Tag: T-Mobile

Prepaid Phone Plans: The Way to Go?

In the ever-increasing maelstrom that is finding the cheapest cell service, many are turning to prepaid wireless. What used to be a socially unacceptable means of obtaining wireless phone service is quickly making a comeback as a totally viable, and sometimes smart, alternative.

Thanks to T-Mobile being the first to bring the hurt down on conventional contract carriers, many are realizing, with great joy, that they don’t have to be tied down to any plan with a burdensome two-year contract.

According to i4u.com, Logan Abbott, President of MyRatePlan, said, “I predict in 2014 we will see a bigger number of customers switch to prepaid cell phone plans than any previous year.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrG-7otAClw

This news isn’t a surprise as the no contract, no surprises options are quickly becoming more appealing, and also more widely available. Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Straight Talk also all offer fairly cheap plans.

These are some great affordable options if you don’t mind a few downsides. One of them being roaming issues, and sometimes no service at all in some areas. This is the result of most prepaid providers relying on the networks of a major wireless carrier, according to The Motley Fool. For example, Virgin Mobile relies solely on Sprint’s network.

If you’re a Sprint customer, your phone will roam when off network. If you’re with Virgin Mobile, however, you don’t roam. You just don’t have service. At all.

However, if frugality is your top priority, perhaps a plan like The Straight Talk Unlimited Plan, which ranked #1 on MyRatePlan‘s list of best prepaid plans, would be something to check out. It offers unlimited talk, text, and data for a measly $45 bucks.

T-Mobile, as the original mold-breaker seems to make it easiest to switch with their Simple Choice Plan, which offers up to $650 bucks to trade in your phone. Plans are a bit more expensive on a monthly basis, however, with plans ranging from $50-$70.

That’s hard to beat, considering the average person’s cell phone bill with Verizon is $148, with Sprint is $144, and with AT&T it is $141, according to BGR.com

Image via youtube.com

February 4, 2014
Tim Tebow Still Doesn’t Have a Contract in T-Mobile’s Super Bowl Ads

Ex-quarterback and meme-generator Tim Tebow doesn’t have a contract – either with an NFL team or with any mobile provider.

T-Mobile has announced that Tebow is calling the plays – in a set of Super Bowl ads set to air this Sunday. This is the first time that T-Mobile has ever produced ads specifically geared toward a Super Bowl audience. Luckily for us, the company has decided to post a couple online to generate advanced buzz.

The premise of the ads is simple – look what Tim Tebow can do without a contract! Look! He’s free to go bull riding, be a rock star, or save puppies from a burning building!

“We’ve seen such a huge response from our Contract Freedom launch that we wanted to showcase the momentum of our latest Un-carrier move on a much grander stage,” said Mike Sievert, chief marketing officer of T-Mobile US. “You can’t get more visibility for a big message like this than at the Super Bowl, and who better than Tim Tebow to embody the relevance of contract freedom.”

Adding to the no-contract appeal, T-Mobile recently began paying off early termination fees of customers wanting to make the jump from other carriers.

Although it’s probably not how he’d prefer it to go down, it looks like you’ll get a dose of Tebow during this year’s big game.

Image via T-Mobile

January 31, 2014
U.S. Could Block Rumored Sprint & T-Mobile Merger

With T-Mobile now adding hundreds of thousands of customers per quarter and Sprint struggling to keep its subscriber numbers up, the rumored merger between the third- and fourth-largest mobile providers in the U.S. still appears to be in the works.

According to a new report in the Wall Street Journal, Sprint board members met this month with U.S. Department of Justice authorities to discuss the possible merger. The report’s unnamed “people briefed on the conversation” are quoted as saying the USDOJ would be skeptical of the merger. The Justice Department reportedly considers the current four major carrier arrangement to be important for continued competition in the U.S. mobile space.

Sprint completed its own merger with SoftBank just last summer. The proposed Sprint and T-Mobile merger would end up being a major deal between the companies’ parent companies, SoftBank and Deutsche Telekom. The Journal report states that unnamed “people familiar with the matter” believe that these parent companies have already been in talks about a possible merger of their U.S. mobile providers.

Despite skepticism from the U.S. government, it appears that the companies involved are still ironing out a possible deal. The Journal reports that all four companies are attempting to structure a deal that could pass regulatory muster with the Department of Justice. That may be a difficult task to accomplish, as seen in AT&T’s failed purchase of T-Mobile in 2011. The fallout from that deal provided T-Mobile with $4 billion worth of cash and spectrum that helped the struggling carrier compete with a faster rollout of its data services across the U.S. A similar breakup fee for a U.S.-blocked Sprint and T-Mobile merger would likely leave T-Mobile in an even better competitive position .

