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Tag: T-Mobile

  • Verizon Reaches Goal, Delivers 5G in 31 Cities

    Verizon Reaches Goal, Delivers 5G in 31 Cities

    Verizon has officially reached its stated goal of delivering 5G in at least 30 cities before the end of 2019.

    According the company’s news feed, Verizon has officially crossed the 30 city threshold, with 5G now active in 31 cities across the U.S. The most recent additions—Columbus, Cleveland, and Hampton Roads—helped the carrier meet its goal.

    As several outlets have pointed out, however, Verizon’s announcement seems more geared toward meeting an arbitrary marketing deadline than offering practical coverage. Because Verizon’s 5G is primarily the high-frequency millimeter wave (mmWave) variety, it offers extremely limited range and even worse building penetration. As a result, while the speeds are far superior to 4G LTE, the coverage area is so narrow and spotty that its practical use is still very limited.

    This is in contrast to T-Mobile’s approach, which is centered around low-band 5G in the 600 MHz range. While it only offers speeds that range from 20 percent to four times faster than LTE, the range, coverage and penetration are superior to older technology. Like Verizon, T-Mobile is also building out mmWave services in metropolitan areas, but their low-band service ensures that everyone will benefit from 5G, not just a few million people in densely populated areas.

    Hopefully as 2020 dawns, Verizon will focus on delivering usable 5G, as opposed to checking off marketing milestones.

  • Verizon On Track For 5G In 30 Cities In 2019

    Verizon On Track For 5G In 30 Cities In 2019

    CNET is reporting that Verizon has turned on its 5G network in Los Angeles, Des Moines, IA and Hoboken, NJ, putting the carrier on target for 30 cities in 2019.

    According to CNET, “Verizon’s 5G network is already live in Dallas, Omaha, Atlanta, Detroit, Indianapolis, Washington, DC, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Providence, Boston, Houston and Sioux Falls.”

    Verizon is taking a different approach than T-Mobile and AT&T, as it has been focusing heavily on the faster, short-range mmWave 5G spectrum. T-Mobile, in contrast, recently activated its nationwide 5G network—based on the slower, but longer-range low-band spectrum—while slowly rolling out mmWave in select cities.

    Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Little Rock, Kansas City, Memphis, San Diego and Salt Lake City are all slated to receive Verizon 5G before the end of the year, leaving the company just under two weeks to meet its goal.

  • 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.

  • FCC Looking to Make More Mid-Range Spectrum Available For 5G

    FCC Looking to Make More Mid-Range Spectrum Available For 5G

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has “proposed changes to the rules governing the 3.1-3.55 GHz band, which would be the first step to making spectrum in this band available for advanced commercial services, including 5G.”

    The spectrum in question—3.1-3.55 GHz—is considered mid-range spectrum, in contrast to the low-band 600 MHz spectrum that makes up T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network, or the mmWave spectrum that is slowly rolling out in various cities. Low-band spectrum has the benefit of extremely long range and good building penetration, but at the cost of speed. Initial tests show it to be, at most, two to four times faster than LTE, a mere 20 percent faster in other cases. In contrast, mmWave has speeds measured in gigabits rather than megabits, at the expense of range and penetration.

    Carriers plan to use the mid-range spectrum to bridge the divide between low-band and mmWave, providing a balance between speed, range and penetration. Sprint’s vast portfolio of mid-range spectrum, specifically 2.5 GHz, was one of the primary motivations for T-Mobile’s bid to buy the fourth largest U.S. carrier.

    Some analysts have begun to doubt whether T-Mobile will able to complete the merger, as a result of the court case aimed at stopping it. If the merger fails, T-Mobile will need to look elsewhere for mid-range spectrum and these new bands may well be the answer.

  • T-Mobile May Raise Prices If the Sprint Merger Falls Through

    T-Mobile May Raise Prices If the Sprint Merger Falls Through

    Not many companies need to take measures to slow customer growth but—if the T-Mobile/Sprint merger is blocked—T-Mobile may raise prices to do just that, according to CEO John Legere.

