Official Tmobile-Sprint merger discussion thread

[bigsnake49]

24 minutes ago, chamb said:

Yep, Sprint's CDMA 1x800 is GREAT.  I sure hope they keep it around as long as possible.  Right now, VOLTE will not have the same coverage that the 1x800 does. Band 26 LTE(800) will never match the coverage provided by the 800 1x coverage, not even close.

They need to add it to more sites. I'm getting 1x800 from site(s) 4-6 miles away not the site .5 mile away. I could definitely use some band 26 broadcasting from that site. While they're at it they need to increase the band 41 to 3 carriers.

Edited June 22, 2018 by bigsnake49

[derrph]

25 minutes ago, bigsnake49 said:

For Sprint customers, the merger will be a godsend. The New T-Mobile will have 85,000 macro sites vs Sprint's current 45,000. The average signal improvement for Sprint customers will be 12db. For current T-Mobile customers it will only be improved by 1db. For current T-mobile customers , it is all about the promise of 5G.

How many towers does T-mobile currently have?

[bigsnake49]

1 minute ago, derrph said:

How many towers does T-mobile currently have?

65,000

[derrph]

1 minute ago, bigsnake49 said:

65,000

oh wow I didn't think they had that many. I was guessing around 55k. 

[bigsnake49]

1 hour ago, derrph said:

oh wow I didn't think they had that many. I was guessing around 55k. 

The New T-mobile will end up with 85, 000. 10,000 Sprint sites and 10,000 new sites.

[utiz4321]

3 hours ago, bigsnake49 said:

The New T-mobile will end up with 85, 000. 10,000 Sprint sites and 10,000 new sites.

That network will be a beast once 600 is deployed. They will also have 40000 small cells. 

[PythonFanPA]

Is there any kind of rough idea on how long the consideration process could/would take now that they've officially filed with the FCC?

[red_dog007]

On 6/21/2018 at 4:55 PM, nexgencpu said:

I'm already thinking of Verizon myself..

I do not want to be around while integration is happening to say the least.

As long as you are on a new device, I bet the integration will be fairly seem less on the network side.  Beings the underlying technology for both companies is LTE and the changes of a local TMobile and Sprint site going fully down at exactly the same time I doubt will happen. 

And right now with the roaming agreement they are already getting to jump ahead, getting the networks at least a little integrated with each other now.  Depending on their confidence level of the merger happening, I would not be surprised if they do even deeper integration to allow them to turn on with a "switch" once the merger is approved. 

[bigsnake49]

1 hour ago, PythonFanPA said:

Is there any kind of rough idea on how long the consideration process could/would take now that they've officially filed with the FCC?

A maximum of 180 days.

[bigsnake49]

32 minutes ago, red_dog007 said:

As long as you are on a new device, I bet the integration will be fairly seem less on the network side.  Beings the underlying technology for both companies is LTE and the changes of a local TMobile and Sprint site going fully down at exactly the same time I doubt will happen. 

And right now with the roaming agreement they are already getting to jump ahead, getting the networks at least a little integrated with each other now.  Depending on their confidence level of the merger happening, I would not be surprised if they do even deeper integration to allow them to turn on with a "switch" once the merger is approved. 

It will be so much easier since Sprint phones could roam on band 4 and band 2 before and after the merger. I expect band 25 to be first integrated into T-Mobile's network, then band 26 then band 41. At least that's the way I'd do it.

[derrph]

I think it’s nice that Sprint has a roaming agreement in the event the merger is rejected. From a network perspective, Sprint has a lot of roaming. I wonder what the roaming map looks like and how much Sprint pays? 

I wonder if Sprint will drop most of their roaming partners in areas where there’s T-Mobile service? 

[bigsnake49]

15 minutes ago, derrph said:

I think it’s nice that Sprint has a roaming agreement in the event the merger is rejected. From a network perspective, Sprint has a lot of roaming. I wonder what the roaming map looks like and how much Sprint pays? 

I wonder if Sprint will drop most of their roaming partners in areas where there’s T-Mobile service? 

I do believe that they will drop them after the merger closes. Of course they have agreements with them and it depends on the terms of agreement whether they are protected or not.

Remember that Sprint already has a roaming agreement with AT&T for LTE. I am guessing that the roaming agreement with T-Mobile is on better terms/cheaper.

