Tag: T-Mobile

California AG Comes to Terms With T-Mobile Over Sprint Merger
After a failed attempt to stop the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, the California Attorney General has come to terms with the company and will not pursue an appeal.

Despite the merger receiving approval from both the FCC and the DOJ, California and New York led a coalition of states attempting to block the merger. As the process carried on, several states negotiated with the two carriers and won enough concessions and guarantees to drop out of the lawsuit. The suit continued on, however, and stood poised to set a precedent for the role states have in contesting and stopping a decision federal agencies supported.

Ultimately, T-Mobile and Sprint won, but California was still able to get some additional concessions in the aftermath. In the press release, Attorney General Xavier Becerra listed the concessions T-Mobile agreed to, including:
- Make low-cost plans available in California for at least 5 years, including a plan offering 2 GB of high-speed data at $15 per month and 5 GB of high speed data at $25 per month;
- Extend for at least an additional two years the rate plans offered by T-Mobile pursuant to its earlier FCC commitment, ensuring Californians can retain T-Mobile plans held in February 2019 for a total of five years;
- Offer 100 GB of no-cost broadband internet service per year for five years and a free mobile Wi-Fi hotspot device to 10 million qualifying low-income households not currently connected to broadband nationwide, as well as the option to purchase select Wi-Fi enabled tablets at the company’s cost for each qualifying household;
- Protect California jobs by offering all California T-Mobile and Sprint retail employees in good standing an offer of substantially similar employment. T-Mobile also commits that three years after the closing date, the total number of new T-Mobile employees will be equal to or greater than the total number of employees of the unmerged Sprint and T-Mobile companies;
- Create approximately 1,000 new jobs in California with a customer service center in Kingsburg;
- Increase diversity by increasing the participation rate in its employee Diversity and Inclusion program to 60 percent participation within three years; and
- Reimburse California and other coalition states up to $15 million for the costs of the investigation and litigation challenging the merger.
“Our coalition vigorously challenged the T-Mobile/Sprint telecom merger over concerns that it would thwart competition and leave consumers with higher prices,” said Attorney General Becerra. “We took our case to court to ensure that, no matter its outcome, we’d protect innovation and fair prices. Though the district court approved the merger, its decision also made clear to companies that local markets matter in assessing the competitive impact of a merger and that no one should underestimate the role of state enforcers. Most importantly, today’s settlement locks in new jobs and protections for vulnerable consumers, and it extends access to telecom services for our most underserved and rural communities.”

With an appeal by California off the table, the two companies should be moving full speed ahead to close the deal.
March 11, 2020
FCC Moving to Require Carriers to Fight Robocalls

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has unveiled a proposal to require carriers and telephone providers to fight robocalls, after being disappointed some did not voluntarily do so.

“All of us are fed up with robocalls—including me,” said Chairman Pai. “We’ve taken many steps to stem the tide of spoofed robocalls. I’m excited about the proposal I’m advancing today: requiring phone companies to adopt a caller ID authentication framework called STIR/SHAKEN. Widespread implementation will give American consumers a lot more peace of mind when they pick up the phone. Last year, I demanded that major phone companies voluntarily deploy STIR/SHAKEN, and a number of them did. But it’s clear that FCC action is needed to spur across-the-board deployment of this important technology. There is no silver bullet when it comes to eradicating robocalls, but this is a critical shot at the target.”

Spoofing is a favorite of robocallers who will make their number appear as if it is from the same area code or exchange as the person they’re calling, making it more likely the receiver will pick up. STIR/SHAKEN is a protocol that helps carriers verify the identify of a caller to ensure the number is not being spoofed. If the call spans carriers, the originating carrier passes on the verification to the receiving carrier, and a “Call Verified” badge will show up on the receiver’s caller ID.

The FCC had previously recommended that carriers begin implementing STIR/SHAKEN but, based on Chairman Pai’s proposal, some of them did not comply. Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T have all committed to supporting the protocol.

March 7, 2020
FCC Announces Carrier Fines For Selling Customer Data

The FCC has officially unveiled its proposed fines for wireless carriers over selling customer data to third parties, with T-Mobile receiving the highest fines.

The FCC’s announcement (PDF) comes after all four major carriers were found guilty of selling customer location data to third parties without consent. This arrangement violated the requirement that telecom companies be the sole gateway for the government to conduct lawful surveillance.