January 29, 2014
T-Mobile to Offer Pseudo-Checking Accounts to Customers

T-Mobile certainly does not lack in creativity. Though the mobile provider’s new initiative to pay off early termination fees for customers who switch to T-Mobile might not lure every customer away from its competitors, the move has certainly put pressure on AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. Now it appears that T-Mobile has even larger ambitions in taking on U.S. banks.

T-Mobile today announced that a new program that will allow its customers to essentially open a checking account with the mobile provider. The “Mobile Money” plan gives customers a re-loadable T-Mobile-branded Visa Prepaid debit card. “Many” T-Mobile customers will qualify for reduced fees or no fees for the use of the card, according to the company.

The idea is that Mobile Money customers will be able to manage their card as a checking account right from their smartphones. The program offers customers the program with many common banking tasks at no charge. Customers will be able to deposit checks using smartphone cameras and cash can be withdrawn with no fee at one of 42,000 ATMs in T-Mobile’s network. The system can even handle direct deposit for regular paychecks.

“We’ve already transformed how Americans use and pay for phones, tablets and wireless service; why stop there?” said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile. “Millions of Americans pay outrageous fees to check cashers, payday lenders and other predatory businesses – just for the right to use their own money. Mobile Money shifts the balance of power for T-Mobile customers and keeps more money in their pockets.”

T-Mobile customers can already sign up for the Mobile Money program through the company’s website. The cards will roll out soon to T-Mobile store locations and will also be available in Safeway stores sometime in February.

January 22, 2014
T-Mobile Claims It Now Has The Fastest 4G Speeds

Today at its Consumer Electronics Show (CES) presentation T-Mobile laid down the gauntlet for other mobile providers, promising to pay customers’ early termination fees if they trade-in their devices.

Even paying $650 for a customer to switch won’t be enough, though, if T-Mobile’s network isn’t up to the standard of what customers are used to. So, along with the termination fee announcement T-Mobile CEO John Legere announced what has become somewhat of a cliche in the mobile industry: that T-Mobile now believes it has the fastest 4G speeds of the top four U.S. mobile providers.

T-Mobile is backing up this statement through an analysis of user data collected from the Ookla Speedtest mobile app. The carrier claims that it has the highest average 4G LTE network speeds in the U.S., with an average of 17.8 Mbps last month. According to T-Mobile, AT&T’s average in December is the next fastest at 14.7 Mbps, then Verizon at 14.3 Mbps. Sprint follows as a distant fourth with average speeds of only 7.9 Mbps last month.

The image at the top of the article depicts Speedtest averages from January 8, the day of T-Mobile’s press conference.

“Finally we agree with AT&T on something: faster is better,” said Legere. “I warned the competition this day would come, and millions of speed tests from real people using their own phones prove it: T-Mobile’s nationwide 4G LTE network is the fastest network in the nation – bar none.”

Legere claimed that T-Mobile will be sending a cease & desist letter to AT&T, asking them to alter their marketing materials that claim the AT&T network is fastest.

Whether or not T-Mobile can truly be called the fastest mobile provider in the U.S., the company certainly does not have the breadth of coverage that AT&T has throughout the U.S., especially in smaller communities. To move up from fourth place, T-Mobile will need more spectrum deals like the one they struck with Verizon last week.

January 8, 2014
T-Mobile to Pay Other Carriers’ Early Termination Fees

Late last week AT&T announced a plan to pay T-Mobile subscribers up to $450 to switch to AT&T. T-Mobile CEO John Legere’s criticisms aside, it now seems that AT&T was getting out ahead of a new T-Mobile plan that was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) today.

During the T-Mobile CES presentation today Legere announced a plan to pay off other carriers’ mobile subscribers’ early termination fees. The service begins tomorrow, when AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint customers can switch to T-Mobile and receive up to $350 toward their early termination fees, as well as up to $300 for their traded-in phone.

As the plan stands, new T-Mobile customers will have to hand over their “eligible devices” from their previous carrier. This will net them up to $300 in credit for each device, depending on how T-Mobile values their particular phones. Customers will then have to purchase a new device through T-Mobile (which is now paid off over 24 months) as well as sign up for a “Simple Choice” plan. Finally, customers will have to either mail or upload a copy of their final bill from the carrier they just left and T-Mobile will pay the early termination fees listed on the bill, up to $350 for each line terminated. In short, T-Mobile will pay up to $650 for each of five line and devices switched in this way.

