Official Tmobile-Sprint merger discussion thread

[bigsnake49]

5 minutes ago, Trip said:

Yeah, see, statements like this are TERRIFYING.  That's why I want to hear an answer from T-Mobile before panicking.

- Trip

Sorry about that, I misread the T-Mobile press release. For the time being I am sure that they will honor the agreement between Sprint and Shentel and Swiftel. They might decide to buy the wireless business of Shentel and Swiftel later on. 

Edited July 26, 2019 by bigsnake49

[PythonFanPA]

1 minute ago, bigsnake49 said:

They might decide to buy the wireless business of Shentel 

May be wrong, but I doubt this would be comforting news to anyone in affected areas if it happened.

[bigsnake49]

2 minutes ago, PythonFanPA said:

May be wrong, but I doubt this would be comforting news to anyone in affected areas if it happened.

Well the alternative is that Shentel and Swiftel can keep operating as independent companies but without access to Sprint spectrum after the agreement expires.

[PythonFanPA]

I Googled a bit and found this FierceWireless article from last year on the prospects of what might happen for Shentel:

https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/shentel-carrier-at-crossroads-sprint-and-t-mobile-merger

 

Pertinent part:

First, Shentel’s Earle MacKenzie said, Shentel cannot file an injunction to try to block the merger. If the merger is approved, the combined Sprint and T-Mobile—generally called New T-Mobile—will have 60 days to decide whether it wants to purchase Shentel’s wireless business.

“If they do decide to buy our wireless business, there is a formula that you provide to our shareholders, a very handsome return. If they choose not to buy our wireless business, Shentel will remain an affiliate of the New T-Mobile and for the next 180 days, we have the option to acquire the T- mobile customers and that work in our 7 million POPs service area at 75% of the value of the customers and asset as determined by the merger value,” MacKenzie said during the call, according to a Seeking Alpha transcription of the event. “If we can’t finance the purchase, then the New T-Mobile will finance the purchase at their cost of capital for up to five years. If Shentel decides not to buy T-Mobile network and customers, then the new T-Mobile must turn off the T-Mobile network that overlaps Shentel within two years.”

[bigsnake49]

8 minutes ago, PythonFanPA said:

I Googled a bit and found this FierceWireless article from last year on the prospects of what might happen for Shentel:

https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/shentel-carrier-at-crossroads-sprint-and-t-mobile-merger

 

Pertinent part:

First, Shentel’s Earle MacKenzie said, Shentel cannot file an injunction to try to block the merger. If the merger is approved, the combined Sprint and T-Mobile—generally called New T-Mobile—will have 60 days to decide whether it wants to purchase Shentel’s wireless business.

“If they do decide to buy our wireless business, there is a formula that you provide to our shareholders, a very handsome return. If they choose not to buy our wireless business, Shentel will remain an affiliate of the New T-Mobile and for the next 180 days, we have the option to acquire the T- mobile customers and that work in our 7 million POPs service area at 75% of the value of the customers and asset as determined by the merger value,” MacKenzie said during the call, according to a Seeking Alpha transcription of the event. “If we can’t finance the purchase, then the New T-Mobile will finance the purchase at their cost of capital for up to five years. If Shentel decides not to buy T-Mobile network and customers, then the new T-Mobile must turn off the T-Mobile network that overlaps Shentel within two years.”

Well, there you go. How good is the Shentel network vis a vis T-Mobile's network? Also how many customers does T-Mobile have Shentel's area?

Edited July 26, 2019 by bigsnake49

[dro1984]

1 hour ago, jreuschl said:

Interesting that they say they commit to pricing levels for 3 years... but after that??

That's a "Market Driven" price after that...   Nobody in their right mind would commit to a certain price beyond that.   Could be higher, but you know what?... Could also be lower!!    Competition may drive better deals....  

[PythonFanPA]

Trip would be far better equipped to possibly answer Shentel vs. T-Mo coverage in comparable Shentel coverage areas than I ever could.  I've been exclusively Sprint for at least a decade now, dating back to before I left TN to move to PA.

[Trip]

 

1 minute ago, bigsnake49 said:

Well, there you go. How good is the Shentel network vis a vis T-Mobile's network? Also how many customers does T-Mobile have that area?

The Shentel network is far and away much better than the T-Mobile network.  It's not even close. 

I don't have a sense of number of customers T-Mobile has in that region.

- Trip

[dro1984]

16 minutes ago, bigsnake49 said:

Well the alternative is that Shentel and Swiftel can keep operating as independent companies but without access to Sprint spectrum after the agreement expires.

...or devise a new agreement with New T Mobile.....    

[bigsnake49]

6 minutes ago, Trip said:

 

The Shentel network is far and away much better than the T-Mobile network.  It's not even close. 

I don't have a sense of number of customers T-Mobile has in that region.

- Trip

Then it would make sense for T-Mobile to buy Shentel's wireless business/network rather than build out their own.

