AT&T to buy T-Mobile from Deutsche Telekom

MSNBC ^ | 03.20.11

[Perdogg]

AT&T said Sunday it would be buying rival T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for cash and stock valued at $39 billion.

In a press release AT&T said both companies boards had approved the deal.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Most of these companies have virtually the same footprint. This will mean layoffs of some T=Mobile folks and all sorts of issues while they reorganize. Hopefully we will get better prices in the deal

[Heavyrunner]

T-Mobile and AT&T share the GSM technology base for their wireless networks...For AT&T this amounts to a buyout of T-Mobile’s RF spectrum and customer rolls.

It will take about a year to get through regulatory hurdles, etc and the two companies will operate independently in the meantime.

As an 11 year T-Mobile employee, this makes me pretty sad...Though I am happy to be out from under DT’s thumb, I also am painfully aware of what this buyout means for me.

[Navy Patriot]

Yeah, I have that simple family plan and just two phones, one for Mrs. Patriot, no text, no e-mail, no internet, no photos (I Bluetooth 'em to the computer).

Just voicemail and voice commands for driving, I get good service and a good price with no surprises.

I knew it was too good to be true.

[Navy Patriot]

Hopefully we will get better prices in the deal.

Yeah, hopey, changey.......

[SubMareener]

I had Cingular, and I hated AT&T. Oh! well! Welcome to the club. ;-)

[Navy Patriot]

T Mobil gave me good service, and their websiste for account management always worked correctly and reasonably easily. All the live people I met were nice and competent.

AT&T was exactly opposite, except the people were reasonably nice also, but they didn't have a clue as to how to solve whatever problem there was, and I got ten years older waiting for service.

[duckworth]

Please keep Carly Foulkes, the T-Mobile girl

[duckworth]

[null and void]

Did you mean to post this?

[MinorityRepublican]

If this happens then I?m gonna switch to Sprint after my current contract expires.

[Drago]

“I have T-Mobile because I hate AT & T! Oh well.”

Ditto. Still a long time left on my contract too. /sigh

Triple Dittos here...T-Mobile has better customer service and better prices...(at least $10 cheaper on plans, and unlimited data). Bah!

[Glenn]

I wonder if that will get passed regulatory hurdles here.

I am sure they will be sweated and vetted for the usual campaign donations.

[RC51]

How does a cell-phone company get rated as “Gay-Friendly”?

If it has anything to do with the number of phones & strength of their vibrate ringer I don’t want to know!

[red tie]

Coming up with 39B will require a heck of a lot of layoffs to pay for this merger.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Yeah my husband is connected to this industry too - so we’ve been through lots of mergers (sprint/clearwire most recently) - I hope it doesn’t end badly for you.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Ouch, he’s even ruined the word hope, hasn’t he?

[Keith in Iowa]

AT&T’S Press release:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2691881/posts

[Fido969]

AT&T is looking for some customers they haven’t pee-o’d yet.

[Navy Patriot]

Ouch, he’s even ruined the word hope, hasn’t he?

Yep, but consider this an apology, I was a little snide.

[SmithL]

Several years ago, I fired Verizon and hired AT&T as my mobile company. I’ve been pretty happy since then.

Nevertheless, I don’t see how having less competition is in anyone’s best interest. I’d rather that AT&T would invest in their own infrastructure.