“We’re giving families a ‘Get Out of Jail Free Card,’ said John Legere, president and chief executive officer of T-Mobile. “Carriers have counted on staggered contract end dates and hefty early termination fees to keep people bound to them forever. But now families can switch to T-Mobile without paying a single red cent to leave them behind.”

January 8, 2014
T-Mobile to Buy Verizon Spectrum For $2.3 Billion

Late last week, T-Mobile CEO John Legere criticized AT&T’s announcement that it would pay up to $450 to T-Mobile subscribers who switch to AT&T. Calling the move “desperate,” Legere said the move was a clear sign that T-Mobile had made AT&T “uncomfortable.” He then teased that T-Mobile would have more industry-changing news coming out of this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

T-Mobile today did release an announcement, though it’s not some new exciting service or pricing initiative. The company will be paying a little over $2.36 billion for 700MHz A-Block spectrum from Verizon. In addition to the cash, T-Mobile will hand over nearly $1 billion worth of its AWS and PCS spectrum to Verizon.

According to T-Mobile, the deal will give the company a stake in low-band spectrum in nine of the top ten U.S. cellular markets. Around 150 million people are covered by the spectrum purchased from Verizon.

“This is a great opportunity to secure low-band spectrum in many of the top markets in America,” said Legere. “These transactions represent our biggest move yet in a series of initiatives that are rapidly expanding our already lightning-fast network and improving its performance across the country. We will continue to find ways to advance our customers’ network experience just as our bold ‘Un-carrier’ moves have shaken up the wireless industry to benefit consumers.”

Verizon closed a similar spectrum deal with AT&T back in September. Under the terms of that deal, AT&T paid $1.9 billion for 39 700MHz B-Block spectrum lecences covering 42 million Americans in 18 states.

January 6, 2014
T-Mobile CEO Calls AT&T Payouts “Desperate”

Earlier today, AT&T announced that it will now pay up to $450 to T-Mobile customers willing to switch over to an AT&T plan. The deal included $200 per line for the switch and up to $250 for a traded-in smartphone, depending on the phone model.

The move was a tacit admission that T-Mobile has been syphoning off subscribers from AT&T. Where T-Mobile added one million new customers during its previous quarter, AT&T added fewer than 370,000 new subscribers during its third quarter. All this in a U.S. mobile environment where new customers are becoming very rare.

T-Mobile has now responded to AT&T’s switch payouts, and it isn’t impressed.

T-Mobile CEO John Legere today issued an executive statement calling AT&T’s new deal “desperate” and implying that the payments amount to bribery. The statement, in full:

This is a desperate move by AT&T on the heels of what must have been a terrible Q4 and holiday for them. I’m flattered that we have made them so uncomfortable! We used AT&T’s cash to build a far superior network and added Un-carrier moves to take tons of their customers – and now they want to bribe them back! Consumers won’t be fooled…nothing has changed; customers will still feel the same old pain that AT&T is famous for. Just wait until CES to hear what pain points we are eliminating next. The competition is going to be toast!

-John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile USA

The money of AT&T’s that Legere refers to is the estimated $4 billion payment T-Mobile’s parent company received as termination fee for the proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile. The deal fell apart in 2011 after the U.S. Justice Department successfully opposed the deal on antitrust grounds.

Legere’s confidence is clear, and not entirely unjustified given the successful 2013 that T-Mobile had. If the company’s announcements at next week’s CES show really are as big as Legere seems to believe, U.S. wireless customers are in for another year of competitive initiatives from mobile providers.

January 3, 2014
AT&T to Pay Up to $450 For T-Mobile Subscribers to Switch

Just over two years ago AT&T and T-Mobile were set to merge into But for the U.S. Department of Justice that merger would have created the largest mobile provider in the U.S., further stifling competition.

Instead, CEO John Legere has turned T-Mobile, the fourth largest mobile provider in the U.S., into a pain in the sides of larger mobile providers – and a successful one at that. Throughout the past year, T-Mobile has introduced contract-free mobile plans, unlimited international data, and its “Jump!” service, which allows customers to upgrade their smartphones at a rapid pace. Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint all quickly formulated their own plans to compete with T-Mobile’s offerings.

With subscribers now fleeing from AT&T at an increasing pace, AT&T is now confronting the problem in the simplest possible way: by throwing money at the problem. AT&T today announced that it will pay up to $450 per line to T-Mobile subscribers willing to switch over their subscriptions to AT&T.

Starting today, T-Mobile customers can receive up to the $450 payout depending on a few factors. Switching from T-Mobile to an AT&T plan will get subscribers a $200 credit towards their new plan. The other $250 is dependent on the condition of a smartphone that is traded into AT&T. Only the “latest and most popular smartphones” will get new subscribers the full $250, which will come in the form of a “promotion card.”