    T-Mobile has added at least one million subscribers every quarter for the last 26 quarters. While that represents an enviable rate of growth, it has put a strain on the number three carrier’s network. The merger would give T-Mobile access to Sprint’s large spectrum portfolio, which it plans on using to help shore up its 5G network.

    With 13 states and the District of Columbia fighting to block T-Mobile’s acquisition of Sprint, the Associated Press (AP) is reporting that Legere testified yesterday about the repercussions of a failed merger. Calling it his “worst nightmare,” Legere said the company would have to raises prices in an effort to slow user growth and easy strain on the network.

    Sprint is obviously not the only option for T-Mobile to gain the needed spectrum. It previously tried merging with Dish Network, a company that also has a great deal of available spectrum. Sprint, however, offers one of the best options, as it also gives T-Mobile a larger subscriber base, giving it the ability to more directly match and compete with Verizon and AT&T.

  • AT&T’s True 5G Network Goes Live: Now Available in 10 Markets

    AT&T’s True 5G Network Goes Live: Now Available in 10 Markets

    AT&T announced its true 5G network has gone live for consumers in 10 markets across the country today.

    AT&T made headlines nearly a year ago with the release of 5G Evolution (5GE), a fancy marketing term designed to help it beat its competitors in the rush to 5G. As Tom’s Guide’s investigation and testing showed, 5GE was nothing more than a slightly upgraded version of 4G LTE. Verizon and T-Mobile had the same tech for years, referring to it by the far less deceptive name “LTE Advanced.” In fact, OpenSignal’s testing showed AT&T’s 5GE was actually slower than either Verizon or T-Mobile.

    Now, roughly a year after 5GE, AT&T has turned on its true 5G network for consumers in 10 markets. Like T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network that went live earlier this month, AT&T’s 5G network uses low-band spectrum rather than the fast millimeter wave (mmWave) variety. This means that speeds will be slower, although range and building penetration will be better.

    According to the company’s announcement, “millions of consumers and businesses across Birmingham, Ala., Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Providence, R.I., Rochester, N.Y., San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose, Calif. market areas can now access AT&T’s 5G network using the Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G.”

    “We believe 5G technology will be game-changing, and we continue to help drive this next wave of innovation,” said Scott Mair, President of AT&T Technology Operations. “We were the first in the U.S. to offer commercial mobile 5G, and this is the next step as we build to nationwide service in the first half of 2020.”

  • Analyst Cuts Odds For a Successful Merger Between T-Mobile and Sprint

    Analyst Cuts Odds For a Successful Merger Between T-Mobile and Sprint

    As the trial to prevent the T-Mobile/Sprint merger entered its third day, at least one analyst cut the odds for a successful merger.

    A coalition of 13 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit to prevent the third and fourth-place carriers from merging, despite both the FCC and DOJ signing off on the deal. In the first day of the trial, documents came to light highlighting a Sprint executive’s belief that the merger would result in higher prices for consumers—one of the main reasons the states are objecting to the merger.

    According to Barron’s, after the first couple of days of testimony, Raymond James analyst Ric Prentiss has lowered the odds of the wireless carriers winning their case from 85 percent to a mere 55 percent. One of the biggest factors is the challenge of propping up Dish Network as a viable 5G competitor. Critics of the deal have made the case that going from four major carriers to three would stifle competition and hurt the market. As a result, T-Mobile and Sprint agreed to sell assets, including Sprint’s prepaid business, to Dish Network in an effort to help it move beyond satellite TV service and become a viable wireless competitor. So far, however, that has been a more difficult sell than anticipated, leading Prentiss to issue his report.

