Congress is Holding a T-Mobile and Sprint Merger Hearing

AlphaAtlas

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T-Mobile agreed to acquire Sprint last year, but the companies have run into some regulatory hurdles since then. But Congress is holding a hearing on the merger right now, and they're streaming it live. Thanks to cageymaru for the tip.

Check out the stream here.


The House Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology holds a hearing on "Protecting Consumers and Competition: An Examination of the T-Mobile and Sprint Merger."
 
I'd rather they not merge cause look what happened to T-Mobile and AT&T merger attempt and how T-Mobile is now pushing hard to compete. I'd like to see the same with Sprint.
 
Having 4 major providers is awful, that's not gonna do much to promote a free market as is, dropping it down to less just makes things worse, would rather see competition rather than gradually go back to the days when AT&T would charge a dollar per minute, no thanks.
 
Holding a "Hearing"

"Can we hear from whoever's got the biggest brown envelope to give us so we can just approve this and have loads of cash for H&B"
 
Good idea to have the numbers 3 and 4 carriers merge to make a more viable number 3. Without the merger, Sprint could very well go under which would send more customers to AT&T and Verizon.
 
Can't say I'm thrilled about T-MO trying to merge with Sprint. I'm moderately happy with T-MO (except it doesn't work in the boonies), but I had Sprint many years back and I hated them. Their network has probably improved, but still their customer service was the worst. And they use incompatible network systems, not sure how that's supposed to work.

But I guess as long as I'm not spending more than $40 a month who cares right?
 
If this means that as a T-Mobile customer I'd be able to use both GSM and CDMA networks and both T-Mobile and Sprint's towers then I'm in.
 
And they use incompatible network systems, not sure how that's supposed to work.

This is what I don't get. T-Mobile uses GSM along with most other carriers.

Sprint's CDMA is not compatible with any other phones out there. (Thus why you can't unlock sprint phones, typically, to go international.) I'm curious to see what they're planning.
 
I'm usually opposed to mergers like this, as they tend to reduce competition and harm consumers, but both T-mobile and Sprint are so far behind Verizon and AT&T that this one doesn't really concern me.
 
I'm usually opposed to mergers like this, as they tend to reduce competition and harm consumers, but both T-mobile and Sprint are so far behind Verizon and AT&T that this one doesn't really concern me.
T-Mobile has grown their infrastructure and customer base significantly over the past few years. I would place them really close to Verizon and AT&T at this point. Sprint, on the other hand, is still a turd for the most part.
 
I don't remember exactly, but IIRC, the plan was definitely to rid themselves of CDMA.

https://www.tmonews.com/2018/12/t-mobile-cfo-talks-plans-sprint-network-following-merger/

Sounds like move everyone to T-mobile, shut down cell sites, and reallocate spectrum.


Yeah, this merger is more about spectrum and subscribers.

It's much more efficient to spread out infrastructure costs over a larger number of subscribers, and hvaing more spectrum will allow them to provide better service as well.

The problem I see here is that both Sprint and T-Mobile have traditionally both had better coverage in urban areas, and worse coverage in rural areas, so unfortunately, if they merge their networks, they wont wind up with an efficient expansion of coverage area, instead they will just wind up with duplicated coverage in urban areas, and still poor coverage in rural areas.
 
Yeah, this merger is more about spectrum and subscribers.

It's much more efficient to spread out infrastructure costs over a larger number of subscribers, and hvaing more spectrum will allow them to provide better service as well.

The problem I see here is that both Sprint and T-Mobile have traditionally both had better coverage in urban areas, and worse coverage in rural areas, so unfortunately, if they merge their networks, they wont wind up with an efficient expansion of coverage area, instead they will just wind up with duplicated coverage in urban areas, and still poor coverage in rural areas.

In fairness, T-mobile has gotten better in rural areas over the past 5 years, but still nowhere near Verizon and AT&T. I recently tested Mint to see if T-mobile would work for me, but it's still not good enough yet.
 
In fairness, T-mobile has gotten better in rural areas over the past 5 years, but still nowhere near Verizon and AT&T. I recently tested Mint to see if T-mobile would work for me, but it's still not good enough yet.

I rarely set foot in rural areas, but with my Google For which automatically chooses the strongest of T-Mobile and Sprints networks I usually have pretty good signal. Except for that one year I needed to go to a series of business meetings in the middle of nowhere Coventry, CT where I had no coverage what so ever.

I think Fi added U.S. Cellular as well, but I am not familiar with them. I have never seen them as a carrier. I think they are a Midwest thing or something.

One thing Do does very well is seemless switch to WiFi for calls and SMS when available. It was a little flaky when they were new, but it works very well today.

As a result I am one of the few people in my very dense signal blocking building at work who actually has coverage for phone calls and SMS. Even those on Verizon and AT&T have nothing.


It's funny how the networks have changed though. I got my first U.S. cellhpone though Cingular's analogue network back in the late 90's. They rolled into AT&T a few years later, and I stuck with them when I got the first iPhone in 2007 (because they were an AT&T exclusive). Once streaming music became a norm, I started getting frustrated with AT&T constantly dropping signals and interrupting my music.

In 2012 I picked up a Samsung Galaxy S3, and switched to Verizon. Signal coverage was much improved, but I hated how Verizon limited my ability to tweak my phone or use the phone of my choice.

So that only lasted until 2015 when I picked up a Nexus 5x and switched to Google Fi, which I have used ever since, now with a first gen Pixel. I like Fi, and my bills are affordable because I am always on. wifi and thus use very little data, but I understand there may be more affordable MVNO's these days, so I have toyed with the idea of looking around.
 
Keeping an eye on this because against my better judgement we just switched from a Verizon MVNO to Sprint (it was past time to upgrade phones, and sadly Sprint was the cheapest). So far so good on signal, but haven't yet ventured out of the metro or into the mountains OR required any customer service. From what I read prior to deciding to switch, there won't be any noticeable changes until at least 2-3 years after T-Mo actually completes the buyout- and by then I could be gone anyway. Fingers-crossed that T-Mo brings the new company up, rather than Sprint pulling it down...
 
If this means that as a T-Mobile customer I'd be able to use both GSM and CDMA networks and both T-Mobile and Sprint's towers then I'm in.

CDMA is on the way out so you won't have a choice soon. Verizon is migrating from it, and Sprint might not survive for long if the merger fails.
 
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