T-Mobile

T-Mobile USA has released an Android app called More for Me, to aggregate daily deals based on location from different sources including the established social couponing company LivingSocial. The app feature discount deals across a variety of categories, including health and beauty services, outdoor activities, clothing offers, concert tickets and a lot more.

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.

Star Trek The Next Generation (STTNG) fans will remember the Borg and their motto: Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. One can almost imagine similar sentiments regarding AT&T’s $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile USA. The merger (purchase) would create the largest mobile network in the U.S. It would also mean that there will be [...]

When Deutsche Telekom announced on Sunday that they plan to sell T-Mobile USA to AT&T, one immediately thought of the T-Mobile users who will be affected by the acquisition, but more than one million customers of Simple Mobile have the potential of also being affected. Simple Mobile is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), which basically means that the service they sell actually uses another carrier’s network, and Simple Mobile is one of the few MVNOs of T-Mobile.

Of the MVNOs, Simple Mobile is, in my opinion, near the top of the list because it provides nationwide voice and data service. Simple Mobile has simple rate plans, they have a $40 per month unlimited talk and text plan, a $50 per month unlimited talk and text plan with 100 MB of data, and a $60 per month unlimited talk, text, and data plan. All of the plans are no-contract and pre-paid.

Simple Mobile sells a few handsets, but for the most part they sell SIM cards that you can use with any GSM phone. Of course, if you intend to use their 3G data network you will need a phone that works on T-Mobile’s data network, and you can use their SIM with T-Mobile’s 4G network where it is available.

Last year when I got the HTC HD7 from T-Mobile I purchased a Simple Mobile SIM to use with my Nexus S, and I have been using it every month since. While I have the service automatically renewed each month, I could opt to not pay certain months and re-enable the service on other months. Because I carry phones that have both a T-Mobile and Simple Mobile SIM, it can easily compare the two, and I can say that the Simple Mobile service is not limited in any way. In fact, my Nexus S displays T-Mobile as the network it is connected to with the Simple Mobile SIM in the phone.

I have been very happy with Simple Mobile since I signed up with them and I would be sad to see them go away. While my particular situation makes it handy to have an extra SIM card, I think that Simple Mobile’s rate plans are pretty attractive. Simple Mobile is one of the few MVNOs to offer mobile broadband, h2o wireless is a MVNO of AT&T and they provide 1 GB of data per month for $50. Simple Mobile has not made any comment about the AT&T’s plans to acquire T-Mobile.

I found this Mashable item republished by CNN quite interesting because of one sentence.

CNN: Why AT&T bought T-Mobile

Mashable: Why AT&T Bought T-Mobile

AT&T may be talking a lot about 4G in its press release, but T-Mobile has no LTE technology or infrastructure to offer.

This is interesting since T-Mobile USA has been claiming it has the largest 4G network. It is true that they do not use LTE technology (T-Mobile uses HSPA+). They also just turned on the ability to boost their 4G network to 42Mbps in three cities.

T-Mobile Makes America’s Largest 4G Network Even Faster by Lighting Up 42 Mbps Speed in Las Vegas, New York and Orlando

T-Mobile says that 25 markets will have this increased 42Mbps option by mid-2011. This seems like considerable “infrastructure” to me.

On Sunday Deutsche Telekom decided to give up on it’s effort to break into the U.S. wireless market by agreeing to sell T-Mobile USA to AT&T. If the deal, which AT&T says it expects to complete in a year, is approved by U.S. and European regulators, it would create the largest mobile operator in the United States. As a long time T-Mobile customer I am saddened by the news.

My path to becoming a T-Mobile customer began in 1998 when I decided to leave AirTouch, which would eventually become part of Verizon Wireless, and switch to OmniPoint. OmniPoint was one of the first wireless providers in the U.S. that used GSM, which had become the wireless standard in most places outside the U.S. At the time I considered it important to sign up with a company that used GSM because the earliest smartphones all ran on that network technology.