    As Barron’s goes on to highlight, Sprint will be the big loser in the event the merger fails, as it has not demonstrated an ability to profitably continue on its own. T-Mobile, on the other hand, is leading the industry in earnings and subscriber growth, and will likely continue just fine on its own. It will, however, need to acquire additional 5G spectrum if the deal should fall through, as it was planning on using Sprint’s ample spectrum to build out the mid-range portion of its 5G network. T-Mobile activated its low-band, long-range 5G network on December 2. Meanwhile, it continues to build out its mmWave, high-speed, short-range network in multiple cities. Sprint’s spectrum would have been ideal as the mid-range bridge. If the deal is blocked, T-Mobile will need to acquire replacement spectrum to bridge the gap between its low-band and mmWave networks.

    With so much at stake, industry analysts, executives, experts and consumers are eagerly watching to see if T-Mobile and Sprint can win their case. In the meantime, we will continue to provide updates as the case develops.

  • Sprint Executive Expected Merger to Raise Prices, Undercutting T-Mobile Argument

    Sprint Executive Expected Merger to Raise Prices, Undercutting T-Mobile Argument

    As the trial to stop the T-Mobile/Sprint merger got underway today, Bloomberg is reporting that at least one Sprint executive suspected the merger would result in higher prices for consumers.

    As a coalition of 13 states and the District of Columbia try to prevent the two wireless companies from merging, T-Mobile has maintained that the merger will ultimately benefit customers. Part of the rationale is that T-Mobile and Sprint need to combine to have the size and resources necessary to compete with Verizon and AT&T. Without the merger, the two smaller companies have indicated they would not be able to compete as effectively in the 5G market, leaving Verizon and AT&T little competition or incentive to keep prices low.

    The states, on the other hand, have said that going from four major carriers to three would eliminate competition, resulting in higher prices. According to documents that have come to light on the first day of the trial, it seems that a Sprint executive agreed with that sentiment.

    “Roger Sole, Sprint’s chief marketing officer, said in a text message in 2017 to Marcelo Claure, the carrier’s chief executive officer at the time, that the deal could mean an increase of $5 a month in average revenue per subscriber. Industry leaders AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. would also benefit with fewer players in the market, he said.”

    We’ve already reported on the stakes in this trial, impacting how much states have a say in antitrust matters the federal government is not interested in pursuing. If more documents or testimony comes to light supporting Sole’s belief, the states may be able to make their case after all.

  • T-Mobile, Sprint Merger Case Begins Monday; Major Issues On the Line

    T-Mobile, Sprint Merger Case Begins Monday; Major Issues On the Line

    A case that will have significant ramifications for the U.S. wireless industry will begin Monday, as T-Mobile and Sprint defend their merger plans.

    The number three and four carriers have been pursuing a merger agreement that has been widely opposed by various entities. After initial concerns, both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) signed off on the merger. Despite the federal agencies backing it, a coalition of nearly 20 states filed a lawsuit to prevent the merger.

    Over the course of the past few months, T-Mobile has been working overtime trying to address concerns the individual states have, in the hopes of whittling down opposition. The strategy has proved relatively successful, as a number of states have dropped out of the lawsuit after receiving concessions from T-Mobile. Texas, Nevada and Colorado are the most recent ones to drop the suit, leaving 13 states and the District of Columbia still pursuing it.

    As The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports, “legal experts say it is unprecedented for the states to reject such a settlement and sue to block a merger of this size and national scope without the support or involvement of federal authorities.”

    The WSJ report emphasizes the long-term stakes hanging in the balance.

    “A victory for the carriers, which say the merger will allow them to offer better services, could arm other companies with new arguments for the benefits of consolidation. But a win for the coalition could give states newfound power in antitrust enforcement when they are also investigating U.S. tech giants.

    “If the states prevail, ‘companies will have to take them more seriously,’ said New York University law professor Harry First. ‘They’ll have to have really serious discussions with states like California and New York.’”

  • Verizon, T-Mobile and US Cellular Exaggerated 4G LTE Coverage

    Verizon, T-Mobile and US Cellular Exaggerated 4G LTE Coverage

    Yesterday we reported on the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) plans to allocate $9 billion to assist rural 5G rollout. It appears that decision was motivated by an investigation showing that Verizon, T-Mobile and US Cellular exaggerated the extent of their 4G LTE coverage.

