AT&T made a $39 billion play for T-Mobile, while Sprint countered the competitive threat with its Evo 4G device … 6 years ago this week.
Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the top headlines from the past. Fire up the time machine, put on the sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
AT&T to buy T-Mobile USA, become nation’s largest operator again
AT&T Inc. announced plans to acquire T-Mobile USA Inc. in a $39 billion deal that if approved will create the domestic industry’s largest player – by a sizeable margin – with more than 120 million wireless customers. AT&T Mobility is currently the nation’s second-largest operator with more than 95.5 million “connections,” just behind current No. 1 Verizon Wireless with 102.2 million “connections.” T-Mobile USA is currently a distant No. 4 with approximately 33 million subscribers. The news would seem to puts to rest recent rumors about a possible tie-up between No. 3 operator Sprint Nextel Corp. or its majority-owned partner, Clearwire Corp., and T-Mobile USA. The purchase, which has been approved by both boards of directors, will give T-Mobile USA’s parent Deutsche Telekom AG an 8% interest in AT&T. … Read more
What role (if any) will AT&T and T-Mobile play in mobile entertainment?
Will AT&T Mobility’s pursuit of T-Mobile USA Inc. have an impact on mobile entertainment? The tie-up of the two companies could lead to some changes, but much of it might already be underway. Carrier involvement in content and entertainment has diminished considerably and largely fallen to an off-deck world mindset. Developers and media companies have set their sights on mobile operating systems like Apple Inc.’s iOS and Google Inc.’s Android to reach their audiences. They can reach users at much greater scale by developing for these increasingly popular platforms without putting much thought into the carrier piece of the puzzle. … Read more
AT&T Mobility/T-Mobile USA deal highlights need for greater network efficiencies
One of the themes at this year’s CTIA event in Orlando, Fla., was the need for carriers to have access to additional spectrum assets in order to be able to support increased mobile data demand from consumers. This was highlighted by AT&T Mobility’s recently announced $39 billion acquisition plans for T-Mobile USA Inc., which just about everyone acknowledged was a move to bolster spectrum positions. However, not every carrier has tens of billions of dollars to throw around at new spectrum, and are thus forced to find greater efficiencies in their networks in order to support consumer demand with limited assets. This was a topic of discussion during a live panel at the RCR Wireless Newdesk on the show floor that included Powerwave Technologies Inc. CTO Khurram Sheikh and Signals Research Group L.L.C. CEO and Founder Michael Thelander. … Read more
RIM adds Android app support to PlayBook
This one has been rumored for a good few months now, but today Research In Motion Ltd. made it official with their plans to give their existing app selection a huge boost, by adding support for Android apps in their upcoming tablet, the PlayBook. In a press release the Canadian mobile giant laid out their plans to release two app players “that provide an application run-time environment for BlackBerry Java apps and Android v2.3 apps.” … Read more
Smartphones, tablets continue their evolution
If trade shows are known for anything it’s the unveiling of cool devices, and despite the flurry of new gadgets already shoveled into the market already this year, the CTIA event managed to host a least a few more. Sprint Nextel Corp. really stole the show with the unveiling of the domestic industry’s first 3D device in HTC Corp.’s Evo 3-D along with HTC’s first tablet device in the Evo View 4G that includes an optional stylus that activates enhanced functionality. According to Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis at the NPD Group, both devices included features that should allow them to stand out in an increasingly crowded market. … Read more
LightSquared continues to attract partners, funding needs to hit $14B by end of decade
LightSquared continued its promotional tour this morning with company chairman and CEO Sanjiv Ahuja taking the stage during the Day 2 keynote extolling the benefits of LightSquared’s planned wholesale-only, satellite/terrestrial-based LTE network. Ahuja cited other companies that came into established industries with new business models that fundamentally changed how that industry operated. Those examples included Dell Inc. it the personal computing space and Netflix Inc. in the digital content delivery space. … Read more
Sprint Nextel continues to push 4G device depth in face of growing competition
Looking to recapture some of that “Evo” magic, Sprint Nextel Corp. launched a new halo device for its smartphone line up sporting updated specs and 3D capabilities that do not require specs. The new device comes one year after the carrier unveiled its strong selling HTC Corp. Evo 4G device that continues to be a solid competitor in the rapidly changing smartphone space. The new Evo 3D, which despite the number “degradation compared with the Evo 4G, one-ups its relative with a QHD 3D Display that is not only sharper than the previous 4G’s glass, but also includes glasses-free 3D capabilities. The 4.3-inch screen is indeed sharp in person, though the “3D” effect does take some getting used to, especially if viewed from any angle off center. … Read more
Leap set to launch LTE this year, signs roaming deal with LightSquared
Leap Wireless International Inc. is set to move forward with LTE network plans that will include building out coverage in its current markets and striking a roaming deal with LightSquared for nationwide coverage. The regional carrier said it has entered into a long term “4G” roaming agreement with LightSquared that will expand coverage for LTE services that carrier plans to begin rolling out later this year, with continued expansion over the next several years. Leap has noted previously that it had sufficient spectrum in most of its markets to launch LTE services save for the Chicago area where it lacks sufficient depth. … Read more
T-Mobile USA not dead yet, HSPA+ expansion planned
T-Mobile USA Inc., while virtually absent from the CTIA proceedings this week following AT&T Mobility’s plans to acquire the carrier for $39 billion, did show that it was still alive and kicking announcing network upgrade plans in select markets. The carrier said it plans to begin rolling out the 42 megabit per second version of the HSPA+ standard in four markets later this year with plans to cover 140 million potential customers in 25 markets by mid-year. Those initial markets include Las Vegas; New York; Orlando, Fla.; and Chicago. T-Mobile USA previously teased its 42 Mbps HSPA+ plans at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. … Read more
FCC chairman supports data roaming, warns of ‘looming spectrum crisis’
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski’s speech to a packed CTIA International Wireless 2011 crowd in the Day 1 keynote speech touched on mostly previously announced initiatives, but Genachowski did provide a few new hints about where he stands on data roaming; he wants it. Although Genachowski said the framework of any mandated roaming regulation has yet to be decided, he made a special point of noting that mandated roaming agreements were important to voice services, and that many operators depend on roaming agreements for their own success. … Read more
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