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Tag: Mike Sievert

  • T-Mobile Acquiring Mint Mobile, Bringing Ryan Reynolds Onboard

    T-Mobile Acquiring Mint Mobile, Bringing Ryan Reynolds Onboard

    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.

  • Neville Ray, T-Mobile’s President of Technology, Is Retiring

    Neville Ray, T-Mobile’s President of Technology, Is Retiring

    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 Was 2022’s Undisputed Wireless and Broadband Winner

    T-Mobile Was 2022’s Undisputed Wireless and Broadband Winner

    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.

  • Delta SkyMiles Members to Get Free In-Flight Wi-Fi, Courtesy of T-Mobile

    Delta SkyMiles Members to Get Free In-Flight Wi-Fi, Courtesy of T-Mobile

    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 Delivers Record-Breaking Results in 2023

    T-Mobile Delivers Record-Breaking Results in 2023

    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!”

  • Users Can Test Drive T-Mobile’s Network for Free for Three Months

    Users Can Test Drive T-Mobile’s Network for Free for Three Months

    T-Mobile is upping the ante once again, giving users the ability to test its network for free for up to three months.

    T-Mobile has long billed itself as the “Un-carrier,” thanks to its tendency to do things that go against standard practices in the wireless industry. The company was the first to bring back unlimited data and bundle taxes and fees in the final price customers pay.

    The company is once again making an Un-carrier move, giving users the ability to test drive its network for free for up to three months via its Network Pass service.

    “Switching is another insane artifact left over from a stupid, broken, arrogant industry … and it’s hard on purpose. As the industry juggernauts in the 3G and 4G era, Verizon and AT&T designed switching to be difficult, keeping their hordes of customers from leaving to protect their billions in revenues,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “At the Un-carrier, we’re laser-focused on being the wireless provider you want to stay with, not the one you’re stuck with. Now through digital innovation we’re making it easier than ever to switch with no worry, less hassle and tons more value than ever before with T-Mobile.”

    Should a customer decide they want to permanently switch to T-Mobile, the company’s Easy Switch makes it a cinch for customers to do so via the T-Mobile app, thanks to eSIMs. An eSIM is a hardware component in a modern phone that can be programmed with SIM card information, allowing it to act in the same capacity as a traditional SIM card. This makes it much easier for users to change carriers, not even needing to go to a T-Mobile store with Easy Switch.

    The company is so confident customers will be happy with the coverage and speed of its network, that it is including Network Scorecard in the T-Mobile app so individuals can gauge the quality of the service they’re getting.

    “Every wireless network has spots where the signal fades, but the difference between T-Mobile and everyone else is that we’ll actually let you experience the country’s leading 5G network BEFORE you switch. That’s how confident we are in T-Mobile’s network,” said Neville Ray, President of Technology at T-Mobile. “There’s a reason that experts in nearly 30 reports have given T-Mobile 5G top marks for speed and availability. The Un-carrier is THE leader in the 5G era, and we want people to see it for themselves!”

  • T-Mobile Partners With SpaceX to Provide Coast-to-Coast Coverage

    T-Mobile Partners With SpaceX to Provide Coast-to-Coast Coverage

    T-Mobile and SpaceX are working together to take coverage to the next level, leveraging SpaceX’s Starlink service and T-Mobile’s 5G.

    T-Mobile is already the second-largest wireless carrier in the US and is widely considered to be the leader in 5G. Despite significant advances in coverage over the past several years, there are still parts of the US that have no wireless coverage from any provider.

    The magenta carrier wants to fix that problem and is working with SpaceX to do so. The two companies will leverage the power of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, in combination with T-Mobile’s wealth of mid-band spectrum, to provide true coast-to-coast coverage. Best of all, T-Mobile wants to ensure the new network works with existing phones, meaning most phones will be compatible with the service.

    “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. “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 important thing about this is that it means there are no dead zones anywhere in the world for your cell phone,” said SpaceX Chief Engineer Elon Musk. “We’re incredibly excited to do this with T-Mobile.”

    The two companies’ new network will provide customers with connectivity virtually anywhere they can see the sky. Initial plans include coverage for “the continental US, Hawaii, parts of Alaska, Puerto Rico and territorial waters,” and the companies have invited carriers around the world to participate, opening the door to truly global coverage.

