AT&T to Buy T-Mobile

ByStander

AT&T Inc. has agreed to buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom AG for $39 billion in cash and stock, in a deal that would create an industry giant by combining the No. 2 and No. 4 U.S. wireless carriers.

The accord comes as AT&T has been looking for growth after losing its exclusive hold on Apple Inc.'s iPhone in the U.S. Deutsche Telekom, meanwhile, has been weighing strategic alternatives for T-Mobile USA.

The deal would combine two operators using the same network technology and, the companies said, would alleviate spectrum shortages cropping up for each.

It isn't clear whether regulators would allow a transaction that shrinks the number of national wireless operators in the U.S. to three from four, particularly as T-Mobile has based much of its appeal on selling lower-cost service.

The combined entity would be about a third larger in terms of subscribers than the current market leader, Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Vodafone Group PLC and Verizon Communications Inc., and would have more than twice as many as No. 3 Sprint Nextel Corp.

Last May, the Federal Communications Commission warned of growing concentration among wireless providers and, for the first time in years, didn't conclude in its annual industry report that the industry is competitive.

福多多

I thought a few weeks ago there were rumor about merge of T-mobile and Sprint.

ByStander

I thought a few weeks ago there were rumor about merge of T-mobile and Sprint.
福多多 发表于 2011-3-20 17:15

    I heard that rumor too. But...

福多多

回复 3# ByStander


    yes, your news confirmed by Yahoo etc.

silicon_beaver

AT & T and T-mobile are with different markets.
My business phone is AT & T, good voice, monthly plan. My family has a T-mobile phone, light use but it's very cheap at pre-paid plan. I believe after ATT takes over T-mobile, ATT will turn T-mobile under att's pricing system (but might still keep T-mobile's service).
Verizon is an option at this time.