This new move by AT&T shows just how much T-Mobile has shaken up the U.S. mobile market in the past year. It also demonstrates another factor that is quickly becoming a problem for U.S. carriers: that the number of new subscribers available in the U.S. is drying up. For consumers this should mean increased competition from all of the major carriers, as long as potential mergers continue to be kept in check by the DOJ.

January 3, 2014
Sprint Is Thinking About Buying T-Mobile Next Year [REPORT]

According to sources quoted in The Wall Street Journal, the United States’ third-largest carrier is thinking about making a bid for the nation’s fourth-largest.

Sources “familiar with the matter” say that Sprint is weighing the possibility of making a play on T-Mobile that could take place as early as the first half of 2014, and which could be as costly as $20 billion.

Of course, any such merger would be met with vigorous antitrust questions. If this were to happen, the U.S. would be left with only three major carriers (AT&T and Verizon).

From the WSJ:

Sprint hasn’t yet decided whether to move ahead with a bid. Going forward despite regulators’ concerns would be highly risky. Any pursuit of a bid by Sprint could be aimed at testing antitrust officials’ reaction to a deal, and a bad reaction could put an end to the effort.

As you probably recall, AT&T’s bid to acquire T-Mobile failed back in December of 2011 after regulatory opposition.

T-Mobile shares have already jumped on news of the possible deal.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

December 13, 2013
AT&T Is Tired Of Footing The Bill For Your New Smartphones

For the longest time, wireless carriers have operated on a business plan that subsidized hardware in exchange for locking customers into a pricey two-year contract. The logic was that the almost pure profit these carriers pulled from subscriptions helped to make up the cost of the phone. Now one carrier isn’t so sure of that business plan anymore.

CNET reports that AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson was at an investor conference this week where he touched upon the company’s need to move away from subsidizing smartphones. He noted that it was an acceptable cost when they were trying to get people to use smartphones, but it’s a little more complicated now that 75 percent of AT&T’s subscribers use smartphones. Those subscribers expect to upgrade to the newest model every two years with a heavy subsidy to pay for it. Stephenson says that it’s just not financially viable:

“When you’re growing the business initially, you have to do aggressive device subsidies to get people on the network. But as you approach 90 percent penetration, you move into maintenance mode. That means more device upgrades. And the model has to change. You can’t afford to subsidize devices like that.”

So, what does AT&T intend to do about the rising cost of smartphones? For starters, the carrier is now going to encourage subscribers to keep their phones for more than two years. A new plan was introduced that knocks $15 off a subscriber’s monthly bill if they opt to keep their current phone instead of upgrading after two years.

The other, more attractive, plan is to follow in T-Mobile’s footsteps and offer financing. In other words, subscribers will pay the usual small fee up front and then pay off the rest of the phone in installments over a two year period. Subscribers are still locked in for the two year period, and AT&T doesn’t have to absorb the majority of the phone’s cost. It’a a win-win scenario for the carrier and one that Stephenson “see[s] the market going.”

Besides changing how the carrier sells phones, Stephenson also said that AT&T must encourage its subscribers to use more data. In other words, AT&T’s move to get rid of unlimited data plans worked as more than 70 percent of its subscribers are now tiered pricing. As data consumption becomes more prominent, AT&T stands to make a killing as more subscribers switch to higher tiered data plans. In fact, Stephenson sees mobile video as the next big thing and that alone will drive up data usage to new heights.

The mobile industry is now in a state of change thanks to T-Mobile switching to its popular un-carrier approach to selling smartphones. While AT&T and Verizon will never offer unlimited 4G data, both carriers are already adopting T-Mobile’s approach to financing smartphones and upgrades. That means consumers aren’t going to see much of a change in their upfront costs, but they will end up paying more in the long run if carriers ditch subsidies altogether in favor of financing.

[Image: Wikimedia Commons]

December 11, 2013
T-Mobile Added 1 Million Customers in Third Quarter

T-Mobile today reported its third quarter earnings, showing a 37% year-over-year increase in revenue to $6.6 billion. The company managed to cut its losses to $36 million during the third quarter. This represents the second straight quarter of revenue growth for T-Mobile, and the company’s stock has reflected its higher-than-expected results.

More importantly for T-Mobile, it is now quickly closing the subscriber gap on Sprint. T-Mobile added one million net customers during its third quarter, with 648,000 of those being postpaid subscribers. T-Mobile now estimates that it has 45 million total customers, edging closer to Sprint’s reduced 55 million customers at the end of its third quarter.