  • T-Mobile Posts Major Subscriber Growth on Cheaper Plans

    T-Mobile Posts Major Subscriber Growth on Cheaper Plans

    T-Mobile released its Q2 2022 results, turning in huge subscriber growth as a result of cheaper plans.

    Once dead last among US carriers, T-Mobile has become a juggernaut in the industry. The company was already climbing fast before its acquisition of Sprint, but the merger gave it the subscriber growth and spectrum to truly become the powerhouse it currently is. If the company’s latest quarterly results are any indication, that trend isn’t changing anytime soon.

    T-Mobile posted a gain of 723,000 postpaid phone subscribers and beat Verizon’s churn rate for the first time ever. “Churn” is the term for turnover within the wireless industry as customers switch from one carrier to another.

    The company’s High Speed Internet division added 560,000 customers, the best in the industry for the third consecutive quarter. Meanwhile, overall net postpaid customer additions came in at 1.7 million, beating AT&T and Verizon combined and setting a company best for Q2.

    The company’s services revenue grew 6% year-over-year, coming in at $15.3 billion.

    T-Mobile posted an overall net loss of $108 million, or $0.09 per share, driven largely by the write-down related to a wired network the company inherited from its merger with Spring, as well as its recent settlement over the 2021 data breach. These factors combined to account for nearly $1 billion in higher operating costs.

    Despite the additional costs, T-Mobile raised its 2022 guidance across the board, including raising its postpaid net customer additions guidance from 5.3 to 5.8 million for the year to between 6.0 million and 6.3 million.

    “Our relentless focus on putting customers first delivered yet another outstanding quarter for T-Mobile with industry-leading postpaid and broadband customer growth, including our highest ever postpaid account adds in company history,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “This momentum fueled our growth strategy and allowed us to raise guidance across the board yet again — further proof that our commitment to addressing customer pain points in this challenging macro-economic environment is working.”

  • T‑Mobile’s Targets the Enterprise with 5G Advanced Network Solutions

    T‑Mobile’s Targets the Enterprise with 5G Advanced Network Solutions

    T-Mobile is looking to leverage the power of its 5G network to help enterprises capitalize on the troves of data they collect.

    Data is increasingly a priceless commodity for businesses of all sizes. Unfortunately, using that data and turning it into actionable insights can be a challenge. T-Mobile is hoping to address that with 5G Advanced Network Solutions (ANS).

    T-Mobile bills 5G ANS as “a suite of supercharged, managed network solutions that give enterprises more flexibility than ever.” The company is leveraging its position as the leading 5G carrier in the US to help customers reduce their latency as much as 50%, compared to Wi-Fi and CBRS spectrum. T-Mobile has also partnered with Dell, Ericsson, and Nokia to make 5G ANS even better.

    “With 5G ANS, we started where T-Mobile always starts: by listening to customers. They told us they need solutions that work TODAY but will also scale tomorrow as part of their digital transformation journey,” said Mike Sievert, CEO, T-Mobile. “With our 5G network, assets and technical leadership, T-Mobile is uniquely equipped to solve the widest array of enterprise challenges, with flexible options, and that’s why we are already seeing industry-leaders use 5G ANS across aviation, entertainment, transportation and more. This is how the 5G leader does 5G enterprise solutions.”

    As part of its services, T-Mobile is leveraging its 5G network to provide customers with three options: Public Mobile Network, Hybrid Mobile Network, and Private Mobile Network. The three options allow customers to choose the solution that’s best for their unique needs.

    T-Mobile’s customers are already praising the impact 5G ANS has had.

    “Making technology driven decisions while flying above the water at highway speeds makes all the difference between winning and losing. It also gives fans an amazing viewing experience,” said Russell Coutts, CEO, SailGP. “With 5G Advanced Network Solutions powering our F50 fleet, we’ve entered a new era of racing. Knowing we have the world’s greatest technology partners enables us to push the boundaries of the sport and capture the attention of the next generation of race fans.”

  • T-Mobile’s 5G Network Fuels Record Quarter

    T-Mobile’s 5G Network Fuels Record Quarter

    T-Mobile delivered another stellar quarter, setting a Q1 record and leading the industry in key areas.

