[Uncle Erik]

AT&T is truly awful. I have another year left with them, though.

There has been some speculation that Apple might become a carrier. Apple is sitting on a large cash reserve.

If Apple could offer high-speed mobile at a fair price, they could grab a huge marketshare and keep it. After all, the rest of the world has superior service at a lower cost. Apple could disrupt the market again. Offer unlimited data and phone for $30-$35 a month. They'd sell a ton of iPhones and iPads. Possibly laptops, too.

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

AT&T is truly awful. I have another year left with them, though.

There has been some speculation that Apple might become a carrier. Apple is sitting on a large cash reserve.

If Apple could offer high-speed mobile at a fair price, they could grab a huge marketshare and keep it. After all, the rest of the world has superior service at a lower cost. Apple could disrupt the market again. Offer unlimited data and phone for $30-$35 a month. They'd sell a ton of iPhones and iPads. Possibly laptops, too.

Yeah that would be a great move, I'd love to see that happen.  Hopefully it could be even cheaper. 
 
Sadly, the bad experience with ATT is just one of many examples of lack of regulation letting companies do whatever they want in the name of profits.  The free market works, but only if there is actual competition.  ATT or Verizon is not nearly enough. 
 

 

[Dancingduck]

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[marvin]

 
Quote:

There has been some speculation that Apple might become a carrier. Apple is sitting on a large cash reserve.

If Apple could offer high-speed mobile at a fair price, they could grab a huge marketshare and keep it. After all, the rest of the world has superior service at a lower cost. Apple could disrupt the market again. Offer unlimited data and phone for $30-$35 a month. They'd sell a ton of iPhones and iPads. Possibly laptops, too.

 
Not seeing it at all. Even if the FCC killed the ATT-TMob sale and Apple bought TMob from DTK, Apple would still be years of build out away from having the same breadth of coverage that ATT and Verizon enjoy today. Even worse, TMob doesn't have the spectrum to build out true 4G (WiMax or LTE) networks, and Apple would be stuck on HSPA/HSPA+ long after ATT and Verizon have deployed LTE coverage in major markets. If Apple doesn't acquire a major player (TMob, or possibly Sprint), the entire thing's a non-starter barring major FCC regulation changes.
 
Don't see anyone undercutting ATT and Verizon pricing by over half either, especially with unlimited usage. The amount of network congestion would be... impressive... to say the least. Not saying it isn't possible, but no one's come close yet.

 
Quote:

Sadly, the bad experience with ATT is just one of many examples of lack of regulation letting companies do whatever they want in the name of profits.  The free market works, but only if there is actual competition.  ATT or Verizon is not nearly enough. 

A bit nonsensical. There's mountains of regulation in telecom and plenty of competition. Problem is, building a nationwide network in America is absurdly expensive due to our relatively low population density. Verizon's LTE build out is estimated to cost > $8 billion, not including the $9 billion or so in spectrum they purchased for their buildout. Very few players can afford those sorts of costs, so most companies are forced to forgo true nationwide coverage (Sprint, TMob) and suffer with spotty coverage or forced to stay metro/regional (MetroPCS, Alltel, etc) and suffer with strict geographic limitations. Long as American consumers value nationwide coverage, the situation ain't changing.
 
Counterpoint to my own argument: Two magic words, "common carrier", would change this situation overnight. No guarantee that you'd like the results though.

 

[Spareribs]

I've had negative experiences with AT&T in the past. If they mess with me again, they will feel the wrath of my venom.

 

[alphaphoenix]

^Marvin said it best.  I concur and I come from a wireless telecom background.  It sounds like he/she does as well.

 

[appophylite]

Definitely agree with marvin on both arguments.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Can't really disagree, Marvin. Though Apple is sitting on around $40B in reserves.

I like to fantasize that they'd unload a big portion of that to grab control of the mobile market. Offer a major upgrade in bandwidth and prices, along with very popular hardware, and they could lock down the market for decades. Yes, lots of regulatory issues and a huge gamble, though. And covering the US would be tough - this is a big country. Part of the reason I keep an amateur radio in the car; I don't want to get stuck somewhere without coverage.

 

[alphaphoenix]

I got to give props for Apple and what they have accomplished since the dot bomb era; however, playing in shark infested waters of wireless telecom infrastructure is not where Apple needs to invest it's $40B.  It's so far off track on what they do best - innovation with great industrial design and flare.  Playing with preowned spectrums and fighting over it's future with the FCC would surely take a huge bite out of Apple.  Now, if Apple would take wimax to the next level or two, that would be something.  My two cents.

 

[Darkestred]

Quote:

So, this will make AT&T the largest wireless carrier by number of subscribers and leave a very large gap with the current largest - Verizon (when acquired Alltel who acquired Western Wireless).  It's always been a numbers game for bragging rights for "the largest carrier in America."   I've been a T-Mobile customer for almost 10 years, and the merger doesn't surprise one bit.  Most of my background is in wireless telecommunication and back in 1999, I recall a brief conversation with now an ex-colleague that there will be only three carriers to remain (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint/Nextel).  The whole Sprint/T-Mobile proposed merger made no sense. 
 