In at least one instance, “a Missouri Sheriff, Cory Hutcheson, used a ‘location-finding service’ operated by Securus, a provider of communications services to correctional facilities, to access the location information of the wireless carriers’ customers without their consent between 2014 and 2017. In some cases, Hutcheson provided Securus with irrelevant documents like his health insurance policy, his auto insurance policy, and pages from Sheriff training manuals as evidence of his authorization to access wireless customer location data.”

In response to public outcry from journalists, privacy advocates and lawmakers, the FCC investigated, resulting in the proposed fines. The FCC proposes fining T-Mobile $91 million, AT&T $57 million, Verizon $48 million and Sprint more than $12 million. While the proposed fines are a significant amount of money, critics have already denounced them as not going far enough.

Senator Ron Wyden, a well-known privacy advocate, was scathing in his response:

If reports are true, then Ajit Pai has failed to protect consumers at every turn. This issue came to light after my office and dedicated journalists discovered how wireless carriers shared Americans’ locations without consent. He investigated only after public pressure mounted.

— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) February 27, 2020

It remains to be seen if the carriers will appeal the fines. Given the reaction that is already building, they may do well to simply pay the fines and move on. Meanwhile, other companies should take a lesson that it’s never a good idea to try to double-dip by surreptitiously selling the data of paying customers who expect far better for the money they’re spending.

February 29, 2020
FCC Set to Fine Carriers For Sharing Location Data

Following an investigation in which the FCC found carriers broke the law by selling customer location data, the agency is poised to levy significant fines.

It first came to light in 2018 that carriers were selling customer location data to third-party companies that turned around and resold it again, or even gave it away. Privacy advocates and lawmakers alike raised the alarm, especially since it provided a legal loophole around the requirement that carriers be the sole gateway for the government to access such information.

As a result of the outcry, Verizon was the first to stop sharing customer data, with the other three carriers following suit shortly thereafter. Even so, the FCC launched an investigation into the practice, concluding “that one or more wireless carriers apparently violated federal law.”

Now, according to Reuters, the FCC is expected to announce fines on Friday, with the total amount likely to exceed $200 million. The carriers, of course, may appeal the fines or negotiate to reduce the amount.

February 28, 2020
Dish Faces Concerns Whether It Can Build Network Within Budget
Analysts are concerned that Dish Network may not be able to fully establish a standalone wireless network for $10 billion.

As part of the deal to allow T-Mobile and Sprint to merge, Dish acquired spectrum to establish itself as a fourth wireless carrier. The move was to address anti-competitive concerns if the market went from four to three major carriers. For Dish, however, that means taking the spectrum it is acquiring from Sprint and building out much of its network from scratch.

In the Q4 earnings call, Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen defended the company’s ability to deliver the network within budget, citing a number of newer technologies that would assist.
- One significant factor is Dish’s plan to use OpenRan technology, a standard that helps wireless operators use equipment from different vendors. This helps prevent them from getting locked into a single vendor whose equipment may be more expensive, or who may raise prices down the road.
- Dish will also be relying heavily on automation and cloud-based software to run its new network.
- A third, significant factor, is the lack of technical debt, the term used to describe the costs associated with maintaining legacy hardware and software, and ensuring backward compatibility. Anytime the other major networks roll out a big change, they have to keep one eye looking to the past, ensuring they don’t break something that will impact customers. In rolling out a new network, Dish has none of those concerns.
Another factor that should also alleviate some of the pressure is the deal Dish has with T-Mobile to piggyback on its network for up to seven years while it builds out its own. Analysts and customers alike will be watching closely to see if Dish’s optimistic outlook pays off.
February 21, 2020
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!”

February 21, 2020
Deutsche Telekom CEO Promises the ‘Best 5G Network’

Timotheus Hottges, CEO of T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom left no room for ambiguity regarding the company’s 5G plans.

In an interview with CNBC, Hottges was asked about the ongoing merger negotiations following the court victory allowing it to move forward. There have been multiple reports that Deutsche Telekom was renegotiating Sprint’s price, given how much the company had dropped since the deal was initially made.