    T-Mobile reported 348,000 postpaid net account additions in Q1, as well as 1.3 million postpaid net customer additions. Both figures were industry-leading, with the former being a Q1 company record and the latter being the best Q1 results in eight years.

    Interestingly, another bright spot for the company was its broadband internet service. T-Mobile racked up 338,000 net customer additions, another industry best and company record.

    “T-Mobile continues to be the growth leader in this industry, with another beat and raise quarter that delivered front-of-the-pack postpaid, new account, and broadband customer results,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “Only the Un-carrier’s unparalleled network leadership in the 5G era has enabled us to give customers the best network and best value without compromise, and effectively solve one of the most prevalent pain points in the wireless industry. And we are accomplishing this while advancing our integration and delivering bigger synergies faster than expected. I’m excited to carry our momentum forward through the rest of the year.”

  • T-Mobile’s Ultra Capacity 5G Now Covers 200 Million People

    T-Mobile’s Ultra Capacity 5G Now Covers 200 Million People

    T-Mobile has reached its goal of covering 200 million people with its Ultra Capacity 5G by the end of 2021.

    Ultra Capacity 5G is the term T-Mobile uses for its 5G running on the mid-band 2.5 GHz spectrum. Unlike the faster mmWave, which is in the 6 GHz range, T-Mobile’s Ultra Capacity can reach farther and penetrate obstacles better. Despite being slower than mmWave, T-Mobile has achieved speeds in excess of 1 Gbps with its mid-band spectrum.

    The company had set a goal of reaching 200 million people by the end of 2021, a goal it has already achieved.

    “We’re delivering game changing Ultra Capacity 5G to people across the country at an unprecedented pace, putting us in a network leadership position with a two-year head start on the competition. And that gap is only getting wider as we speed up,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “Only T-Mobile is delivering a 5G network capable of truly transforming the smartphone experience – 5G’s first killer app – and that’s just the beginning. With Ultra Capacity 5G nationwide, we’re unleashing innovators across the country to build new 5G applications that will change the world.”

    In the meantime, Verizon and AT&T have both paused their mid-band spectrum rollout over concerns of interference with aviation altimeters. Verizon and AT&T’s mid-band spectrum is in the 3.7 to 3.98 GHz range, relatively close to the 4.2 to 4.4 GHz range of altimeters. In contrast, T-Mobile’s 2.5 GHz spectrum is far enough away to not pose any concern.

  • Bucking the Trend, T-Mobile Wants Employees In-Office In October

    Bucking the Trend, T-Mobile Wants Employees In-Office In October

    Unlike many tech companies, T-Mobile wants employees back in the office by October 15.

    Many companies have postponed their initial plans to bring employees back into the office as a result of the Delta variant. Many companies have pushed their plans back to the beginning of 2022, while Microsoft has said it will stop projecting a return-to-office date altogether and simply let science and data dictate the date.

    T-Mobile, on the other hand, only pushed its return-to-office date back by one month, and wants employees in the office — at least part time — no later than October 25, according to The Seattle Times. Even then, the company would like vaccinated employees to return sooner. The company has taken a number of steps to ensure employee safety and peace of mind.

    “Because we’re taking this big step to ensure your safety at our offices, I’m also urging employees to stick to our planned September 20 or earlier date for returning to the office with your flexible resident or hybrid schedule,” Mike Sievert, T-Mobile CEO, said Aug. 31 in an internal email seen by The Seattle Times. “Our spaces are open and ready for you, and it is time to come back regularly.” 

    Employees of Apple, Google and other companies have pushed back on efforts to return to the office, especially when those efforts seemed premature. It remains to be seen how much T-Mobile employees will object.

  • T-Mobile Beating Rivals in Workforce Diversity

    T-Mobile Beating Rivals in Workforce Diversity

    In addition to leading its rivals in 5G, T-Mobile also has the most diverse workforce among the major US carriers.

    T-Mobile has been making strides on all fronts in recent years, buying Sprint, leapfrogging AT&T to become the number two carrier and has taken the lead in the 5G race. The company also boasts the most diverse workforce, according to The Seattle Times, with people of color accounting for 60% of its employees.

