T-Mobile US move could bolster carrier’s rural coverage, expand LTE opportunities for rural operators
T-Mobile US expanded its presence at the Competitive Carriers Association with the nation’s No. 3 operator joining CCA’s Data Services Hub.
CCA said T-Mobile US joins more than a dozen rural and regional carriers in the program designed to expand data and voice roaming capabilities among members. The addition of T-Mobile US is expected to provide rural and regional carriers with access to a GSM-based nationwide operator, as well as provide T-Mobile US with roaming services in rural markets.
“The Data Services Hub enables better collaboration with smaller carriers which will ultimately help T-Mobile extend our voice and data roaming capabilities even further,” explained Dirk Mosa, SVP for corporate development and roaming at T-Mobile US.
The Data Service Hub was established by CCA in 2013, working with Transaction Network Services to provide a platform to ease LTE roaming agreements between CCA members.
T-Mobile US initially hinted at LTE roaming deals with CCA members at the organization’s event in late 2013, when CTO Neville Ray stated: “Don’t’ forget T-Mobile. We have a huge network. Not the scale of the bigger guys, but we have capacity. I have a big truck and can carry a big load. … We are here to help.”
T-Mobile US was recently dinged in RootMetrics’ ranking of carrier performance across the U.S., with the carrier’s strong performance in larger markets offset by rural coverage that lagged behind its competitors. The report resulted in a Twitter war between T-Mobile US CEO John Legere and Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure, with Legere downplaying RootMetrics’ measurements.
Sprint joined the platform last year in a move that brought the first nationwide operator into the program. Sprint has since signed LTE roaming deals with 27 rural operators and garnered applause from rural operators.
T-Mobile US’ joining the Data Services Hub is sure to be a topic of discussion at CCA’s upcoming Annual Convention, scheduled for Oct. 7-9 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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