Speaking of T-Mobile, I live up the hill from the headquarters in Bellevue, WA.  Assuming the AT&T/T-Mobile is finalized and T-Mobile is no more, which will take at least another year or so due to the legalities involved with the the purchase/selling of the spectrum that both companies own and infrastructure assets.  When it happens, traffic will really lighten up, but I feel for all those who will be losing their jobs or being relocated elsewhere into the AT&T borg.
 
 

I think anyone who worked in the field could agree that there would only be 3 left.  After working for t-mobile and seeing how piss-poor their service is.  It was only a matter of time before they were bought out.
 

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

A bit nonsensical. There's mountains of regulation in telecom and plenty of competition. Problem is, building a nationwide network in America is absurdly expensive due to our relatively low population density. Verizon's LTE build out is estimated to cost > $8 billion, not including the $9 billion or so in spectrum they purchased for their buildout. Very few players can afford those sorts of costs, so most companies are forced to forgo true nationwide coverage (Sprint, TMob) and suffer with spotty coverage or forced to stay metro/regional (MetroPCS, Alltel, etc) and suffer with strict geographic limitations. Long as American consumers value nationwide coverage, the situation ain't changing.
 
Counterpoint to my own argument: Two magic words, "common carrier", would change this situation overnight. No guarantee that you'd like the results though.

Mountains of regulation and plenty of competition?  Are you nuts?  There's clearly not enough competition it's not even debatable. 
 
And here's an article I just read showing just one example of lack of regulation. 
http://www.savetheinternet.com/blog/11/03/17/atts-desperate-shot-netflix-online-video
 
I could tell my experience with ATT, but I think you can imagine.  It's a story of the large company completely disregarding the customer experience because the customer has no power to do anything about it or go anywhere, and they know it and so they don't care. 

 

[Anaxilus]

Yeah, I'm debating re-signing w/ T-Mobile for another deuce if or while the transition occurs or jumping ship now.  Our plan and costs are just the best out there atm for our needs.  Already lived through the ATT Cingular takeover once, not doing that again.

 

[Dancingduck]

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[Anaxilus]

Quote:

http://www.tmonews.com/2011/03/breaking-att-acquires-t-mobile-from-deutsche-telekom/
 
BLEEP! Mother******!  BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP! 

For anyone who said they support this ..   whatever.  Sure there are excuses that this merger could "benefit" us.. or you, but I find this a loss to everyone who uses any of the major mobile phone services.  If you think prices will be cheaper.. wrong.  Your service?  Will it be better?  I think not.. maybe initially.. but as far as I am aware of progress and providing crappy service which most ppl will find good enough- is the norm and will be the norm.  Expect dropped calls.. expect crappy customer service, expect higher prices.. you know why?  It's because they are already doing it to us.. and we as customers don't have many ways of combating this.. The reason why?  Is because they can.  Money is power. and you betcha they are in bed with our politicians and gov.

It's funny too I was just complaining about getting dropped calls with at&t and getting jacked up the wazoo for their services.. and really really was hoping the acquisition wouldn't happen.. it has. 

Another example of how some ppl are being affected by this but indirectly are the Verizon Wireless workers who are getting screwed out of their pensions.. Verizon is trying to reallocate their funds and employees plans.   This is just one symptom of the things to come. 

I'm really debating on who to go with for a plan now.. I don't know if there is any hope that this merger will fail now.. or there is a re-trial or something..

Yeah that's from March.  The current forces are beginning to lineup against having this go through and it's getting tougher each week that passes.  Fingers crossed.
 
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/08/attt-mobile-is-the-merger-in-peril.ars
 

 

[sml1226]

http://www.tmonews.com/2011/03/breaking-att-acquires-t-mobile-from-deutsche-telekom/
 
BLEEP! Mother******!  BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP! 

For anyone who said they support this ..   whatever.  Sure there are excuses that this merger could "benefit" us.. or you, but I find this a loss to everyone who uses any of the major mobile phone services.  If you think prices will be cheaper.. wrong.  Your service?  Will it be better?  I think not.. maybe initially.. but as far as I am aware of progress and providing crappy service which most ppl will find good enough- is the norm and will be the norm.  Expect dropped calls.. expect crappy customer service, expect higher prices.. you know why?  It's because they are already doing it to us.. and we as customers don't have many ways of combating this.. The reason why?  Is because they can.  Money is power. and you betcha they are in bed with our politicians and gov.

It's funny too I was just complaining about getting dropped calls with at&t and getting jacked up the wazoo for their services.. and really really was hoping the acquisition wouldn't happen.. it has. 

Another example of how some ppl are being affected by this but indirectly are the Verizon Wireless workers who are getting screwed out of their pensions.. Verizon is trying to reallocate their funds and employees plans.   This is just one symptom of the things to come. 

I'm really debating on who to go with for a plan now.. I don't know if there is any hope that this merger will fail now.. or there is a re-trial or something..

You do know that "breaking news" is from March right? AT&T announced plans way back then, but nothing has happened yet. They still have to get this deal past a few big government bodies, namely the FCC. AT&T's monopoly tactics got them crapped on a few decades back and they disbanded into regional companies, many of which they reacquired and built back up into the current AT&T. This is the same mess they had before, but the FCC hasn't canned them yet. I want to see the FCC shoot this down, and force AT&T to stop their monopolization of the communication business.

Let's see Sprint become a major force here.