    Speaking about the company’s progress, CEO Mike Sievert said racial justice and diversity have been major points of focus.

    Over the last year, we focused heavily on our people and our culture. We guided teams through the significant shifts in our business and a pandemic-world, while witnessing protests for greater racial justice that took place across our country. We implemented measures to help employees manage the social, emotional, and economic stress of the pandemic while undertaking the important journey of uniting our company behind a new company vision, mission, and values. We also launched our five-year Equity In Action plan, which reflects our commitment to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion even more strongly in our company culture with ambitious programs to continue building diverse talent across our company to reflect communities we serve.

  • T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert Apologizes for Hack

    T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert Apologizes for Hack

    T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert has issued a statement apologizing for the recent hack that compromised tens of millions of user accounts.

    T-Mobile’s systems were compromised in mid-August, with a treasure-trove of personal data stolen and put online for sale. Depending on the accounts in question, the compromised information contained some combination of names, addresses, date of birth, phone numbers, IMEIs, IMSIs, SSNs and driver’s license/ID information.

    CEO Mike Sievert has issued an apology to customers, calling the entire ordeal a “humbling” experience.

    Attacks like this are on the rise and bad actors work day-in and day-out to find new avenues to attack our systems and exploit them. We spend lots of time and effort to try to stay a step ahead of them, but we didn’t live up to the expectations we have for ourselves to protect our customers. Knowing that we failed to prevent this exposure is one of the hardest parts of this event. On behalf of everyone at Team Magenta, I want to say we are truly sorry.

  • T-Mobile Delivers Record Q2, Raises Guidance

    T-Mobile Delivers Record Q2, Raises Guidance

    T-Mobile continued its assent in the US wireless industry, turning in a record-breaking Q2 and raising guidance across the board.

    The magenta carrier added 1.3 million customers, and led the industry with 627,000 postpaid phone net additions, 2.5x more than last year. The company had $20 billion in revenue, a 13% growth year over year.

    Net income came in at $978 million, 8x more than last year, representing earnings per share of $0.78. In contrast, analysts were expecting $19.34 billion, with $0.53 per share earnings.

    T-Mobile also continued its 5G dominance, covering 305 million people and 1.7 million square miles with its Extended Range 5G. The company was quick to point out that this represents more coverage than Verizon and AT&T combined.

    At the same time, T-Mobile’s Ultra Capacity 5G, with average speeds of 350 Mbps, covers 165 million people. The company says it is on track to cover 200 million by year’s end.

    “Stellar postpaid customer gains and industry-leading service revenue growth translated into industry-best growth in profitability and cash flow, and drove another beat and raise quarter – all fueled by unprecedented synergies that only T-Mobile can deliver,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “As we capitalize on our 5G leadership, it’s increasingly clear that our unmatched network, outstanding value and customer-centric experiences are setting the Un-carrier apart from everyone else.”

  • T-Mobile Reports Quarterly Results, Smashes Estimates

    T-Mobile Reports Quarterly Results, Smashes Estimates

    T-Mobile has reported its quarterly results, beating analysts’ estimates and reporting strong subscriber growth.

    T-Mobile is known for large gains in the subscriber department, and this quarter was no exception. The company posted 1.4 million net additions, beating both AT&T and Verizon.

    The company also posted $19.76 billion in revenue, up from $11.11 billion in the year-ago quarter, a 78% increase. Net profit came in at $933 million, or $0.74 a share. In contrast, analysts were expecting $0.54 a share.

    T-Mobile’s acquisition of Sprint is moving ahead, with roughly 20% of Sprint customers already moved over to the T-Mobile network. In addition, 50% of Sprint customer traffic is now on the T-Mobile network.

    “T-Mobile puts customers at the center of everything we do by giving them the best network, value and experience all at once – and this quarter’s stellar, industry-leading results prove that they’re noticing,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “We just keep pushing further ahead of the competition. Our network leadership is fueling customer momentum, delivering merger synergies and expanding our addressable markets for growth. We have so much confidence that we are raising 2021 guidance just one quarter into the year. Our mission is to be the very best at connecting customers to their world and we’re delivering on it.”

