You've probably heard about AT&T gobbling up T-Mobile by now

[thewayne]

The main reason behind it is that it's the cheapest way for AT&T to expand their "4G" network (in quotes because it is not 4G) which was horrible in some areas like San Francisco and NYC for iPhone users. Both carriers use GSM radio tech, and T-Mobile is the sole remaining GSM provider in the USA, so it's a natural. Unfortunately T-Mobile is regarded as the best customer service among American providers, and AT&T is far from the best, so I think it is likely that the T-Mobile people are about to get royally screwed. It is possible that AT&T will use T-Mobile's customer service department as the main model going forward, but I ain't gonna lay any money on it.

On the other hand, it gives T-Mobile customers the chance to get iPhones without paying the unsubsidized price and jailbreaking them, so minor plus there. At the same time, T-Mobile was actually friendly to jailbreaking phones and would actually do it for you in some cases, and AT&T isn't, so I expect that will go away.

With this acquisition AT&T becomes the biggest cell carrier in the US, about a third bigger than Verizon. And all that's left of the big boys are AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.

Didn't we used to have something about anti-trust rules in the United States that were supposed to foster competition and lower prices? I guess that's just a myth. Silly me.

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/03/att-to-buy-t-mobile-usa/

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/03/20/196245/ATampT-To-Acquire-T-Mobile-From-Deutsche-Telekom

Comments

[silveradept]

Sill you, indeed. They approved the Comcast merger, so I doubt the trustbusters are going to make a peep about this one. Which sucks for the T-Mobile customers.

[beeyochkitty.livejournal.com]

Having worked for AT&T support, I can tell you that nothing gets punished faster than going off script and going the extra mile for a customer.