So I have not wrote about the Sprint and AT&T merger in a couple weeks – but lets be clear – it is still in the heat of all things cell phone. Yesterday Sprint told the FCC that AT&T can expand without buying T-Mobile in a move that I would say is bold at the least. They [Sprint] claim that AT&T could see a 600% increase in network and save themselves a bunch of money because it would cost less to revamp then buy.
“AT&T could increase its network capacity by more than 600 percent by 2015 without subjecting the country to the anti-competitive and anti-consumer harms associated with its proposed takeover of T-Mobile,’ says SVP for Government Affairs Vonya B McCann. “This capacity increase could more than meet AT&T’s projected data service demand growth through and beyond 2015 for a fraction of the cost of its proposed $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile.”
“AT&T has not, and cannot, demonstrate that its proposed takeover of T-Mobile is in the public interest,” insists Sprint
Sprint has been the most vocal of all the carriers in the USA about this merger. Sprint claims that it would stifle innovation, and cause prices to rise as AT&T (and Verizon) play games with each other. Remember that if this goes through that AT&T and Verizon would own about 80% of all customers in the nation. Leaving Sprint in a distant 3rd for the major carriers.
An AT&T spokesman responded by criticizing Sprint’s transfer of its network management to Ericsson (ERICb.ST). “A company that has outsourced the management of its own network shouldn’t be giving advice to others.”
So what do you say PPCGeeks – what do you want Verizon & AT&T&T? Does this even really matter in the bigger picture? Tell us below. I for one say it should not go through, as I see my chocies of carriers drop and my prices rise – I ask myself if cell phones are even worth it at a high price.
source: dslreports and BGR