  • T-Mobile First Carrier to Embrace Messages by Google

    T-Mobile First Carrier to Embrace Messages by Google

    T-Mobile expanded its partnership with Google, becoming the first US carrier to make Messages by Google the default SMS choice on its Android phones.

    Messages by Google is the company’s attempt to grow beyond basic text messaging. Messages implements the RCS protocol, bringing SMS more on par with Apple’s iMessage or Facebook’s WhatsApp. RCS allows for group chats, read receipts, file attachments, encryption and more.

    Unfortunately for Google, the company has had difficulty getting carriers to make the jump to the new protocol. T-Mobile has now become the first carrier to make Messages the default SMS app on Android and Pixel phones the carrier ships.

    “This is a win for Android users and an even greater win for the Android ecosystem,” said Hiroshi Lockheimer, Senior Vice President of Platforms and Ecosystems at Google. “T-Mobile and Google have been working together to champion Android since the very beginning with the launch of the T-Mobile G1 in 2008. We’re taking what has already been a long and very successful relationship, and building on it to bring Android customers even more features and services.”

    The news follows T-Mobile’s announcement it would be ending its in-house TVision streaming TV service, in favor of its customers receiving a $10 per month discount on YouTube TV.

    “We’re building on our decade-long relationship with Google to give customers an even better experience with the world’s very best products and services offered by Android, Pixel and YouTube,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “The world’s most popular smartphone platform with Android, a broad range of premium Pixel devices, an upgraded, modern messaging experience on Android and a robust entertainment offering with YouTube TV — it’s the best of Google, combined with the nation’s largest and fastest 5G network on T-Mobile.”

  • Verizon and T-Mobile Complete STIR/SHAKEN Rollout

    Verizon and T-Mobile Complete STIR/SHAKEN Rollout

    T-Mobile and Verizon announced they have both rolled out the STIR/SHAKEN protocols in an effort to fight robocalls and spam.

    The STIR/SHAKEN protocols are designed to provide a way for carriers to verify the origin and authenticity of a call, and then pass that verification on to the carrier on the receiving end of the call, who then verifies it again. If the call is verified by all carriers involved, the recipient phone will display a “Caller Verified” badge.

    The first and second largest carriers announced they have both completed their STIR/SHAKEN implementation, offering an additional layer of protection to their customers.

    “This latest STIR/SHAKEN milestone is a key part of our overall efforts to combat these unwanted calls,” said Ronan Dunne, EVP and CEO of Verizon Consumer Group. “There is always more to be done, but this is yet another important step for the industry and customers should rest assured that we remain vigilant in our efforts to take down the bad guys and protect them.”

    “T-Mobile was first to implement number verification in 2019 because protecting customers against scammers and spammers is one of the most important things we can do as an industry,” said Mike Sievert, CEO T-Mobile. “To date, T-Mobile has protected over 80 million customers from more than 33 billion suspect calls – and counting. With the combination of Number Verification, free Caller ID and the scam blocking tools in Scam Shield, and by working with network providers of all sizes, we are providing the industry’s most comprehensive scam and spam protection for free to all our customers and working every day to make scammers jobs impossible.”

    The implementation of the protocol is good news for consumers.

  • T-Mobile CEO: Our Competitors Spent $80 Billion To Catch Up and They Fell Short

    T-Mobile CEO: Our Competitors Spent $80 Billion To Catch Up and They Fell Short

    “Our competitors just spent a combined $80 billion trying to catch up and match us and they fell short,” says T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert. “We didn’t just leave this auction with the most mid-band spectrum, we left the auction with the best mid-band spectrum. Our two and a half gigahertz spectrum is more than 50 percent better in most use cases and we have more of it than anybody else. It’s going to make us famous for network in the 5G era.”

    Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile, says that despite AT&T and Verizon spending $80 billion in the c-band auction trying to catch up and match them, they fell short:

    Our Competitors Spent $80 Billion To Catch Up and They Fell Short

    What the c-band auction shows is the extraordinary value of what T-Mobile has. Our competitors just spent a combined $80 billion trying to catch up and match us and they fell short. They spent $80 billion dollars and are still falling short. We didn’t just leave this auction with the most mid-band spectrum, we left the auction with the best mid-band spectrum. Our two and a half gigahertz spectrum is more than 50 percent better in most use cases. Yet we have more of it than anybody else. It’s really terrific because we’ve taken it and run ahead by about two years with the best asset base in the industry. It’s going to make us famous for network in the 5G era.