Edited June 23, 2018 by bigsnake49

[derrph]

41 minutes ago, bigsnake49 said:

I do believe that they will drop them after the merger closes. Of course they have agreements with them and it depends on the terms of agreement whether they are protected or not.

Remember that Sprint already has a roaming agreement with AT&T for LTE. I am guessing that the roaming agreement with T-Mobile is on better terms/cheaper.

Well yeah after the merger I would expect that to happen. I wonder if in the event the merger is rejected if most will be dropped in favor of the T-Mobile roaming. 

[Paynefanbro]

1 hour ago, bigsnake49 said:

I do believe that they will drop them after the merger closes. Of course they have agreements with them and it depends on the terms of agreement whether they are protected or not.

Remember that Sprint already has a roaming agreement with AT&T for LTE. I am guessing that the roaming agreement with T-Mobile is on better terms/cheaper.

The FCC filing states that the New Company will become the Preferred Roaming Provider for rural carriers and will help them build out their own 5G-NR network within their service area, basically recreating Verizon's LTEiRA but for 5G.

[dro1984]

Sprint and T-Mobile go be congressional committee next Wednesday (June 27th) I believe.   This is their chance to "sell" the merger to congress.   I hope it's successful because I want to come back once the merger is complete.    

[Galaxyguy]

I don't know if this was already asked or not, but what would happen to the Shentel agreement if the merger is approved? Would Shentel keep their current area under the new combined company and be rebranded under T-mobile?

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

[Paynefanbro]

4 minutes ago, Galaxyguy said:

I don't know if this was already asked or not, but what would happen to the Shentel agreement if the merger is approved? Would Shentel keep their current area under the new combined company and be rebranded under T-mobile?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Shentel has been prepared for this for a while.

[Galaxyguy]

Shentel has been prepared for this for a while.

Thanks for the quick reply. With living right near their headquarters, I was hoping it was going to be favorable to them, which is just what it looks like.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[dkyeager]

6 hours ago, Paynefanbro said:

Shentel has been prepared for this for a while.

Note for others: This link works for me  in Chrome but not Firefox.

[twospirits]

On 6/23/2018 at 2:53 PM, Paynefanbro said:

The FCC filing states that the New Company will become the Preferred Roaming Provider for rural carriers and will help them build out their own 5G-NR network within their service area, basically recreating Verizon's LTEiRA but for 5G.

Interesting analysis over in Seeking Alpha. 

Sprint and T-Mobile Merger: The 12 points from the FCC Filing that signal merger approval and potential appreciation.

TS

 

 

 

[derrph]

Will this site stay alive once the merger goes through..just with a name change?

[CrossKit]

9 minutes ago, derrph said:

Will this site stay alive once the merger goes through..just with a name change?

Whoa. Jinx.

 

[bucdenny]

How to watch Sprint and T-Mobile execs pitch their merger to Congress on Wednesday

https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/game-of-phones-examining-the-competitive-impact-of-the-t-mobile_sprint-transaction

 

[RedSpark]

On 6/26/2018 at 8:11 AM, bucdenny said:

How to watch Sprint and T-Mobile execs pitch their merger to Congress on Wednesday

https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/game-of-phones-examining-the-competitive-impact-of-the-t-mobile_sprint-transaction

 

Watched John and Marcelo’s opening statements.

Both of them painted a picture of a more competitive combined company in the wireless and cable spheres....

Marcelo laid it on pretty thick as to what Sprint’s troubles are... Wow....

[RedSpark]

Marcelo’s Submitted Statement painted a really bleak picture for Sprint as a stand-alone company: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/06-27-18 Claure Testimony.pdf

Legere’s Submitted Statement: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/06-27-18 Legere Testimony.pdf

Page 7:

But even before 5G is deployed, the combination will bring benefits for users of the companies’ existing LTE networks. Because the merger will almost immediately add approximately 11,000 Sprint cell sites to T‐Mobile’s network, and deploy all of Sprint’s spectrum on our T‐Mobile towers, New T‐ Mobile’s network capacity will get a massive boost compared to either company standing alone, practically from day one. That means an improved LTE network during the transition to 5G, because New T‐Mobile will be able to more effectively and efficiently allocate spectrum between its LTE and 5G networks. In addition, approximately 20 million Sprint customers will have near immediate access to the T‐Mobile network because their existing phones can be used on either network. Further, New T‐ Mobile will embrace a policy of “same or better” as part of migrating customers onto the combined network, enabling Sprint customers to keep the same or better plans as they join New T‐Mobile.