Only one year after I signed up with OmniPoint it was acquired by a new wireless company called Voicestream Wireless, which lasted for two years as a company until it was acquired by Deutsche Telekom, along with Powertel, to form T-Mobile USA. In short, I have been a T-Mobile customer from it’s very beginning, to what now appears to be its end.

Over the years OmniPoint/Voicestream/T-Mobile has not been the best provider in terms of network coverage, but I stuck with them for more than a decade for several reasons. First, throughout the time they have been the lowest cost provider. Second, they always had great customer service, and I have always felt them to be much more customer friendly than their competitors. For example, they would provide unlock codes to enable phones you bought from them to work on other networks without any hassles or cost.

Perhaps the main reason why I stuck with T-Mobile is that in my opinion they have been a technology leader. T-Mobile was the first to implement WiFi hotspots in significant quantity throughout the United States. T-Mobile has always had a committment to WiFi, and sold phones that used Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) that could seamlessly transfer calls between cellular and WiFi networks. Today they are the only operator to provide software on their phones that support WiFi calling.

T-Mobile was one of the first providers to sell the Microsoft Pocket PC Phone Editions and Smartphones, and I believe they might have been the first company to sell HTC phones, branded as T-Mobile phones, in the U.S. The T-Mobile Sidekick, which is a brand that T-Mobile still owns, was the first smartphone that used cloud services and software created by a company called Danger, who’s founder would later go on to start a company called Android Inc. that would be acquired by Google.

From a technology perspective, one could make the argument that T-Mobile has been the most innovative wireless provider in the United States. While AT&T will likely make statements to the effect that they intend to retain these unique aspects of T-Mobile, what is more likely the case is that T-Mobile employees will be assimilated into the company in such a way that what was T-Mobile will no longer be recognizable.

As a customer I expect my prices to go up because of this acquisition, and I expect the quality of service I get from my mobile provider to go down. I expect to see a lower selection of phones, I’ll no longer have the ability to tether my mobile phones with other devices without paying extra fees, and I might as well forget ever getting unlock codes for the phones that I buy. The only thing that will keep me running away from AT&T as fast as I can is the reality that there is really no better company to go to, and that in itself is a really sad statement.

There was a rumor earlier this month that Sprint and T-Mobile were discussing a merger. I pointed out that this would involve trying to get a large number of different communication protocols under the same umbrella and didn’t make much sense. Sprint, for example, still has seperate lines of CDMA and iDEN phones even though their purchase of Nextel was completed way back in 2005.

Sprint & T-Mobile USA Merger Would Involve Dealing with CDMA, iDEN, GSM, EVDO, WiMAX, UMTS & HSPA+

The news of AT&T buying T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom AG makes more sense since both AT&T and T-Mobile have GSM voice networks. Note that they use different frequencies (850/1900 by AT&T and 1700/2100 by T-Mobile). GSM phones sold in the US generally provides overlapping support of these frequencies for roaming, however. The two companies different 3G networks will present more of a problem for current customers. This is why jailbroken/unlocked iPhones sold by AT&T only provide support for the slower EDGE network when used with a T-Mobile SIM.

AT&T to buy T-Mobile USA for about $39 billion (Reuters)

AT&T Buying T-Mobile USA in $39 Billion Deal (Business Insider)

The good news for consumers is that there will be just one nationwide GSM carrier in the U.S. now. It means that you don’t have to choose between carriers to get a specific GSM phone.

The bad news for consumers is that there will be just one nationwide GSM carrier in the U.S. now. It means that there is no competition in that space. We will probably see fewer smartphone and tablet models appear after the merger is complete.

The merger will probably hasten the consolidation in the smartphone platform space. Focusing on fewer and specific platforms will be one way to reduce marketing, pre-sale, and post-sale support costs. Android and iOS (iPhone/iPad) will definitely be among the survivors. RIM’s BlackBerry is the likely third survivor. Symbian has essentially dropped out of the race. HP’s webOS and Microsoft’s Windows Phone will be in a battle for platform survival going into the mid-2010s. RIM’s weakening BlackBerry position may give the Microsoft/Nokia alliance a chance to battle for the #3 spot.

