There was much anticipation in Washington, DC, for this morning’s Senate Sucommittee hearing on AT&T’s pending purchase of T-Mobile USA. Interested parties hoping to get a seat inside the crowded hearing room had hired dozens of place holders to stand in line for them starting as early as Tuesday afternoon. [More]
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Sprint CEO Has A Few Things To Say About The AT&T/T-Mobile Deal
By 5.10.11
As mentioned earlier today, the CEO of AT&T will have his first chance to make his case for purchasing T-Mobile USA in front of a Senate subcommittee. But not without the Senators hearing from some parties opposed to the deal, including Sprint CEO Dan Hesse, who pulls no punches in his prepared remarks. [More]
AT&T CEO: T-Mobile Purchase Is "All About Consumers"
By 5.10.11
Tomorrow morning the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights will hold a hearing titled “The AT&T/T-Mobile Merger: Is Humpty Dumpty Being Put Back Together Again?” It’s the first in what looks to be numerous hearings on AT&T’s pending purchase of T-Mobile USA and earlier today, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson released his prepared statement to the subcommittee, where he explains that his company isn’t spending over $39 billion to leapfrog ahead of Verizon in the standings. No, it’s all about you, the consumer. [More]
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps Talks Mergers With Consumerist
By 4.22.11
Of the commissioners on the FCC, Michael Copps is easily the most outspoken in his opinion on media consolidation. In January, he was the only commissioner to vote against the sale of NBC to Comcast, saying that the deal “grievously fails the public interest.” More recently, he’s expressed his skepticism about how smoothly the AT&T purchase of T-Mobile USA will go. And he’s also a cool enough guy to sit down for a chat with Consumerist. [More]
T-Mobile Announces $80 Unlimited Voice, Text & Data Plan For Smartphones
By 4.13.11
T-Mobile has announced a new unlimited plan for cellphone customers. For $80 per month, subscribers can sign up for an Even More two-year contract that offers unlimited voice, text, and data for any smartphone in its stable. But there is one slight catch. [More]
Survey: T-Mobile Not Only Cheaper Than AT&T, But It Also Sucks Less
By 4.11.11
Last week we showed you how T-Mobile gives customers a significantly better bang for their buck than AT&T. But it’s apparently not just pricing at which the smaller cellphone company bests its suitor. According to a recent survey done by our publishing kin at Consumer Reports, T-Mobile customers are not as displeased as AT&T subscribers are with their service provider. [More]
Analysis: T-Mobile Gives You More For Your Dollar Than AT&T
By 4.8.11
As AT&T prepares to head into the regulatory review of its pending purchase of T-Mobile USA, the telecom giant’s CEO has stated, however noncommittally, that existing T-Mobile customers should not see their rates go up. And according to a comparison done by our number-crunching cousins at Consumer Reports, many of those T-Mobile customers will be saving between $15 to $50 per month for similar service. [More]
Make Your Voice Heard On The AT&T/T-Mobile Deal
By 4.5.11
AT&T’s pending $39 Billion purchase of T-Mobile USA hasn’t even gotten into the governmental review process but it’s already managed to get people on both sides of the debate talking. That’s why our benevolent benefactors at Consumers Union are looking for folks willing to go on the record with their concerns and comments on the deal. [More]
AT&T CEO: "I Don't See Why" T-Mobile Customers' Rates Will Go Up After Sale
By 4.4.11
Among the big concerns surrounding the pending sale of T-Mobile USA to AT&T are the potential for rate increases for current T-Mobile customers and the near-duopoly that would exist in the aftermath of the sale. In a new interview with USA Today, the Death Star’s CEO attempted to assuage worries on both fronts. [More]
At Least One FCC Commissioner Thinks AT&T/T-Mobile Deal Won't Be A Cakewalk
By 4.1.11
With the pending $39 billion sale of T-Mobile to AT&T heading toward review by the various regulatory bodies involved, there is at least one senior FCC commissioner who thinks it might not be so easy for the deal to go down. Of course, he was the one commissioner who voted against the NBC/Comcast deal. [More]
New York Attorney General To Look Into AT&T Purchase Of T-Mobile
By 3.29.11
Looks like Sprint isn’t the only one with concerns about the pending $39 billion sale of T-Mobile to AT&T. The Attorney General for the state of New York has announced that his office will be conducting a “thorough review” of the deal. [More]
Sprint: AT&T/T-Mobile Deal Will Harm Consumers & Competition
By 3.28.11
Last week, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse voiced concern about the pending sale of T-Mobile to AT&T for $39 billion. Today, the company issued its official statement on the matter, saying it’s not just concerned about its own bottom line, but about you, the consumer. [More]
Sprint CEO "Concerned" By AT&T/T-Mobile Deal
By 3.22.11
After learning that his company could potentially go from a distant third place to a very distant last place overnight by the pending sale of T-Mobile to AT&T, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse is letting the world knows he isn’t exactly thrilled. [More]
Flashback To 2007: Stephen Colbert On AT&T's Formation
By 3.22.11
It seems like only yesterday that Cingular gobbled up AT&T Wireless, becoming the AT&T Wireless that we know and love today. Now that they’ve proposed bringing T-Mobile USA into the family, we can’t help but remember this classic clip from “The Colbert Report” from 2007 — way back when no one had ever heard of a toxic asset, and the original iPhone was enthralling new technology. [More]
Consumers Union: Hard To See Benefit Of AT&T And T-Mobile Deal
By 3.21.11
As we wrote yesterday, telecom giant AT&T is planning to pay $39 billion to acquire competing mobile carrier T-Mobile USA. And while the Death Star stands to benefit from the inherited 30 million subscribers and expanded network it will inherit, is there anything to be gained by the cellphone-using public? [More]
AT&T To Purchase T-Mobile USA For $39 Billion, 1000 Rollover Minutes
By 3.20.11
AT&T Wireless has made its next move in the race against Verizon for nationwide mobile phone domination: it’s acquiring fellow GSM carrier T-Mobile from Deutsche Telekom for a combination of cash and AT&T stock currently valued at $39 billion. DT will then have an 8% stake in AT&T, and AT&T will gain 33.7 million current T-Mobile USA customers. [More]
