The highly publicized takeover of T-Mobile USA by AT&T has officially begun, as today, AT&T submitted the legal paperwork formally requesting ownership of any and all T-Mobile wireless spectrum and licenses. The $39 billion deal (that several government and regulatory agencies must still approve) will create a gigantic 100+ million strong wireless carrier in the US, easily dwarfing the second closest carrier, Verizon, and completely overshadowing Sprint, the soon to be nation’s 3rd largest carrier.
AT&T still maintains that in acquiring T-Mobile they will be able to better provide advanced technologies tomorrow and in the future while also giving customers more speed, coverage, and choices even outside of AT&T. (Pardon us if we seem naive, but we fail to see how going from 2 major GSM carriers to 1 “drives competition”. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.) Sprint on the other had has joined the ranks of countless rural carriers in the fight to break up the proposed merger, stating that more harm than good will come from the impending marriage.
3-6 months from the U.S. cellular landscape could look very different. Stay tuned…
Via: AllThingsD