Although Hottges could not comment on internal negotiations, he was very optimistic about the future of his company’s 5G rollout and the benefits of the T-Mobile/Sprint merger.

“This is a unique story. And for us…that is the biggest transaction ever made from a German company in the U.S.,” said Hottges. “This is…the biggest transaction in the telco space over the last ten years.

“And this is creating super relevant impact for customers. We’re going to build the best 5G network. We’re going to have double the amount of spectrum, so we can be very aggressive on pricing and on AT&T and Verizon, perspectively.

“And, on top of that, it’s creating 43 billion of synergies, bringing the two networks of Sprint and T-Mobile together. So this is creating a lot of, let’s say, possibilities for us and we are intrigued by the strategic benefits of this this transaction.”

Based on Hottges’ comments, it seems T-Mobile’s aggressive pricing and customer-first attitude aren’t going away anytime soon.

February 19, 2020
NY Attorney General Will Not Appeal T-Mobile Ruling

In more good news for T-Mobile, New York Attorney General Letitia James says she will not appeal the T-Mobile/Sprint merger ruling.

Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero ruled in T-Mobile and Sprint’s favor, giving the go-ahead on their proposed merger. Both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) had already approved the merger, but a coalition of states led by New York had filed a lawsuit to prevent it. The states had claimed that going from four to three major, national carriers would hurt competition, lead to higher prices and ultimately hurt consumers.

After losing their case, AG James has said she will not appeal the ruling in a statement on her office’s website.

“I’d like to thank California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and the 12 additional attorneys general from around the nation for their partnership throughout this lawsuit. After a thorough analysis, New York has decided not to move forward with an appeal in this case. Instead, we hope to work with all the parties to ensure that consumers get the best pricing and service possible, that networks are built out throughout our state, and that good-paying jobs are created here in New York. We are gratified that this process has yielded commitments from T-Mobile to create jobs in Rochester and engage in robust national diversity initiatives that will connect our communities with good jobs and technology. We are committed to continuing to fight for affordability and access for all of New York’s mobile customers.”

In issuing his ruling, Judge Marrero made it clear it was not a single argument that caused him to rule the way he did, but rather the combination of all the arguments made. Cases like that are notoriously difficult to appeal, likely a factor in James’ decision not to.

Either way, the only remaining hurdles for the merger are passing Tunney Act antitrust review and getting approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), neither of which are expected to be an issue.

February 17, 2020
Deutsche Telekom Renegotiating Sprint Deal

T-Mobile and Sprint may have been cleared for their merger by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero, but T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom may be going back to the drawing board in some respects.

Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that Deutsche Telekom is looking to renegotiate the price of Sprint, given that its value has fallen from where it was when terms were first agreed upon. The news is not unexpected given Sprint’s current position in the market, as the fourth largest carrier has continued to bleed subscribers.

In fact, one of the arguments the companies made in their court case was that, without a merger, Sprint would not have the ability to continue forward as a national carrier. Instead, it would likely have to abandon a number of markets and settle for being a regional carrier.

Given the situation, it’s unlikely Sprint parent SoftBank will put up too much of a fight, although there are no guarantees. SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son ended the previous round of merger negotiations in 2017 because of a dispute over which company should have the controlling interest in a combined T-Mobile. In spite of the fact that Sprint was already losing ground and T-Mobile’s future was looking brighter than ever, Son wanted SoftBank to have the controlling interest in the merged company, not Deutsche Telekom.

Considering how far Sprint has fallen, however, Son may not have much room to negotiate this time around.

February 14, 2020
Ericsson Researchers Set New 5G Speed Record

Ericsson researchers have set a new record for mmWave 5G, hitting 4.3Gbps download speeds.

mmWave is the fastest variety of 5G, and offers revolutionary speeds compared to 4G. Speeds are so fast that experts have long said it could disrupt entire industries, making things possible that could never be done with previous technology. Artificial intelligence, autonomous cars, mobile gaming, virtual and augmented reality are just a few of the industries 5G stands to have a major impact on.

Ericsson’s researchers have just displayed some of that promise, achieving a whopping 4.3Gbps downlink with mmWave 5G.