    The investigation resulted from complaints in 12 states that the three carriers’ coverage was not as good as advertised. FCC staff drove nearly 10,000 miles testing wireless signals on Samsung S9 smartphones.

    “Only 62.3% of staff drive tests achieved at least the minimum download speed predicted by the coverage maps—with U.S. Cellular achieving that speed in only 45.0% of such tests, T-Mobile in 63.2% of tests, and Verizon in 64.3% of tests,” the report says. “Similarly, staff stationary tests showed that each provider achieved sufficient download speeds meeting the minimum cell edge probability in fewer than half of all test locations (20 of 42 locations). In addition, staff was unable to obtain any 4G LTE signal for 38% of drive tests on U.S. Cellular’s network, 21.3% of drive tests on T-Mobile’s network, and 16.2% of drive tests on Verizon’s network, despite each provider reporting coverage in the relevant area.”

    There is more at stake than mere inconvenience, however, as the report goes on to highlight.

    “The Commission and the public must be able to rely on the deployment data that providers submit to the Commission. Inaccurate data jeopardize the ability of the Commission to focus our limited universal service funds on the unserved areas that need the most support.”

    In other words, if coverage maps show an area has excellent wireless reception, the FCC is unlikely to green-light funds to improve coverage in that area. Therefore, areas that inaccurately display coverage could end up being denied funds they desperately need.

    The FCC proposed a number of remedies, including penalties for carriers that overstate coverage and appropriations from Congress to cover the expense of having manual driving checks to verify signal.

    Hopefully, whatever the FCC decides will help resolve the issues wireless customers have experienced for years—where what they pay for doesn’t always match what they were promised.

  • T-Mobile’s Low-Band 5G Two to Four Times Faster Than 4G

    T-Mobile’s Low-Band 5G Two to Four Times Faster Than 4G

    T-Mobile recently announced the nationwide availablility of their low-band, 600MHz 5G, expected to be 20 percent faster than 4G. If VentureBeat’s testing is any indication, T-Mobile subscribers should be very happy with real-world speeds.

    With 5G rollout dominating the news, one thing that has quickly become obvious is not all 5G is created equal. Most carriers around the world are focusing on low-band 5G, offering relatively modest speed boosts in exchange for wider coverage. In the U.S., however, carriers are focusing heavily on millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G.

    mmWave refers to the spectrum between 24 and 100GHz. Because very little of this spectrum is used for anything else, it offers carriers a tremendous amount of unused bandwidth. The short wavelength also offers transfer speeds much faster than older 4G, with speed measured in gigabits rather than megabits. Unfortunately, that speed comes at the expense of range and penetration, with mmWave base stations having effective ranges in the hundreds of yards. Similarly, buildings, trees, windows, even a hand, can negatively impact the quality of the signal.

    T-Mobile, therefore, decided to focus on 600MHz low-band 5G for its nationwide rollout while it continues to slowly build out its mmWave service. Initial estimates predicted a modest 20 percent speed increase over existing 4G, which VentureBeat reporter Jeremy Horwitz decided to put to the test.

    “Thankfully, my initial testing of T-Mobile’s low-band 5G network revealed a more complex reality than the company’s conservative figure,” Horwitz wrote. “The good news is that low-band 5G downloads peaked at 227Mbps, 2-4 times faster than T-Mobile’s LTE service at the same locations, and far higher than the aforementioned 20% estimate. But the bad news is that you won’t always achieve the peak speeds, and — surprise — early T-Mobile 5G phone adopters can’t actually use 5G for tethering, only smartphone service.”

    T-Mobile is taking a three-tier approach, with 600MHz for the low-band and mmWave for the high-speed, short-range portions. If the merger with Sprint goes through, T-Mobile will use Sprint’s 2.5GHz spectrum to bridge the gap as faster, medium-range service.

    The fact that T-Mobile’s low-band 5G is already beating expectations is a good sign for the company and its subscribers moving forward.

