T-Mobile USA Sees Three National Networks Over Long Term

[marmar]

(Bloomberg) T-Mobile USA, the fourth-largest U.S. mobile-phone operator, said an industry deal to reduce the number of nationwide wireless providers to three is likely “in the longer term” following regulatory shifts.

“Is it possible that four major players could go down to three?” Chief Operating Officer Jim Alling told investors today at a conference in Barcelona organized by Morgan Stanley. “I think that is possible, and likely in the longer term. I don’t know how likely that is, based on the current regulatory environment” of U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration.

Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE)’s attempt to sell T-Mobile USA to AT&T Inc. (T) for $39 billion was thwarted last year as regulators were concerned that the combination would reduce competition. Deutsche Telekom, Germany’s former phone monopoly, reached an agreement last month to merge the U.S. division with MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS) to improve its scale and narrow the gap with Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint Nextel Corp. (S)

MetroPCS shareholders will probably meet in February or March to discuss approval of the deal, said Braxton Carter, the U.S. company’s chief financial officer who’s set to hold that job in the planned joint company. That time frame compares with a prediction by Deutsche Telekom Chief Executive Officer Rene Obermann in October that investors in Richardson, Texas-based MetroPCS would agree to the deal as early as the end of 2012. .........................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-16/t-mobile-usa-sees-three-national-networks-over-long-term.html

[HopeHoops]

1. T-Mobile has been good to us for something like 13 years and we've got a grandfathered plan.

I know people who pay more for a month of service for ONE phone than I do for FIVE of them combined - with shared minutes and no charge phone-to-phone within us. Long distance just counts as regular minutes. Even when T-Mobile solicits me with "better offers", the rep ends up pausing to review what I said and the "better deal" and admits, "No, I actually can't touch that." And that does include Internet access and texting, but I had them disable texting completely. None of us use it.