AT&T Wireless purchases Leap Wireless (Cricket Wireless)

[Nickel]

AT&T-Leap AWS-1 synergies in the top 100 markets:

 

Andrew J Shepherd (@WiWavelength) tweeted at 11:04 AM on Sat, Jul 13, 2013:

Acquiring Leap is a way for AT&T to restore its lost AWS in the top 100 mkts, going from 24 back up to 68 mkts. http://t.co/acvpvhy4Ih

(https://twitter.com/WiWavelength/status/356081629753655296)

 

AJ

AJ, what's the market that has 40 Mhz of combined spectrum?

[MacinJosh]

For Leap PCS or AT&T-Leap PCS?

 

AJ

I'd like to see a chart for AT&T-Leap PCS.

[WiWavelength]

AT&T-Leap. 

 

Is this what you are seeking?

 

 

Leap PCS does little for AT&T outside of the Pacific Northwest -- Seattle and Portland, which were Cingular sore spots prior to the AT&TWS merger nine years ago.

 

AJ

[WiWavelength]

Maybe you could do a stacked chart of them (with ATT one color and Leap another) for an assortment of markets.

 

I already did produce a stacked chart in my referenced tweet.  But I was mobile at the time and could not post an image inline here in The Forums.  Let me fix that now...

 

 

AJ

[bigsnake49]

Is this what you are seeking?

 

 

Leap PCS does little for AT&T outside of the Pacific Northwest -- Seattle and Portland, which were Cingular sore spots prior to the AT&TWS merger nine years ago.

 

AJ

 

Thanks, AJ, they do add capacity in some markets! 

[WiWavelength]

AJ, what's the market that has 40 Mhz of combined spectrum?

 

CMA045 is Oklahoma City, which may have the highest AT&T market share of any top 100 metro in the country.

 

AJ

[hxnk134]

CMA045 is Oklahoma City, which may have the highest AT&T market share of any top 100 metro in the country.

 

AJ

Where can we find the "top x markets" without having to ask you?

 

Or a spreadsheet would also be good.

Edited July 13, 2013 by hxnk134

[Nickel]

CMA045 is Oklahoma City, which may have the highest AT&T market share of any top 100 metro in the country.

 

AJ

Wasn't OKC where the supposed AT&T AWS LTE was that you debunked? In any case, OKC seems a little odd that it would be the highest and not it's home market

[hxnk134]

Wasn't OKC where the supposed AT&T AWS LTE was that you debunked? In any case, OKC seems a little odd that it would be the highest and not it's home market

What's its home market?

[Nickel]

What's its home market?

Dallas.

[WiWavelength]

Where can we find the "top x markets" without having to ask you? Or a spreadsheet would also be good.

 

CMAs are based on MSAs from the 1980 or 1990 Census.

 

http://wireless.fcc.gov/auctions/default.htm?job=maps

 

AJ

[WiWavelength]

Wasn't OKC where the supposed AT&T AWS LTE was that you debunked? In any case, OKC seems a little odd that it would be the highest and not it's home market

 

I did not exactly debunk the AWS LTE report.  Back in December, I drove 700 miles roundtrip to Oklahoma City but did not find any AWS LTE downtown, at the airport, at Penn Square Mall, in Edmond, nor in Moore -- as an aside, I ran my RF sweeps in Moore at the I-35 interchange where the EF5 tornado would cross the highway a few months later.  However, the AWS LTE reports continued to come in, though they were oddly localized to Mustang and Yukon, both just southwest of the metro.

 

AJ

[Nickel]

I did not exactly debunk the AWS LTE report.  Back in December, I drove 700 miles roundtrip to Oklahoma City but did not find any AWS LTE downtown, at the airport, at Penn Square Mall, in Edmond, nor in Moore -- as an aside, I ran my RF sweeps in Moore at the I-35 interchange where the EF5 tornado would cross the highway a few months later.  However, the AWS LTE reports continued to come in, though they were oddly localized to Mustang and Yukon, both just southwest of the metro.

 

AJ

 

Ah, I see. Back on topic, if the Leap deal goes through, hopefully AT&T will go back to AWS LTE.

[WiWavelength]

Ah, I see. Back on topic, if the Leap deal goes through, hopefully AT&T will go back to AWS LTE.

 

I would say that is a given.  One of my first pronouncements when the deal was announced was that AT&T was buying back in to the AWS-1 game.

 

AJ

[hxnk134]

I would say that is a given. One of my first pronouncements when the deal was announced was that AT&T was buying back in to the AWS-1 game.

 

AJ

Do you think any PCS divestitures would be required? And would FCC allow Verizon to participate to outbid Sprint?

Sprint may have missed out on the Leap purchase but 10 MHz PCS in each market makes for a fine consolation prize.

Edited July 13, 2013 by hxnk134

[mozamcrew]

Do you think any PCS divestitures would be required? And would FCC allow Verizon to participate to outbid Sprint?

In my opinion, the FCC should require divestiture so that:

• They should not have more than 30Mhz of AWS in any one market upon completion of the merger.
• Their combined PCS + AWS in any market should not exceed 60Mhz upon completion of the merger.

And finally my blanket rule for all mergers involving ATT and VZW: Require them to divest any Cell 850 spectrum so they own no more than half the Cell 850 spectrum in a given market. They can do this through spectrum swaps or sales if they'd like. It's just stupid to have ATT or VZW owning both the A and B sides of the spectrum in a given market (or even all of one side and part of another). 

[Nickel]

Do you think any PCS divestitures would be required? And would FCC allow Verizon to participate to outbid Sprint? Sprint may have missed out on the Leap purchase but 10 MHz PCS in each market makes for a fine consolation prize.

If they do end up have to divestiture some PCS then that could end up being then actually buying Leap, provided Sprint is able to acquire said PCS. 

[DaQue]

Maybe Sprint should take a page from Dish's play book and overbid ATT by 10-15% just to force ATT to spend more money lol.

Maybe crazy Charlie will do it for us.

[ericdabbs]

It will only be a matter of time before USCC will be picked up at this rate.  I wonder who the winner of that company will be.

[hxnk134]

It will only be a matter of time before USCC will be picked up at this rate. I wonder who the winner of that company will be.

Now USCC is a different beast, right? No way FCC would let ATT or VZW buy them.

 

Definitely it's inevitable that Sprint will buy them.

 

Also, they should think about Cspire.

[ericdabbs]

I wish there was a way for ATT and Sprint to buy Leap together.  ATT would get the AWS spectrum and Sprint would get the PCS spectrum.

[hxnk134]

I wish there was a way for ATT and Sprint to buy Leap together. ATT would get the AWS spectrum and Sprint would get the PCS spectrum.

That's what's possibly gonna happen anyway: FCC might force ATT to divest some PCS. Someone mentioned ATT might require that if Sprint buys PCS, they have to host the CDMA customers.

[ericdabbs]

That's what's possibly gonna happen anyway: FCC might force ATT to divest some PCS. Someone mentioned ATT might require that if Sprint buys PCS, they have to host the CDMA customers.

 

I am sure ATT and Sprint can work something out that will benefit both companies.  Sprint needs to acquire more PCS spectrum in general but especially in those 20 MHz markets.

[hxnk134]

I am sure ATT and Sprint can work something out that will benefit both companies. Sprint needs to acquire more PCS spectrum in general but especially in those 20 MHz markets.

ATT is not gonna "work something out" eith anyone unless it's forced by the FCC or DOJ.

[Rawvega]

True. They have zero incentive to help a competitor unless coerced by regulators.