  • T-Mobile Delivers 5G Network Days Ahead of Schedule

    T-Mobile Delivers 5G Network Days Ahead of Schedule

    T-Mobile originally announced it was unveiling its nationwide 5G network on December 6. It seems the carrier has beat expectations, unveiling 5G today, four days ahead of schedule.

    According to Engadget, the network T-Mobile has turned on is its 600 MHz low-band spectrum. Unlike millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G, which offers speeds measured in gigabits instead of megabits, low-band spectrum offers speeds similar to 4G LTE.

    The benefit of low-band spectrum is that it has far better range and building penetration. In contrast, mmWave 5G has extremely limited range and doesn’t penetrate windows or buildings very well. While T-Mobile’s new network doesn’t offer the speeds of Verizon’s, it will have far better coverage.

    Coinciding with the network’s launch, TechCrunch is reporting T-Mobile has opened pre-orders on two 5G-capable phones.

    “The OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren Edition, at least, is a T-Mobile exclusive here in the States.

    “It’s a premium as far as OnePlus goes, but still arrives at the (relatively) low price of $900. Compare that to the $1,300 Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G. Both are officially going on sale on Friday, and should be able to connect to the new network at launch.”

    As the 5G battle heats up, it will be interesting to see what advantages—speed vs coverage—customers prefer.

  • Colorado Pulls Out of Lawsuit Attempting to Block T-Mobile/Sprint Merger

    Colorado Pulls Out of Lawsuit Attempting to Block T-Mobile/Sprint Merger

    Reuters is reporting that Colorado has become the second state to pull out of a lawsuit seeking to stop T-Mobile and Sprint’s proposed merger.

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted last week to approve the merger, following the Department of Justice signing off on the deal in July. Despite the government’s approval, nearly 20 states had joined in a lawsuit aimed at stopping the merger.

    T-Mobile has been working overtime to try to win over the opposing states. Mississippi was the first to change position, following T-Mobile’s commitment to deploy a 5G network in the state. The company had already made considerable concessions in its efforts to win over the FCC and DOJ, but these commitments were specific to Mississippi. The new 5G network will cover at least 62 percent of the state’s population within three years, and within six years will reach 88 percent of the state’s rural population and 92% of the general population.

    Now T-Mobile has been successful using a similar approach to persuade Colorado to pull out of the suit. As part of its agreement with the FCC and DOJ, the combined company would be divesting some of Sprint’s prepaid assets to DISH Network, as the latter company works to become a fourth, alternative carrier. In the agreement with Colorado, T-Mobile agreed to build out its 5G network across much of the state, while DISH pledged to bring in 2,000 jobs.

    With Colorado and Mississippi now supporting the merger, it remains to be seen if the company’s efforts will be successful in winning over other opponents.

  • Texas and Nevada Pull Out of Lawsuit to Stop T-Mobile/Sprint Merger

    Texas and Nevada Pull Out of Lawsuit to Stop T-Mobile/Sprint Merger

    International Business Times is reporting that Texas and Nevada have both pulled out of the lawsuit seeking to stop T-Mobile’s acquisition of Sprint, leaving just 13 states and the District of Columbia still opposing it. That’s a far cry from the nearly 20 states that were initially opposed.

    The deal already has the support of the DOJ and FCC, but a coalition of states sued to prevent the merger from going through. T-Mobile has been hard at work trying to address concerns, promising not to raise prices, guaranteeing 5G rollout milestones and divesting assets, such as Boost Mobile.

    T-Mobile and Sprint assured Texas there will be no price increases for at least five years, while at the same time promising to accelerate 5G rollout once the deal closes. The two companies promised Nevada that the New T-Mobile would cover 83 percent of rural communities with 5G service at a lower price point.

    “Beyond these benefits, the New T-Mobile will make a significant investment to enhance service to our Native American Tribal communities, contribute to programs that enhance opportunities for minorities, women and small businesses,” said Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford.

    While the lawsuit will continue—led by New York and California—the two companies are definitely making progress in breaking down opposition to the deal.