T-Mobile already sells the Rocket 2.0 4G Laptop Stick for $50 with a two-year contract ($200 without). TMo news reports T-Mobile is adding an “entry level” Jet 2.0 USB 4G wireless data product on March 23 (next week Wednesday).

T-Mobile To Launch T-Mobile Jet 2.0 4G On March 23rd

Tmonews does not provide a projected price. However, it may need to be free if the current Rocket 2.0 product is kept. T-Mobile’s webConnect plans provide a unique no overage charge feature. Data in excess of the plan’s monthly quota is throttled until the end of the current monthly payment cycle.

Yesterday I reported on AT&T and Verizon free text message and voice call service for their U.S. customers making calls to Japan to contact people affected by last week’s mega-earthquake and the devastating tsunami that followed it.

AT&T & Verizon Offer Free Calls & Texting to Japan: Verizon Makes it Easy. AT&T Makes it Hard. Why AT&T?

Let’s add information about calls to Japan on Sprint’s and T-Mobile’s network to complete the roundup of the big four U.S. national wireless carriers.

Sprint: Sprint Offers Fee Waivers and Credits for Wireless Calls and Texts To and From Japan

Sprint is waiving and/or crediting calls to Japan retroactively to March 11 and will continue to provide free calling and texting until April 10. They also provide some good advice in stating: During times of emergency, it has been shown that text messages may go through when calling capabilities aren’t available and may help free up networks for critical communication between first responders, other emergency personnel and aid workers.

T-Mobile: T-Mobile USA Waives Call Charges to Japan and Wi-Fi Calling and Text Messaging Charges to and From Japan

T-Mobile is also waiving fees for post-paid customeres retroactively to March 11. Their free calling period ends March 31. This applies to both voice calls and text messages.

To summarize: Sprint’s and Verizon’s free calling and texting period to Japan is March 11 throught April 10. AT&T and T-Mobile’s free calling and texting period is from March 11 to March 31. Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon are simply waiving charges. AT&T requires you to call to ask for a wavier after you receive your bill.

It is good to see that all of the big four mobile carriers are trying to do the right thing. It would be nice if AT&T joined the other three in simply waiving the charges instead of making customers who may be under great stress to remember to call them for the waiver.

Here’s a “headscratcher” news item from Bloomberg Businessweek:

Sprint, Deutsche Telekom Said to Discuss T-Mobile USA Merger

Sprint apparently has a thing for merging with firms that use uncompatible networks. Remember their purchase of Nextel back in 2005? The two networks are still not merged. If you walk into a Sprint store, the Sprint CDMA phones are on onside of the floor and the Nextel iDEN are on the other. Sprint stock performance has not been stellar since the merger (see the chart to the left).

The article reports that A tie-up would allow Bonn-based Deutsche Telekom, Europe’s largest phone company, to keep a stake in one of its biggest markets while making it easier to finance investments for a faster next-generation network. But, which network are they talking about? The merged company would have 7 network protocols to deal with: There’s CDMA, iDEN, and GSM on the voice side and EVDO, WiMAX, UMTS and HSPA+ on the data side.

However, with both firms reportedly losing customers to AT&T and Verizon, their merger talks are understandable though the actual technology merger would be a mess.

T-Mobile calls it its first 4G tablet. Dell is probably calling it “Try #2″ (its first try being the Dell Streak tablet/phone with a 5-inch display).

Dell Streak 7 Tablet on Dell.com, at a T-Mobile Store Near You

Unlike the smaller earlier Streak, the Streak 7 does not include a conventional voice phone capability. That isn’t a negative for a tablet in my opinion. A big positive is support for T-Mobile’s 4G wireless data network. Unfortunately, T-Mobile’s 4G network is, like its 3G network, probably among the smallest of the wireless data networks in the U.S. Its biggest attraction is its price: $200 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. Even its unsubsidized price is reasonably low at $450. Unfortunately, it use the relatively old Android OS 2.2 instead of the designed-for-tablets 3.0 that will be in the Motorola Xoom that may appear in just a few weeks.