Many of those new subscribers came from T-Mobile’s acquisition of MetroPCS, which was completed in May. T-Mobile has announced plans to expand the MetroPCS brand into 15 new markets on November 21.

As the fourth largest mobile provider in the U.S., T-Mobile has been competing aggressively with its larger competitors during the past year. The company was the first to roll out its “JUMP!” offering, a service plan that allows customers to upgrade their mobile devices on a more rapid basis. AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint now also offer similar plans. T-Mobile also announced just last week that it will provide unlimited international data service to customers at no extra charge.

“T-Mobile’s ‘Un-carrier’ approach is resonating with consumers,” said John Legere, President and CEO of T-Mobile. “We added more than 1 million customers and led the industry with 643,000 branded postpaid phone additions because we are fixing the things that drive customers crazy. Part of our customer momentum comes from the MetroPCS acquisition. With MetroPCS we are making great progress, including the planned additional expansion of the MetroPCS brand into another 15 additional markets by November 21. Our momentum is great and we have confidence that we can continue to deliver sustainable and profitable growth.”

November 5, 2013
Nexus 5 Will Come To Sprint, T-Mobile Before The Holidays

Did yesterday’s Nexus 5 announcement excite you to no end? You might have even rushed to the Google Play store to purchase one, but found its comparatively affordable price of $349 to be a bit too much. Well, worry not as Google’s next flagship device will soon be subsidized through two carriers.

Upon the announcement of the Nexus 5 yesterday, Sprint was the first out of the gate to announce that the device would be available on their network starting November 8 for $149.99. The device will also be compatible with Sprint’s Unlimited Data Guarantee for Life plan.

“Whether you’re streaming music or video, surfing the Web, gaming online or just catching up on email, in upgraded areas, Nexus 5 will offer Sprint customers a secure, fast connection using all three of Sprint’s 4G LTE network bands, giving customers the best wireless experience for their needs,” said David Owens, vice president-Product Development, Sprint. “With the dynamic camera features available on this smartphone, our customers will be able to enjoy sharing all their photos and have the peace of mind by not having to worry about data caps or overage charges. While other wireless providers move away from unlimited service, Sprint stands behind its commitment with Sprint Unlimited Guarantee, allowing our customers to lock-in unlimited talk, text and data, while on the Sprint network, not for just the next two years, but for the life of the line of service.”

That’s great and all, but what about T-Mobile? It carried the Nexus 4 so it only makes sense that it would also carry the Nexus 5, right? That would be correct as T-Mobile announced yesterday that it would be carrying the Nexus 5 as well. It didn’t provide a price or launch date, however, so we’re stuck with a vague announcement of sometime before Christmas. The Nexus 5 will be available to new customers and JUMP program participants.

There have been no other announcements from other carriers so it’s most likely that the Nexus 5 will only be available through T-Mobile and Sprint. For everybody else, you’ll have to buy it full price through the Google Play store and activate it on your carrier. Even then, you’re only paying $350 for what is essentially an LG G2.

[Image: Google]

November 1, 2013
T-Mobile To Offer iPad Air For $0 Down, 200MB Of Free Data A Month On All Tablets

T-Mobile has been on a campaign to change how the wireless industry works by ditching contracts, rethinking upgrades and even making International roaming charges a thing of the past. Now, hot on the heels of the iPad Air announcement, T-Mobile wants to change how carriers sell tablets as well.

T-Mobile announced today that it will be carrying the iPad Air and iPad Mini on November 1 alongside the rest of the big carriers. Unlike those carriers, however, T-Mobile will be selling the iPad Air and iPad Mini for $0 down. Instead, customers will be enrolled in T-Mobile’s Simple Choice plan that allows them to pay it off over the course of two years.

To sweeten the deal even further, T-Mobile will be offering every person who buys an iPad through T-Mobile free data for life. To be more specific, these customers will receive 200MB of free 4G LTE data a month for as long as they own the iPad Air or iPad Mini. T-Mobile notes that they don’t even have to be a T-Mobile customer to take advantage of this deal. Consumers just have to buy the iPad through them and they get the free data.

“When you buy a product as amazing as iPad, you should be able to connect when and where you want, simply and affordably,” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile. “By offering free data for life with incredible upfront pricing, T-Mobile is un-leashing customers to fully enjoy iPad as it was meant to be enjoyed – mobile and connected.”