“This is a fantastic achievement,” said Per Narvinger, Head of Product Area Networks. “To put 4.3Gbps in context, that is the equivalent of downloading one hour of ultra-high-definition, or 4K, content from a streaming service in just 14 seconds. Ericsson is taking the next steps in ensuring service providers can deliver the best capacity and data rates over millimeter wave 5G. The 8CC aggregation solution we have successfully tested will enable not only higher speeds but also large-scale 5G deployments and new business opportunities.”

In the U.S., T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T have all deployed mmWave 5G in parts of the country, although rollout is slow as a result of the frequency’s extremely short range. This has led T-Mobile and AT&T to complement their mmWave service with low-band 5G, which has far better range and coverage but offers speeds similar to 4G.

Ericsson’s announcement also lends weight to CEO Borje Ekholm’s recent comments that his company is at the forefront of 5G, both in terms of technology and scalability. In that interview, he said: “I find it’s a bit difficult to say that we’re behind when I see no one ahead of us.”

When it comes to download speeds—he’s right.

February 13, 2020
T-Mobile and Sprint Win Case, Can Move Forward With Merger

As predicted, U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero has ruled in favor of T-Mobile and Sprint, clearing the way for the two companies to merge, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In his ruling, Judge Marrero rejected the two main arguments put forth by the states seeking to block the merger, namely that Sprint could effectively compete without it and that it would inherently lead to a less competitive landscape. Throughout the trial, T-Mobile and Sprint’s attorneys had argued that without a merger, the latter would no longer be able to compete on the same national level as Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile and would drop to a regional carrier. The two companies also argued that their combined resources would enable them to compete with Verizon and AT&T even more, not less, especially in the competitive 5G market.

“T-Mobile has redefined itself over the past decade as a maverick that has spurred the two largest players in its industry to make numerous pro-consumer changes,” the judge wrote, agreeing with T-Mobile’s argument. He said the deal would help extend “T-Mobile’s undeniably successful business strategy for the foreseeable future.”

The ruling is good news for both T-Mobile and Sprint customers. T-Mobile will gain access to the wealth of spectrum Sprint owns, but has not had the money to utilize, as it continues its 5G rollout. Sprint customers, in turn, will benefit from the superior coverage and speed T-Mobile’s network offers. Shares of both companies were up in premarket trading.

February 11, 2020
T-Mobile/Sprint Merger Expected to Gain Approval

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that people familiar with the matter expect U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero to rule in favor of the planned T-Mobile/Sprint merger.

The third and fourth wireless carriers have been fighting to gain approval for a merger for months, with both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) supporting the merger. In spite of that, a coalition of states sued to prevent the merger, citing the belief that it would negatively impact the competitive landscape.

T-Mobile and Sprint have both argued the merger was necessary to take on larger rivals, Verizon and AT&T, and have insisted consumers would ultimately benefit. Especially as carriers work to roll out 5G networks, the combination of the third and fourth largest carriers would give the combined company the scale necessary to offer customers the best 5G experience.

There are also significant legal ramifications for the case. If the states prevail in their argument, it will give individual states unprecedented power to stop mergers—despite federal approval.

We will continue to provide updates as the story develops.

February 11, 2020
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!”

February 7, 2020
T-Mobile, Sprint Working Together to Fight Spoofed Calls

CNET is reporting that T-Mobile and Sprint are working together to combat spoofed calls between their two networks.

Call spoofing is a popular tactic scammers use to make their calls seem legitimate. They mask their number, instead showing a number that is local, perhaps even one the recipient knows, such as a local business, friend or family. STIR/SHAKEN are protocols the FCC recommends carriers implement to cut down on the practice.

The protocols provide a way for a carrier to verify the identify of a caller, and then pass that verification on to the recipient’s carrier, who verifies it once again. The recipient’s caller ID then shows “Caller Verified” underneath the incoming phone number.

As CNET points out, T-Mobile and Sprint may be waiting for a verdict in their merger case, but the two companies are working to make sure STIR/SHAKEN works between their two networks.

Merger or not, this is good news for users of both networks who are tired of being harassed by telemarketers and scammers.

February 5, 2020
FCC Frees Up 3.5GHz Mid-Band For Wireless Use

The Federal Communications Commission has authorized the commercial use of the mid-range 3.5GHz spectrum, according to a press release by the CBRS Alliance.