Edited July 26, 2019 by bigsnake49

[bigsnake49]

Couple of unanswered questions for me:

1. Why is the Dish's AWS-3 not getting hosted on T-mobile's network during the transition period?

2. What are the buildout target dates for T-mobile's rural network expansion?

[dro1984]

I just surmising, but if you factor in Sprint's vast 1900 mHz and the midband 2.4, along with T Mo's 1900 and their own AWS spectrum, they probably have enough that they don't really need it?   Thoughts?

[bigsnake49]

1 minute ago, dro1984 said:

I just surmising, but if you factor in Sprint's vast 1900 mHz and the midband 2.4, along with T Mo's 1900 and their own AWS spectrum, they probably have enough that they don't really need it?   Thoughts?

Well, it is not mandatory and they will negotiate with T-Mobile to host their 600Mhz spectrum. I was just curious why they would negotiate for T-Mobile to host their 600Mhz spectrum and not their AWS-3 spectrum. It will be financially better for Dish to serve their customers off their own hosted spectrum rather than being a plain MVNO (depending of course on hosting fees vs MVNO). Dish will have to hire a lot of network engineers over the next 4 years.

[bigsnake49]

OK, here are the terms of approval by the FCC:

"Pai said the companies have committed to deploying a 5G network that would cover 97% of the U.S. population within three years of the closing of the merger and 99% of Americans within six years. In addition, 85% of rural Americans would be covered within three years and 90% covered within six years. T-Mobile and Sprint also guaranteed that 90% of Americans would have access to mobile broadband service at speeds of at least 100 Mbps and 99% would have access to speeds of at least 50 Mbps."

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/20/fcc-will-not-formally-approve-t-mobile-sprint-merger-on-monday-because-it-must-still-draft-order-reuters.html

 

[derrph]

Interesting that they say they commit to pricing levels for 3 years... but after that??

I wonder if that’s just for Sprint customers only?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dro1984]

22 minutes ago, bigsnake49 said:

Well, it is not mandatory and they will negotiate with T-Mobile to host their 600Mhz spectrum. I was just curious why they would negotiate for T-Mobile to host their 600Mhz spectrum and not their AWS-3 spectrum. It will be financially better for Dish to serve their customers off their own hosted spectrum rather than being a plain MVNO (depending of course on hosting fees vs MVNO). Dish will have to hire a lot of network engineers over the next 4 years.

You know what else Snake... I think that  T Mo is more interested in putting 600 to use first and foremost (some of their own isn't ready yet (band clearing))... and let's face it, with more 600, they can greatly increase their foot print to the rural areas very quickly.

Side note:  Did any of you hear that T Mo lit up their 600 mhz in the Gulf of Mexico 60,000 sq miles mainly off LA, Ala, and Texas.... it's to help boaters and people working on oil platforms get service... especially data... thought that was kinda cool!  

Edited July 26, 2019 by dro1984

[bigsnake49]

6 minutes ago, dro1984 said:

You know what else Snake... I think that  T Mo is more interested in putting 600 to use first and foremost (some of their own isn't ready yet (band clearing))... and let's face it, with more 600, they can greatly increase their foot print to the rural areas very quickly.

Side note:  Did any of you hear that T Mo lit up their 600 mhz in the Gulf of Mexico.... it's to help boaters and people working on oil platforms get service... especially data... thought that was kinda cool!  

Yep I saw that.

[danlodish345]

Yep I saw that.

Isn’t band 41 nation wide ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mattp]

what about us who on a tmobole mvno  or a sprint mvno 

[JossMan]

Love it!  325% on my option calls, thanks T-Mobile and Sprint you have paid for my wireless bills for the next 10 years!  🤑  Exciting times! 

[greenbastard]

20 minutes ago, mattp said:

what about us who on a tmobole mvno  or a sprint mvno 

I assume that all MVNO deals transfer over to the new T-Mobile (unless they have specific language in their contracts that state otherwise).

Either way all Sprint MVNO users are going to have to make a transition one way or another.

[mattp]

3 minutes ago, greenbastard said:

I assume that all MVNO deals transfer over to the new T-Mobile (unless they have specific language in their contracts that state otherwise).

Either way all Sprint MVNO users are going to have to make a transition one way or another.

how long till we know since i have both avable to me tello is sprint us moble i have tmoble avable but on verzion  

so hard to decie which one to pick 

[Tengen31]

how long till we know since i have both avable to me tello is sprint us moble i have tmoble avable but on verzion  
so hard to decie which one to pick 

All mvno agreements will be honored.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

[mattp]

9 minutes ago, Tengen31 said:

All mvno agreements will be honored.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
 

did not anse how long till tello  switch to new tmoible 

 

[RedSpark]

1 hour ago, JossMan said:

Love it!  325% on my option calls, thanks T-Mobile and Sprint you have paid for my wireless bills for the next 10 years!  🤑  Exciting times! 

Nice! Would you mind sharing more details on what you did? Just curious to learn more.