Now, that’s all well and good, but 200MB is nowhere near enough data for the iPad user that’s constantly on the go. For them, T-Mobile will offer 500MB of 4G LTE data for $10 a month. The price goes by $10 for every 2GB you add on. The carrier will also be selling day and weekly passes, with a 500MB a day going for $5 and 1GB a week going for $10.

“Tablets are supposed to be un-tethered like smartphones, but it hasn’t worked out that way because people know carriers will charge them an arm-and-a-leg for mobile data,” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile. “Carriers figured out a long time ago that they could make money – a lot of money – by forcing customers into restrictive, overpriced data plans. We changed it for smartphones and we’re changing it for tablets.”

Interestingly enough, T-Mobile CEO John Legere and CMO Mike Sievert took to Twitter to announce all of the above news and answer questions directly from consumers. Here are some of the answers.

In response to how much one can do with 200MB of data:

. @jasonlee you can do roughly 2500 emails, 800 instagrams, 200 vines, 200 minutes of streaming.

— T-Mobile (@TMobile) October 23, 2013

Do you have to buy your tablet through T-Mobile?

.@jeremykeane Yes! Every person who brings their tablet to @TMobile gets the 200MB!

— T-Mobile (@TMobile) October 23, 2013

One eagle-eyed Twitter user spotted that Apple didn’t list T-Mobile’s HSPA+ frequency (1700MHz) on its list of supported frequencies of the iPad Air. What’s up with that?

Yes it is, it's compatible. The new ones support all of our frequencies. These were built with @TMobile in mind.

— T-Mobile (@TMobile) October 23, 2013

T-Mobile ended this admittedly strange Twitter “press conference” with a few cheeky jabs at the competition:

Q: Will @ATT and @Verizon copy @TMobile again?

— T-Mobile (@TMobile) October 23, 2013

Something to leave you guys with. Be sure to RT so the competition can see 😉 pic.twitter.com/nJjeYq5QPC

— T-Mobile (@TMobile) October 23, 2013

[Image: Apple]

October 23, 2013
T-Mobile Now Offers Unlimited International Data

Traveling to other countries can be a once in a lifetime experience for most, but it can also be incredibly expensive. It doesn’t help when your wireless carrier gouges you for using data overseas. Unfortunately, international roaming fees are just a part of the business, or so we thought until T-Mobile decided to change the rules.

T-Mobile, the carrier that upended the wireless industry earlier this year with its un-carrier philosophy, has announced that it will now offer unlimited wireless data to international travelers. T-Mobile’s new unlimited international data plan will be available at no extra charge to subscribers in over 100 countries.

“The cost of staying connected across borders is completely crazy,” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile US, Inc. “Today’s phones are designed to work around the world, but we’re forced to pay insanely inflated international connectivity fees to actually use them. You can’t leave the country without coming home to bill shock. So we’re making the world your network – at no extra cost.”

There’s surely a catch though, right? There is, but it’s not as bad as you might think. Starting October 31, T-Mobile subscribers will get unlimited 2G data and text messaging in over 100 countries. For voice calls, T-Mobile will apply a flat rate of 20 cents a minute.

What about high speed data though? It’s nice to have unlimited data, but it seems kind of pointless at 2G speeds. This is where you will have to spend money by purchasing what T-Mobile calls a “Speed Pass.” For $15, you can get 100MB of high speed data that lasts for a day. At $25, you get 200MB that lasts for a week. For the long term traveler, you can spend $50 to get 500MB that lasts for two weeks. In short, you’ll have to spend money to get high speed data, but it’s nowhere near as bad as the roaming fees that Verizon and AT&T charge.

With this latest move, T-Mobile has just become the best friend of every businessman that frequently travels. It will undoubtedly cause AT&T and Verizon to lower the international roaming fees at some point down the road even if the two carriers still refuse to offer unlimited domestic 4G data.

[Image: T-Mobile]

October 10, 2013
T-Mobile Market Share Increased Substantially This Summer

T-Mobile is currently the fourth-largest mobile provider in the U.S. With almost nothing to lose following the company’s failed acquisition by AT&T, the carrier began offering prices lower than its competitors. After naming John Legere CEO, T-Mobile took on its “un-carrier” branding and offered unlimited data as well as no contract subscription plans. Though these things weren’t quite enough to make T-Mobile a real competitor to AT&T and Verizon at the time, the company’s rapid 4G network rollout has now made it a real contender.

This week, market research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech released a new report showing that T-mobile’s share of U.S. smartphone sales rose over 1% during the three summer months ending in August. The mobile provider now represents 13.2% of U.S. smartphone sales. This brings it closer to Sprint’s 14.6% share, though it is still far from Verizon’s 37.1% share or AT&T’s 21.7% cut.