    As we sit here today we’re more than a million square miles ahead of AT&T and Verizon on deployment. We have more 5G geographic coverage out there than AT&T and Verizon combined. We’re also adding coverage at a record pace, at a pace no one company in this industry has ever done. We started ramping up this engine two years ago and now it’s running at pace. While our competitors just seized some assets, they didn’t catch up, but they just seized some assets that they’re going to get after, but they’re way behind.

    We Will Unlock Massive Cashflow From This Business

    Yesterday we announced a business plan where we demonstrated massive cash flow potential from this business with very reasonable assumptions. These are assumptions that don’t require us to catch any unicorns. We just have to go do what we’ve already demonstrated we know how to do and we’ll unlock massive cash flow potential in this business. We have everything we need to deliver that business plan right now.

    Last week we announced our Work From Home solution. We just started our rollout of home broadband for business home office workers. That’s across more than 50 million of the US population and it will rapidly expand to nationwide. It’s such an exciting thing. Now, work from home workers no longer have to share the WiFiwith their kids. That’s so important.

    They also don’t have to worry about security if they are enterprises, they can get their home office workers a secure connection. Later this month, as we unveiled yesterday, we’ll be announcing our consumer launch plans across a wide swath of this country with rate plans, go to market plans. etc. We’re really excited about what’s ahead in home broadband. From a timing standpoint, we’re way ahead of the other new entrants.

    Starlink Is Not A Broadband Competitor

    SpaceX Starlink Constellation (and other satellite broadband provider) could be a compliment or a future collaborator. Ultimately, for the core mainstream broadband connection, it’s going to come down to capacity. Those emerging technologies won’t be able to match on capacity but they’ll be really great augments for places that macro networks don’t reach. Capacity will be the game. Nobody has the ability to deliver more capacity to more places than T-Mobile.

    That’s just so great. This is a company that used to be a scrappy upstart and now we’re the number two provider but with demonstrably the best asset base in this industry.

    T-Mobile CEO: Our Competitors Spent $80 Billion To Catch Up and They Fell Short
  • T-Mobile Touts Its 5G Following FCC Auction

    T-Mobile Touts Its 5G Following FCC Auction

    T-Mobile is touting the strength of its 5G network following a record-breaking FCC auction of coveted mid-range spectrum.

    Experts expected the FCC auction to fetch as much as $47 billion. Instead, it topped a whopping $81 billion. The spectrum auctioned was mid-range C-band, desperately needed by both Verizon and AT&T to help roll out their 5G networks. Both companies spent appropriately, with Verizon coming in at more than $45 billion and AT&T spending more than $23 billion.

    In contrast, T-Mobile only spent a little more than $9 billion, largely thanks to its strong spectrum portfolio. Thanks to its merger with Sprint, T-Mobile aready had a wealth of mid-band spectrum — considered the ideal spectrum for 5G — which it has been rapidly deploying. Providing a good blend of range and building penetration, T-Mobile has already achieved speeds in excess of 1 Gbps using its mid-band spectrum. Thanks to its position, T-Mobile only bought spectrum in top urban and suburban markets to help round out its existing holdings.

    In its latest post, however, T-Mobile also highlighted the advantage its mid-band spectrum has over the C-band spectrum the FCC was auctioning. With wireless spectrum, the lower the frequency, the longer the range it provides and the better it penetrates obstacles, such as buildings.

    T-Mobile’s current mid-band spectrum is primarily in the 2.5 Ghz range. In contrast, the C-band spectrum just auctioned is in the 3.7 Ghz to 4.2 Ghz range. In other words, the spectrum Verizon and AT&T spent more than $68 billion on is more than a full gigahertz higher than T-Mobile’s primary mid-band, meaning it will offer less range and worse penetration. This will, in turn, result in higher deployment costs for those companies, as T-Mobile points out:

    In the mid-band range, C-Band offers a great mix of coverage and speed, but there are some key differences from 2.5 GHz, the mid-band spectrum T-Mobile is primarily using to roll out Ultra Capacity 5G. Most notably, it doesn’t travel as far. T-Mobile engineers estimate it will require 50% more cell sites for meaningful and continuous coverage, and in some areas, for example in-building, the required densification can be 4x higher than 2.5 GHz. That’s why T-Mobile strategically invested in C-Band to supplement its much broader 2.5 GHz footprint in select urban and suburban areas where it already has a dense network. This will allow for the spectrum to quickly be deployed and provide a more meaningful performance boost for customers.

