07-10-2002, 04:22 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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AT&T Wireless and VoiceStream to merge?
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.asp?Symbol=US:AWE&Feed=RTR&Date=20020710&ID=1765607
"VoiceStream Wireless, controlled by Deutsche Telekom AG , is in talks to merge with AT&T Wireless Services Inc.(AWE). a move that would create the second largest cellular phone company in the U.S, according to a Wall Street Journal report."
This can only be good news for the US. The bigger these things get, the less roaming we have and the more coverage we have. By 2010, we in the US will be enjoying what Europe has enjoyed sonce cell phones were invented. It would tickle me to death if SprintPCS and Verizon merged too, leaving two standards, GSM and CDMA, and three massive players, Verizon/Sprint, VoiceStream/AT&T and Cingular. Heck, I'd be happy if Cingular got their act together and killed off all of their TDMA networks.
And can someone explain this to me? Verizon and SprintPCS are both CDMA. Why can I not be a SprintPCS customer roaming on a Verison digital network and not drop to an analog signal? Have I ever told you how much I hate the cellular networks in the US?
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07-10-2002, 04:58 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 3
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ATT and Voicestream
Outside of the simple equation "fewer competitors means less innovation" there is the larger question of whether it's good for the US to have a German Governemtnt backed cell hpne provider as largest in the US. Its great if it is any privately owned player, but not a government sponsored/supported solution.
Probably not the right venue for my rant, but true none the less.
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07-10-2002, 05:01 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 68
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You got that right!
:lol: AMEN, AMEN, & AMEN.
While I actually really like my SprintPCS (used now in 3 states of residency over the past 6 years), you are right on target with your observations.
The minute you go to Asia or Europe - they are SOOOOOOOO much ahead of the US in this area its not funny - better & more sophisticated phones, better service, better rates & plans, and better access.
I use my SprintPCS regularly for both digital phone service & to have my Ipaq access the WEB & e-mail (via Socket CF card - works great).
I believe that from a technology standpoint, a Sprint-Verizon merger would be tough to beat.
The regulatory requirements, basic fickle american consumers - who tend to look at the color of a phone first before function, and lack of competitive ingenuity by the providers are the three roadblocks at this time.
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07-10-2002, 05:13 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 248
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Mergers aren't always good
Whiel I think in some respects it is beneficial for these companies to not have to each build a network (thereby reducing costs), I'm afraid that Voicestream (DT), being the bigger player, will obscure AT & T's business model. I think AT & T is better run and their plans are certainly more attractive. the whole unltd wkd's thing for voicestream is just irritating. What about nights? I think I would consider switching to Verizon or Sprint if this happened. I love my At &T service and don't look forward to having it done the german way. I want 3G as much as the next guy but I don't want to have to pay a lot for it.
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07-10-2002, 05:13 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Re: AT&T Wireless and VoiceStream to merge?
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
And can someone explain this to me? Verizon and SprintPCS are both CDMA. Why can I not be a SprintPCS customer roaming on a Verison digital network and not drop to an analog signal? Have I ever told you how much I hate the cellular networks in the US?
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There are two reasons why Sprint PCS -> Verizon is complicated (the other direction has already been done, BTW, and new Verizon plans include select SPCS roaming):
1. Most of SPCS's are 1900MHz-only. This was a conscious decision on their part, but long-term, it's problematic. Most of Verizon's territory is 800MHz CDMA digital, and so the SPCS phones can't pick it up. A few SPCS phones are triband (the ancient Nokia 6185 and the Kyo 6135 come tomind) and can pick up a Verizon digital signal.
2. AFAIK, Verizon & SPCS haven't pursued digital roaming aggressively for SPCS -> Verizon roaming (at least, reliably). They do have analog-network agreements that are pretty robust, but as you point out, this is far from ideal.
Basically, this is really more a problem with the way SPCS is dealing with the issue... I'm sure Verizon is to fault somewhere, along-the-lines, too--but if you want the biggest coverage, EdH, you really should be considering either Verizon or AT&T (at least, for now).
BTW, TDMA is dying. It will be turned off in 5-10 years (my guess). There will be only CDMA & GSM in the US, and you'll see roaming and coverage start to improve dramatically. It's only a matter of time (and cooperation) at this point. (Number mobility wouldn't hurt either -- we're working on that, albeit slowly.)
--bdj
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07-10-2002, 05:26 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 147
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Wireless
There are a few bright stars in the dismal US cellular skies. For example: Surewest Wireless offers 43800 anytime minutes a month (yes, that's unlimited) incoming and outgoing calls, 10 cents a minute for long distance, free calling to any 916, 530 and 209 area code for just 33 USD a month. It may not be the greatest cell phone package, but it is a perfect replacement for a home phone, and I get 24/7 wireless (14.4kbps) data access to boot!
Jon
__________________
Jonathan Rogers
Email
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07-10-2002, 06:11 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 32
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It was also reported a couple of months ago that Cingular may buy AT&T Wireless. Since Cingular and AT&T Wireless are both TDMA shops, and AT&T has begun rolling out their GSM network while Cingular has not (at least in the midwest), that marriage seemed to me to be a bit more logical.
It's also my belief that wireless carriers are dragging their feet on the number portability issue. I read somewhere that studies have shown that unhappy customers would change carriers more often if they could keep their number. And the carriers don't want to see the churn. So instead of working to improve the service, they work to delay number portabilty.
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07-10-2002, 06:30 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 146
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This would only be a good merger if the AT&T management team and everyone involved with setting policy were ousted, and the VoiceStream people were left to run it properly. AT&T's customer service is dismal, and they play so many games with their calling plans. Now that all the analog carriers have digital in the major areas, giving them fairly seamless roaming across both with no roaming charges, there's no longer any reason for AT&T to exist.
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07-10-2002, 06:50 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 516
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I was hoping that things would get more standardized with various talks of mergers and Cingular's switch to GSM. But with each step forward, they seem to also take one step back. A couple of months ago, there was an article on CNET about new GSM phones coming out which would be using a brand new GSM frequency. Ugh. The article cited over congestion of the current frequencies, so maybe the solution of converging to one digital cell standard isn't as doable, but I sure hope we get there some day.
Scott
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07-10-2002, 07:01 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 112
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VoiceStream has got it right
Quote:
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I'm afraid that Voicestream (DT), being the bigger player, will obscure AT & T's business model. I think AT & T is better run and their plans are certainly more attractive
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I couldn't disagree more. Voicestream's management appears far more competent than AT&T's. How else can you explain AT&T's GSM networks that are on, kind of, sometimes, in only certain areas, and then, only for limited periods of time? AT&T changes their pricing plans all the time to try and squeeze dollars out of new subscribers and lock them into the ancient TDMA networks. Voicestream got it right with the GSM standard and introducing GPRS to the rest of us in the U.S. If, by attractive, you mean AT&T's plans are cheaper, yes, they are, but the company is in extremely precarious financial position because of that. Would you rather pay a little more and get a better standard (one that will be here past another 4 years) and get a company whose network will actually be on 4 years from now? Personally, I would. I give Voicestream the go ahead for full steam. Maybe this will eliminate AT&T from the U.S. forever (we can only hope).
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