This increase comes after T-Mobile had seen its year-over-year market shares decline. Kantar stated that T-Mobile’s rise could be due to its strong iOS sales, as well as its new “Jump!” pricing scheme. “Jump!” allows customers to pay off their device costs over time and also enables them to upgrade those devices more frequently. Though the majority of smartphones sold by T-mobile are Android-based, the carrier’s top-selling smartphone this summer was the iPhone 5.

“When iOS first debuted on T-Mobile in mid-April, the majority of sales came from consumers upgrading from a featurephone to their first smartphone,” said Dominic Sunnebo, global strategic insight director at Kantar. “However, looking at those who purchased an iPhone in the August period, 56% of those consumers came from another smartphone, including 38.5% from an Android device.”

October 1, 2013
T-Mobile to Stop Carrying BlackBerry Smartphones in Stores

With BlackBerry now on the verge of being sold, fourth-place U.S. mobile carrier T-Mobile is now set to stop shipping BlackBerry smartphones to its retail stores. A new Reuters report cites T-Mobile EVP for Corporate Services David Carey as saying the provider will instead ship BlackBerry smartphones directly to consumers. The devices will still remain on display at T-Mobile stores for the rare consumer who wants to preview them.

The report quotes Carey saying that keeping BlackBerry devices in stock at stores is “inefficient” due to the low demand for BlackBerry smartphones seen among consumers. He stated that most of T-Mobile’s BlackBerry device sales have gone to businesses, which don’t need to come into retail stores.

This announcement is yet another blow to BlackBerry’s consumer sales. The company recently announced that it will even stop marketing its devices to consumers, instead focusing on enterprise sales.

BlackBerry on Monday announced that it has signed an agreement with a consortium led by FairFax financial to be bought out for $4.7 billion. The sale announcement came just weeks after the company announced it was exploring “strategic alternatives,” including a possible sale. The final deal is on hold for six weeks while FairFax performs due diligence and raises the cash. In the meantime, BlackBerry is open to receiving better offers, which could actually come for its extensive patent portfolio.

September 26, 2013
AT&T Tops J.D. Power Purchase Experience Survey

Earlier this month, J.D. Power released the results of its “2013 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Full-Service Performance” study. The report showed that AT&T ranks number one among top U.S. mobile providers when it comes to customer service satisfaction.

Today, J.D. Power released the results of its “2013 Wireless Purchase Experience” Study. The survey looks at and rates the experiences customers have when purchasing phones and mobile plans online, in stores, or over the phone. The results are, unsurprisingly, similar to those seen in the customer service survey.

AT&T top the survey’s list of major U.S. mobile providers when it comes to purchase experience, a first for the company. AT&T scored 798 on J.D. Power’s 1,000-point rating scale, beating Verizon by just four points. Sprint was third on the list (but closer to Verizon than on the customer service rankings) with a 793. T-Mobile brought up the rear, again, with a comparatively dismal 784.

Overall, customer satisfaction with mobile sales is on the rise. The rating for all carriers by customers who completed sales transactions recently now stands at 795, a 31-point increase from the same rating just six months ago. As with the customer service survey, consumers pointed to better online chat as a reason for their greater satisfaction, with faster, easier-to-use websites also contributing.

“There’s a direct correlation between an efficient sales transaction process and improving satisfaction with the overall purchase experience,” said Kirk Parsons, senior director of the Telecom services division at J.D. Power. “The increased levels of satisfaction with website are partially due to the efficiency and immediacy of the experience driven by increasingly innovative online chat functions. Additionally, carriers have invested heavily in promoting and marketing the latest 4G devices to keep current customers loyal and encourage spending on more advanced services.”

August 15, 2013
T-Mobile Adds 1.1 Million Subscribers In Q2

For the longest time, T-Mobile was the third wheel of wireless carriers as it did everything the same as AT&T and Verizon, but without the excellent 4G coverage. That all changed earlier this year as the carrier became the “un-carrier” and got rid of contracts. It has also aggressively expanded its 4G coverage. All of this has culminated in the company having one of its best quarters yet.

T-Mobile released its second quarter earnings report today, and the carrier says that its new programs have paid off very well so far. The big news is that it has added 1.1 million new subscribers over the last quarter. It also reported 688,000 branded postpaid net additions – an improvement of more than 1.2 million year-over-year.

“T-Mobile’s Un-carrier approach has clearly resonated with consumers. By fixing the things that drive them mad, like contracts and upgrades, and freeing them from the two-year sentences imposed on them by our competitors, they are choosing the new T-Mobile in unprecedented numbers,” said John Legere, President & CEO of T-Mobile. “We are just beginning and we will continue to apply this innovative thinking to the Un-carrier offers we create and to the internal operations of our company, which taken together are driving significant shareholder value creation.”