    C-Band vs 2.5GHz Comparison
    C-Band vs 2.5GHz Comparison

    The company promises it will continue with its 5G deployment, covering 200 million with its high-speed Ultra Capacity 5G this year.

    “T-Mobile customers are the clear winners in this auction. Our already industry-leading 5G network enabled us to be highly selective and strategic, concentrating our wins in top markets nationwide,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “As I predicted last fall, the other guys spent an unbelievable amount — because they had to. And even then, the truth is that C-Band is best for urban areas because it doesn’t propagate as well as T-Mobile’s substantial existing mid-band frequencies. For us, C-Band makes a great story even better, and we are incredibly pleased with our clear success in this auction. Our competitors had no choice but to go all in with a break-the-bank attempt to remain relevant in the 5G era.”

  • T-Mobile WFX Challenges Verizon and AT&T for the Enterprise

    T-Mobile WFX Challenges Verizon and AT&T for the Enterprise

    T-Mobile launched T-Mobile WFX, its latest Un-carrier move aimed at helping businesses embrace the digital transformation.

    CEO Mike Sievert opened the event, highlighting the company’s unrivaled 5G network, which is currently 2.5x larger than AT&T’s and 4x larger than Verizon’s. Sievert then talked about how having the largest 5G network put T-Mobile in a position to help address business pain points, especially in the midst of a pandemic-driven shift to remote work.

    “The pandemic pushed the fast forward button on the future of work, giving us a decade’s worth of progress in a year’s time. And it’s clear that work will never be the same,” said Mike Sievert, T-Mobile CEO. “Tomorrow’s workplace won’t be anything like the old work from office (WFO) world, and it won’t be like today’s work from home (WFH) world. It’ll be something new: the work from anywhere (WFX) world. And T-Mobile WFX and our 5G network arrive at the right time to help businesses meet this moment head on … and come out the other side stronger.”

    The result is T-Mobile WFX, comprised of three services: T-Mobile Enterprise Unlimited, T-Mobile Home Office Internet and T-Mobile Collaborate.

    T-Mobile Enterprise Unlimited

    The company points out that Verizon and AT&T has 50% of enterprise employees locked into limited data plans, requiring customers to estimate how much data they’ll use and pay for overages. With data usage expected to increase with 5G, businesses will spend some $2.5 billion over the next five years just in overages.

    T-Mobile Enterprise Unlimited is a new plan for businesses to give them unlimited 4G and 5G data at the same or better price than Verizon and AT&T charge for limited, shared pools of data.

    T-Mobile Home Office Internet

    T-Mobile Home Office Internet is aimed squarely at the remote worker, providing a fast, secure connection for employees. The included router prioritizes employee devices and filters non-business activity, so the connection remains fast and stable. Meanwhile, family members can continue browsing, gaming and watching videos without being impacted.

    The device also includes enterprise-grade security, greatly improving security over a standard home WiFi router.

    T-Mobile Collaborate

    T-Mobile Collaborate is a new product the company is introducing, designed to replace legacy phone systems with a modern, mobile-first, cloud-driven approach.

    The service is an enterprise-grade phone system that provides video and voice conferencing. It includes a built-in AI assistant that can take notes and follow up on items, and features integration with Microsoft 365 and other workplace apps.

    “From our experience, T-Mobile Collaborate is a modern, cost effective platform that scales with City of Los Angeles employees, so they can do the critical work needed to create a safe, livable, and prosperous city,” said Ted Ross, Chief Technology Officer, City of Los Angeles.

    The new service is powered by Dialpad, and T-Mobile has made an equity investment in the company via T-Mobile Ventures.

    Pricing

    T-Mobile WFX starts at $90 per line per month, while Enterprise Unlimited with T-Mobile Collaborate can be added together starting at $37 per line per month.