The 3.5GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum is being marketed under the name OnGo. Up until this ruling, the spectrum was reserved exclusively for the Department of Defense (DoD) and used extensively by the Navy.

OnGo is a pivotal piece of the U.S. 5G rollout, as it sits squarely in what is considered mid-band spectrum. Low-band spectrum, such as that being heavily deployed by T-Mobile, has the advantage of offering long range and excellent building penetration, but offers only marginally faster speeds than 4G LTE. High-band, mmWave spectrum offers speeds measured in gigabits but has extremely poor range and penetration. This is what Verizon has primarily invested in.

Mid-range spectrum, such as OnGo, can be used to improve speed and signal strength, first on 4G and then on 5G. The spectrum will effectively help bridge the gap between the long-range but slower low-band and the high-speed, mmWave spectrum.

According to the press release, “consumers now have access to improved wireless connectivity through OnGo-compatible mobile devices, including the Google Pixel 4, Motorola’s 5G Moto Mod, Samsung Galaxy S10, Apple iPhone 11, LG G8 ThinQ, and OnePlus 7 Pro, all of which are on the market today. The OnGo ecosystem is vast and opens a brand-new market for wireless communications and 5G services in the United States, touching rural broadband via fixed wireless providers (WISPs), enterprise IT, hospitality, retail, real estate, industrial IoT, and transportation, among other sectors.”

Because of OnGo’s previous status as protected spectrum, it can still be used by the DoD in times of emergency.

“To ensure that the DoD has continued access to the band, Environmental Sensing Capability (ESC) networks have been deployed along the U.S. coast. The ESC networks operated by CommScope, Federated Wireless, and Google inform the SAS administrators to activate a protection zone and dynamically reassign users in the area to other parts of the band, thus protecting the incumbent’s use of the spectrum while maximizing availability of CBRS spectrum across coastal areas.”

The FCC’s decision is good news for consumers and businesses alike and will open up a wide range of wireless opportunities.

January 28, 2020
Verizon Delays 5G Home Rollout While It Waits For More Powerful Equipment

One of the biggest promises of 5G is the ability to deliver broadband-class internet to homes, especially those in remote or rural locations. Unfortunately, Verizon customers will have to wait, as the company has once again delayed 5G Home rollout.

According to Light Reading, Verizon is waiting for more powerful equipment that won’t be available until the second half of 2020. The high-powered customer premises equipment (CPE) has much longer range than current equipment, which will be a significant factor in practical adoption of the technology. In contrast, current devices use smartphone chipsets, which give them far shorter range.

Ultimately Verizon’s goal is to cover 30 million households, but Verizon’s Ronan Dunne admits it may take five to seven years before that goal is realized. As he told Light Reading, this is partly because of where Verizon is focusing its 5G deployment efforts.

Unlike T-Mobile or AT&T, Verizon is focusing exclusively on mmWave 5G deployment. This high-frequency 5G has the fastest speed—often measured in gigabits—but has very limited range and building penetration. As a result, cell towers and base stations must be placed within a couple hundred meters of each other to achieve coverage. Due to this limitation, Verizon is focusing primarily on urban areas that are often “low residential.”

Hopefully the newer, more powerful equipment Verizon is waiting on will help address some of these limitations and enable the carrier to start rolling out 5G Home to a wider market.

January 11, 2020
Sprint Killing Virgin Mobile, Integrating Customers With Boost Mobile

According to FierceWireless, Sprint is finally killing off Virgin Mobile and moving its customers to Boost Mobile.

Virginia Mobile was founded in 2001 as a joint venture between Sprint and Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, before Sprint became sole owner of the carrier in 2009. In recent years, however, Sprint has been letting the brand languish. The most recent nail in the coffin was in October when Sprint terminated Walmart’s distribution rights, the last place Virgin Mobile could still be purchased outside of its online store.

T-Mobile and Sprint are currently in the process of trying to merge and are defending their proposed merger in court against a coalition of states trying to stop it. As one of the concessions to win FCC and DOJ approval, the two carriers agreed to divest Sprint’s prepaid services and sell them to Dish Network. This would, of course, include Boost Mobile.