One of the big events during T-Mobile’s second quarter was the launch of the iPhone 5 on its service. The carrier says that iPhone sales accounted for 29 percent of its total sales. The Samsung Galaxy S4 did even better by selling 4.3 million units, or 86 percent of its total sales, during the second quarter.

In other news, T-Mobile said that it ended its second quarter with 44 million subscribers – an increase of more than 10 million. It only gained 1.1 million last quarter, so where did the other 8.9 million come from? If you recall, T-Mobile bought MetroPCS earlier this year, and that carrier’s subscribers have now been moved over to T-Mobile’s network.

As for the future, T-Mobile expects its EBITDA to be in the range of $5.2 to $5.4 billion for 2013. It also expects to gain between 1 and 1.2 million branded postpaid net addition this year as well.

T-Mobile isn’t at the level of Verizon or AT&T just yet, but the carrier is quickly becoming a major player in the industry. Its influence has already been felt after the introduction of its Jump program, and other carriers may soon follow suit with their own “un-carrier” plans. Consumers certainly want to see it happen.

August 8, 2013
The Moto X Will Arrive On August 23 [Report]

Google and Motorola made a big to do about the Moto X earlier this month when they officially unveiled the handset. At the time, they only said that the phone would launch later this year. Now we have a date thanks to a new report.

A report out of Ad Age says that the Moto X will launch on August 23. On that date, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon will all start to offer the device. With the exception of T-Mobile, the other three carriers will charge $199 for the device with a new two-year contract. With T-Mobile, the device will be offered straight from the Motorola site for an undisclosed sum.

Now, one of the more interesting aspects of the Moto X is the customization options available to consumers. The Moto Maker Web app will allow Moto X buyers to essentially design their own phone with a number of custom backs and colors. The phone will then be assembled at a factory in Texas, and shipped to you.

Unfortunately, the Moto Maker app will be exclusive to AT&T subscribers at launch. Everybody else will be stuck with the stock black and white colors. AT&T’s exclusivity will not last long, however, as Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile subscribers can start using the Moto Maker app come November.

We now know that you’ll be able to get a Moto X on August 23, but will it be worth it? The device sports some decent specs including a 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon CPU, 2GB of RAM, Android 4.2.2, 16GB of internal storage and a 10MP rear camera. It also features some unique sensors that can detect speech and movement, including a camera that can be turned on with the flick of a wrist.

If you’re an AT&T subscriber, the availability of the Moto Maker at launch might make the Moto X a viable choice for those looking for something new. As for everybody else, you’re better off waiting until the Moto Maker launches for your carrier in November. The phone has some neat gimmicks, but Motorola unwisely locked its best gimmick behind carrier exclusivity.

[h/t: Droid-Life]

August 8, 2013
AT&T Ranks 1st in Customer Service For U.S. Mobile Providers

U.S. mobile providers aren’t known for their fantastic customer service, but some are certainly better than others. J.D. Power’s “2013 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Full-Service Performance Study” was released this week, ranking each of the country’s mobile carriers on their customer’s satisfaction with each company’s service.

The study found that AT&T now ranks highest in customer service satisfaction among all U.S. mobile providers, with customers ranking the company well for its walk-in and online chat services. AT&T scored a 795 on J.D. Power’s “Power Circle Ratings” 1,000-point scale, with Verizon coming in second at 790. Sprint was third on the list with a score of 771, and T-Mobile brought up the rear with a low score of 760.

Among “non-contract” mobile providers, MetroPCS ranked highest with a 770. It was followed by Cricket, which scored a 750, and Virgin Mobile, which scored a 733. Boost Mobile came in slightly below the average for non-contract providers, with a score of 729.

Overall, the study found that satisfaction with mobile providers’ customer service rose this year to its highest level since 2009. J.D. Power attributes this rise to the more frequent use and better performance of online customer service, particularly online chat.

“The higher levels of satisfaction with online chat are partially due to the efficiency and immediacy of the experience, particularly with service issues or questions that are easier to resolve in this environment, such as billing or service/device questions pertaining to upgrades,” said Kirk Parsons, senior director of the telecom services practice division at J.D. Power. “However, as carriers release new products and services to meet consumer demand, such automated systems as online chat must continue to evolve to address harder-to-answer questions related to technology support, as customers gain confidence in using alternative contact channels for convenience-related reasons.”

August 1, 2013