’s complete transformation, John has put T-Mobile US in an incredibly strong position. I have the highest respect for his performance as a manager and as a friend, I am very grateful to him for the time together,” said Tim Höttges, Deutsche Telekom CEO, and Chairman of the Board of T-Mobile US.

    Legere will remain on T-Mobile’s Board after stepping down. In the meantime, his focus will be on concluding the Sprint acquisition.

    “I hired Mike in 2012 and I have great confidence in him. I have mentored him as he took on increasingly broad responsibilities, and he is absolutely the right choice as T-Mobile’s next CEO,” said Legere. “Mike is well prepared to lead T-Mobile into the future. He has a deep understanding of where T-Mobile has been and where it needs to go to remain the most innovative company in the industry. I am extremely proud of the culture and enthusiasm we have built around challenging the status quo and our ongoing commitment to putting customers first. Together, these attributes have distinguished T-Mobile in the marketplace and on Wall Street, giving us a powerful business advantage that is instilled throughout every level of T-Mobile. I am confident it will thrive under Mike’s leadership.

    “In the months ahead, my focus will be on ensuring a smooth leadership transition and continuing to work closely with the Board and Mike to complete the Sprint transaction. This merger will create the New T-Mobile – a company that is uniquely positioned to continue disrupting the wireless category – and beyond. This marks the beginning of a dynamic new chapter for T-Mobile.”

  • John Legere Not Leaving T-Mobile For WeWork

    John Legere Not Leaving T-Mobile For WeWork

    The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that WeWork was in talks with T-Mobile CEO John Legere to take over at the office space company. Now, according to Alex Sherman at CNBC, Legere is not taking the job.

    In many ways, Legere was a natural choice for a WeWork CEO. WeWork is being taken over by SoftBank, the parent company of Sprint. T-Mobile and Sprint are nearing the end of a merger deal years in the marking. With FCC and DOJ approval, the merger only has to survive a lawsuit from a handful of states. In the meantime, however, Legere is a known factor for SoftBank leadership, as they have worked with him throughout the merger process. That first-hand experience no doubt made him a top candidate for the job.

    Sources familiar with the situation, however, said that Legere has no plans on leaving T-Mobile. The news is no doubt a welcome relief to T-Mobile investors. During his time with the company, Legere has taken it from a distant fourth place among U.S. carriers to a solid third place and growing at a record rate. Legere was also instrumental in helping get approval for the merger, and will be a steadying influence as the two companies combine.

    It should be interesting to see how much T-Mobile can grow with the combined revenue, subscribers and spectrum of the two companies, not to mention Legere’s continuing leadership.

  • WeWork Reportedly In Talks to Hire T-Mobile CEO John Legere

    WeWork Reportedly In Talks to Hire T-Mobile CEO John Legere

    According to the Wall Street Journal, WeWork is in talks to hire T-Mobile CEO John Legere. The beleaguered company is looking for a CEO who can turn it around, much as Legere is credited with turning things around at T-Mobile.

    Legere has a long history in the telecom industry, having worked at AT&T and Global Crossing Ltd. before taking over the reigns at T-Mobile. This experience makes him an ideal candidate to help run a company in a disruptive industry.

    It’s not clear if Legere will take the job. Having successfully led T-Mobile through record-breaking growth, a 240% increase in stock price and a merger with Sprint that is likely to go through in 2020, Legere was in line to receive $109 million if performance goals were met.

    Given how integral Legere has been to T-Mobile’s success, stock prices of both T-Mobile and Sprint were down following the WSJ’s report. If WeWork is successful at wooing T-Mobile’s colorful CEO, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything will change at the magenta provider. T-Mobile has increasingly been grooming Legere’s deputy, Mike Sievert, to take over for him. Mr. Sievert has featured more prominently in T-Mobile events. If Legere does leave for WeWork, it’s a safe bet that Mr. Sievert and T-Mobile will continue what he started, disrupting the wireless industry and being the scourge of Verizon and AT&T.

  • AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Join Forces to Take Messaging to the Next Level

    AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Join Forces to Take Messaging to the Next Level

    iPhone users have long-enjoyed iMessage, an iOS-only alternative to SMS that has far more features than basic messaging. WhatsApp offers a similar approach, adding features and abilities in a cross-platform app.

    Today the four major wireless carriers announced the Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative (CCMI), aimed at delivering iMessage or WhatsApp-like messaging to customers and businesses alike. The service will be based on the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol.

    The goal is to roll out the service to Android first, sometime in 2020. The CCMI service will:

    • Drive a robust business-to-consumer messaging ecosystem and accelerate the adoption of Rich Communications Services (RCS)
    • Enable an enhanced experience to privately send individual or group chats across carriers with high quality pictures and videos
    • Provide consumers with the ability to chat with their favorite brands, order a rideshare, pay bills or schedule appointments, and more
    • Create a single seamless, interoperable RCS experience across carriers, both in the U.S. and globally

    “People love text messaging for a reason. Texting is trusted, reliable and readily available—which is why we’re using it to build the foundation of a simple, immersive messaging experience,” said David Christopher, executive vice president and general manager, AT&T Mobility. “This service will power new and innovative ways for customers to engage with each other and their favorite brands.”