The timing of this decision is not particularly surprising. On the one hand, if T-Mobile and Sprint win their court case, consolidating prepaid customers under a single brand will no doubt make a hand-off to Dish Network that much easier. On the other other hand, if the two companies lose their case, Sprint has made it clear it would likely not have the resources to compete nationally as it has in the past. In that scenario, consolidating its brands to conserve resources makes sense.

A spokesperson told FierceWireless via email: “We regularly examine our plans to ensure that we’re offering the best services in line with our customer needs. Beginning on the week of Feb. 2, we will be moving Virgin Mobile customer accounts to our sister brand Boost Mobile – consolidating the brands under one cohesive, efficient and effective prepaid team.”

January 8, 2020
CES 2020: Verizon Plans To Release 20 5G Phones In 2020

Verizon has set a bold goal for itself with plans to release 20 5G phones in 2020, according to CNET.

Verizon Wireless CEO Ronan Dunne announced the company’s plans during an interview at CES 2020. At four times the number of 5G phones the company released in 2019, 20 represents a significant uptick. In spite of that, Dunne told CNET “he had to turn down vendor partners wanting to build 5G phones.”

Currently, mmWave is the fastest 5G available—with speed measured in gigabits rather than megabits—but has very limited range and building penetration. T-Mobile and AT&T have both opted to build out low-band 5G networks, in addition to their mmWave offerings. Low-band is slower, but has far better range and penetration. Verizon, however, is focusing almost exclusively on mmWave. As a result, their 5G network does not have the nationwide coverage T-Mobile currently has.

Since device manufacturers build phones that will appeal to the widest audience, it makes sense that many would prioritize phones that take advantage of the low-band spectrum. As CNET points out, the fact that Verizon has already had to turn down vendors is especially reassuring given their focus on the mmWave variety of 5G.

January 8, 2020
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.

January 7, 2020
AT&T Expands 5G Options, Still Lags Behind T-Mobile and Verizon

AT&T has been expanding its 5G network, adding coverage in both its low-band and millimeter wave (mmWave) flavors, according to CNET.

Like Verizon and T-Mobile, AT&T has been racing to deploy its 5G network. The carrier has adopted a similar strategy as T-Mobile, deploying both low-band 5G and mmWave simultaneously. Low-band 5G offers speeds only marginally faster than 4G LTE—in T-Mobile’s case, a maximum of four times faster—but has the advantage of long range and excellent building penetration. mmWave, on the other hand, offers terrible range and building penetration, but provides speeds measured in gigabits instead of megabits.

In addition to the 10 cities AT&T initially launched low-band in, the company has added nine new ones. The cities include, Baltimore, Buffalo, Bridgeport, Detroit, Las Vegas, Louisville, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington DC. Boston is also listed on the company’s coverage maps, although no announcement has yet been made.

Similarly, AT&T has added mmWave service in Baltimore, Detroit, King of Prussia and West Hollywood, bringing the total to 25 cities.

In both cases, however, AT&T lags well behind its competitors. T-Mobile has launched its low-band network nationwide, covering 200 million people, rather than a mere 19 cities. Similarly, Verizon has been pushing to deploy mmWave as quickly as possible, recently passing its 30 city goal for 2019, well beyond AT&T’s 25.

December 30, 2019
Feds Support T-Mobile/Sprint Merger; T-Mobile Considering Comcast Merger

With the T-Mobile/Sprint merger trial continuing, the government has come out in support of the deal, even as documents have come to light indicating T-Mobile has also considered a Comcast merger.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a 400 page brief in support of the merger, according to Ars Technica.

“Both the Antitrust Division and the FCC have significant experience and expertise in analyzing these types of transactions and do so from a nationwide perspective,” the brief reads. “Thus, their conclusions that the merger as remedied is in the public interest deserve appropriate weight in this remedy inquiry by this honorable court.”

Meanwhile, The Verge is reporting that T-Mobile has also considered another merger. Board member Thorsten Langheim requested a report in 2015 to “give an overview of the company’s market position in advance of a workshop among senior members of leadership.”

The report also details a proposed subsequent merger with Comcast, with the goal being for the broadband company to purchase T-Mobile. Such a deal was expected to receive little regulatory opposition, as opposed to the Sprint merger, and provide significant benefits to both companies.

Should T-Mobile lose the merger trial, it will be interesting to see if the wireless company doubles down in its pursuit of a Comcast merger.

December 24, 2019