  • T-Mobile Suffers Breach, Sensitive Prepaid Data Exposed

    T-Mobile Suffers Breach, Sensitive Prepaid Data Exposed

    T-Mobile announced it has suffered a data breach, exposing prepaid customers’ sensitive information to hackers.

    T-Mobile has not said when the attack occurred, but they have confirmed that financial data was not compromised. That means that credit card and back account information, as well as social security numbers, were not impacted. The company also stated that no passwords were compromised.

    “The data accessed was information associated with your prepaid service account, including name and billing address (if you provided one when you established your account), phone number, account number, rate plan and features, such as whether you added an international calling feature. Rate plan and features of your voice calling service are ‘customer proprietary network information’ (‘CPNI’) under FCC rules, which require we provide you notice of this incident.”

    The company has not said how many customer accounts were exposed, although a spokesman did tell CNET that the number was a “very small single digit percentage of customers.”

    T-Mobile says all affected customers have been, or shortly will be, notified. If customers have not received notification, it likely means they were not impacted.

  • 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.

  • T-Mobile Will Turn On Nationwide 5G December 6

    T-Mobile Will Turn On Nationwide 5G December 6

    T-Mobile has rolled out 5G in six cities but, according to CNET, the company is about to unveil nationwide 5G on December 6.

    Many 5G deployments fall into two types: low-band and high-frequency. High-frequency 5G offers the highest speeds, but at the cost of range and ability to penetrate obstacles, such as trees and buildings. Low-band 5G, in contrast, is not as fast but offers far superior range and penetration, while still be significantly faster than 4G.

    T-Mobile’s deployment-to-date has used high-frequency, millimeter-wave spectrum, the same kind of 5G that Verizon and AT&T are deploying. On December 6, however, the network T-Mobile will be activating will rely on their low-band spectrum. That difference will allow the company to provide service to upwards of 5,000 cities and towns throughout the country. It will also give T-Mobile an edge when it comes to building penetration in those cities.

    T-Mobile has assured customers that existing plans will automatically have access to the new 5G service—with compatible phones—without any additional fees or plan changes.

    Initially, the only two phones supporting the new spectrum are the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G and the OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren, but it’s a safe bet that other manufacturers will be quick to incorporate support in their next models.

  • 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.

  • FCC Approves T-Mobile and Sprint Merger But Opposition Remains

    FCC Approves T-Mobile and Sprint Merger But Opposition Remains

    CNBC is reporting that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to approve the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint. While the deal had earlier received approval from the Department of Justice (DOJ), the FCC’s approval is one of the final steps needed before the merger is finalized.

    The FCC’s commissioners voted along party lines to approve the deal. Chairman Ajit Pai voted with the two Republican commissioners in favor of the deal, with the two Democratic commissioners voting against.

    Jessica Rosenworcel, one of the Democratic commissioners, released a statement voicing her objections.

    “We’ve all seen what happens when markets become more concentrated after a merger like this one,” Rosenworcel said, using airline baggage fees and pharmaceutical drug prices as a point of comparison. “There’s no reason to think this time will be different. Overwhelming evidence demonstrates that the T-Mobile-Sprint merger will reduce competition, raise prices, lower quality, and slow innovation.”

    Despite the two agencies signing off on the deal, there is still substantial opposition. Nearly 20 states joined in filing a lawsuit to prevent the deal from going forward, arguing that consolidating the wireless industry around three main players will result in higher prices and less choices for consumers. T-Mobile, on the other hand, has said that combining with Sprint will give it a much better chance of competing with Verizon and AT&T, each of whom have nearly double the number of subscribers as T-Mobile. The combined company would be much closer in size, and have significantly more bandwidth to use for 5G rollout.

    T-Mobile has already made substantial concessions in order to gain support for the merger, resulting in Mississippi withdrawing from the lawsuit once their concerns were met. If T-Mobile is able to continue addressing concerns, there’s a real possibility that remaining opposition may melt away in the wake of the FCC’s decision.