Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the top headlines from the past. Fire up the time machine, put on the sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
AT&T to buy T-Mobile USA, become nation’s largest operator again
AT&T Inc. announced plans to acquire T-Mobile USA Inc. in a $39 billion deal that if approved will create the domestic industry’s largest player – by a sizeable margin – with more than 120 million wireless customers. AT&T Mobility is currently the nation’s second-largest operator with more than 95.5 million “connections,” just behind current No. 1 Verizon Wireless with 102.2 million “connections.” T-Mobile USA is currently a distant No. 4 with approximately 33 million subscribers. The news would seem to puts to rest recent rumors about a possible tie-up between No. 3 operator Sprint Nextel Corp. or its majority-owned partner, Clearwire Corp., and T-Mobile USA. The purchase, which has been approved by both boards of directors, will give T-Mobile USA’s parent Deutsche Telekom AG an 8% interest in AT&T. … Read More
Analysts dish on AT&T Mobility’s plan to buy T-Mobile USA
The quick takeaways from analysts on AT&T Inc.’s plan to buy T-Mobile USA Inc. in a $39 billion deal are largely positive, albeit slightly reserved in a congratulatory tone as the transaction still awaits regulatory approval. Mark Lowenstein, managing director at consulting firm Mobile Ecosystem, said the deal highlights a new wave of consolidation around scale. Whereas the previous wave of consolidation, which he pegs from 2005 to 2008, was about creating national 3G networks and consolidating customer bases, this new wave is about scale, he added. … Read More
What role (if any) will AT&T and T-Mobile play in mobile entertainment?
Will AT&T Mobility’s pursuit of T-Mobile USA Inc. have an impact on mobile entertainment? The tie-up of the two companies could lead to some changes, but much of it might already be underway. Carrier involvement in content and entertainment has diminished considerably and largely fallen to an off-deck world mindset. Developers and media companies have set their sights on mobile operating systems like Apple Inc.’s iOS and Google Inc.’s Android to reach their audiences. They can reach users at much greater scale by developing for these increasingly popular platforms without putting much thought into the carrier piece of the puzzle. … Read More
Carrier exec roundtable’s tap dancing elephant
With the weekend “announcement” still being absorbed, the CEO’s for the nation’s three largest wireless operators took to the stage during the opening keynote at the 2011 CTIA event with moderator Jim Cramer to get some perspective on the current space. That perspective was highlighted by the last minute withdrawal of T-Mobile USA Inc.’s CEO Philipp Humm, who, along with most of the T-Mobile USA contingent at the show, backed out of their engagements following AT&T Mobility’s announced $39 billion acquisition plan. Cramer, who is known for his boisterous delivery on the “Mad Money” show on CNBC, did a commendable job in getting reaction from the execs on a topic that was clearly either uncomfortable for some. … Read More
Sprint Nextel continues to push 4G device depth in face of growing competition
Looking to recapture some of that “Evo” magic, Sprint Nextel Corp. launched a new halo device for its smartphone line up sporting updated specs and 3D capabilities that do not require specs. The new device comes one year after the carrier unveiled its strong selling HTC Corp. Evo 4G device that continues to be a solid competitor in the rapidly changing smartphone space. The new Evo 3D, which despite the number “degradation compared with the Evo 4G, one-ups its relative with a QHD 3D Display that is not only sharper than the previous 4G’s glass, but also includes glasses-free 3D capabilities. The 4.3-inch screen is indeed sharp in person, though the “3D” effect does take some getting used to, especially if viewed from any angle off center. … Read More
T-Mobile USA fills out smartphone, data device portfolio
Following up on its plans for expanding HSPA+ enhancements across its network, T-Mobile USA Inc. also announced several new devices at this year’s CTIA event as well as provided more launch details on some already announced models. The carrier showed off the latest “G” series smartphone powered by Google Inc.’s Android operating system with the HTC Corp. G2x. The device includes a dual-core 1 GHz Tegra 2 processor from Nvidia Corp., a four-inch screen and comes preloaded with the “Need For Speed Shift HD” mobile game. The “G” series of devices began with the G1 model that launched in late 2008 and was the first device in the United States to run Google’s mobile OS. … Read More
Leap set to launch LTE this year, signs roaming deal with LightSquared
Leap Wireless International Inc. is set to move forward with LTE network plans that will include building out coverage in its current markets and striking a roaming deal with LightSquared for nationwide coverage. The regional carrier said it has entered into a long term “4G” roaming agreement with LightSquared that will expand coverage for LTE services that carrier plans to begin rolling out later this year, with continued expansion over the next several years. Leap has noted previously that it had sufficient spectrum in most of its markets to launch LTE services save for the Chicago area where it lacks sufficient depth. … Read More
LightSquared continues to attract partners, funding needs to hit $14B by end of decade
LightSquared continued its promotional tour this morning with company chairman and CEO Sanjiv Ahuja taking the stage during the Day 2 keynote extolling the benefits of LightSquared’s planned wholesale-only, satellite/terrestrial-based LTE network. Ahuja cited other companies that came into established industries with new business models that fundamentally changed how that industry operated. Those examples included Dell Inc. it the personal computing space and Netflix Inc. in the digital content delivery space. Ahuja repeatedly cited President Barak Obama’s push for nationwide broadband access covering 98% of the country’s population in explaining the importance of LightSquared’s satellite/terrestrial network offering. LightSquared has said it plans to cover more than 100 million potential customers with its terrestrial LTE service by the end of 2012, 145 million by the end of 2013 and more than 260 million pops by the end of 2015. … Read More
FCC chairman supports data roaming, warns of ‘looming spectrum crisis’
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski’s speech to a packed CTIA International Wireless 2011 crowd in the Day 1 keynote speech touched on mostly previously announced initiatives, but Genachowski did provide a few new hints about where he stands on data roaming; he wants it. Although Genachowski said the framework of any mandated roaming regulation has yet to be decided, he made a special point of noting that mandated roaming agreements were important to voice services, and that many operators depend on roaming agreements for their own success. … Read More
AT&T Mobility bolsters SXSW, Austin mobile coverage
There was little carrier exposure in terms of physical presence at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin this year, which is largely a shame due to all the opportunities for collaboration and investment available for mobile carriers at the show. One carrier that definitely had a presence was AT&T Mobility, which made several moves to bolster the network’s data traffic and voice connections prior to the start of SXSW. AT&T Mobility upgraded its broadband wireless network in downtown Austin this year to handle the massive number of visitors to the show. … Read More
Check out RCR Wireless News’ Archives for more stories from the past.