    “The CCMI will bring a consistent, engaging experience that makes it easy for consumers and businesses to interact in an environment they can trust,” said Michel Combes, President & CEO of Sprint. “As we have seen in Asia, messaging is poised to become the next significant digital platform. CCMI will make it easy for consumers to navigate their lives from a smartphone.”

    “At the Un-carrier, customers drive everything we do, and that’s no different here,” said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile. “Efforts like CCMI help move the entire industry forward so we can give customers more of what they want and roll out new messaging capabilities that work the same across providers and even across countries.”

    “At Verizon, our customers depend on reliable text messaging to easily connect them to the people they care about most. Yet, we can deliver even more working together as an industry,” said Ronan Dunne, CEO of Verizon Consumer Group. “CCMI will create the foundation for an innovative digital platform that not only connects consumers with friends and family, but also offers a seamless experience for consumers to connect with businesses in a compelling and trusted environment.”

    With all four of the major carriers on board, the CCMI will hopefully usher in the next generation of messaging, bringing welcome improvements to one of the most heavily used phone services.

  • T-Mobile Eliminates Overage Fees

    T-Mobile Eliminates Overage Fees

    For over one year now T-Mobile has been shifting the mobile landscape in the U.S. The competition the company has brought with its “JUMP!” service plans, early termination fee pay-offs, and more has benefited mobile consumers at every major carrier.

    Today T-Mobile revealed the third of three planned “Uncarrier” announcements over the past week. The previous two announcements brought the mobile provider a new lowest-priced service plan and a new 4G tablet pricing initiative.

    With this latest announcement T-Mobile has officially eliminated all of its overage fees. Calling the practice of overage fees “one of the most reviled wireless industry practices,” T-Mobile now says that all customers on any of its plans can talk, text, and use data without fear of being charged extra.

    “Charging overage fees is a greedy, predatory practice that needs to go,” said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile. “Starting in May for bills arriving in June – regardless of whether you’re on Simple Choice, Simple Starter, or an older plan, we’re abolishing overages for good. Period.”

    As has become customary for T-Mobile announcements, Legere used the occasion to lash out at the three other major U.S. mobile providers. In this case, Legere is challenging those providers to follow T-Mobile’s lead and eliminate their overage fees. Legere has even posted a petition to change.org calling on the carriers to do just that.

    “Today I’m laying down a challenge to AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint to join T-Mobile in ending these outrageous overage penalties for all consumers – because it’s the right thing to do,” said Legere. “Overage fees are flat out wrong. Agree with me? Join me in putting this challenge to all the major national carriers by signing my petition on Change.org. Right here. Take one minute to be a part of this consumer movement.”

    T-Mobile estimates that combined overage charges at Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint total $1 billion each year. The company also states that 20 million U.S. mobile subscribers with hit with these charges last year.

    Image via T-Mobile

  • T-Mobile USA Names John Legere CEO

    Deutsche Telekom just announced that John Legere will assume the role of CEO of T-Mobile USA.

    Legere, 54, succeeds Jim Alling, who has been serving as interim CEO since June. Legere will take over on September 22, and Alling will return to his role as T-Mobile’s COO.

    “John is a talented and proven executive who brings a successful track record of leading and operating consumer- and business-focused telecommunications and technology companies,” said Deutsche Telekom CEO RenĂ© Obermann. “As T-Mobile moves forward with its strategic initiatives to improve its market position, including expanding its network coverage and initiating LTE service, John has obviously the right skillset to lead the business into the future. John’s experience in the telecommunication and technology industries at Global Crossing and Dell will enhance T-Mobile’s ability to deliver superior mobile experiences for our customers as the Company continues to strengthen its business. I am delighted to welcome John to T-Mobile and look forward to working with him to make T-Mobile a stronger competitor.”

    Legere has spent 32 years in the telecommunications and tech industries. He’s the former CEO of Global Crossing. Before that, he was CEO of Asia Global Crossing, a Microsoft, Softbank and Global Crossing joint venture. Before that, he was SVP at Dell, where he was President of the company’s operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, as well as in the Asia-Pacific region. Before that, Legere worked at AT&T in a variety of senior positions, including President of AT&T Asia, President of AT&T Solutions Outsourcing and head of global corporate strategy and business development.

    “I am thrilled to join T-Mobile and lead the Company at such a pivotal time,” said Legere. “T-Mobile is taking a number of significant steps to revitalize the business and I look forward to leading our team and partners to accelerate these efforts to become a force in our industry.”

    T-Mobile is the only major U.S. carrier not to get the iPhone 5.