AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion • Hacker News Board

Re: AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion

#131

Post by Hawramani » Sun, Mar 20, 2011, 9:41 PM UTC

In one way this is terrible. And yet, I'm thinking if the situation gets bad enough, we'll finally see some changes that will forever dethrone these oppressors.

I'm thinking of a data-only phone that puts all of these evil companies out of the equation. All you need to provide data is wireless hotspots, and this can be done by small companies.

The only problem is who owns the fast fiberoptics. These fictional small companies could create a cooperative where they all work together to create their own infrastructure. It has worked for the organic food industry (Organic Valley).

Re: AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion

#132

Post by superdude » Sun, Mar 20, 2011, 9:43 PM UTC

This is bad. In terms of freedom, T-Mobile was the only large carrier to oppose warrant-less wiretapping of Americans. In terms of cost, T-Mobile offered the best non-contract prices, and I could use my Nexus One or iPhone on their network for a reasonable price.

Re: AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion

#133

Post by tptacek » Sun, Mar 20, 2011, 9:45 PM UTC

andreyf wrote: post #129

tptacek wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You think Apple might have launched on T-Mobile, the last-place network? Nationwide wireless networks are extraordinarily capital-intensive. Absent a massive technological shift --- which may be coming and which AT&T and Verizon are powerless to stop --- there are always going to be a (1) few (2) very large companies providing cell coverage. It may be more expensive to launch a nationwide wireless network than it is…

Absent a massive technological shift --- which may be coming and which AT&T and Verizon are powerless to stop ... What are you thinking of?

Nothing specific other than the ubiquity of RF in modern consumer electronics designs and off-the-shelf hardware becoming powerful enough to handle software radio with minimal hardware assistance.

The thing that makes the "OMG $0.20 SMS PAY TO TETHER WTF" people isn't going to be a better cell carrier; it's going to be something that obsoletes cell carriers. Look at the RIDICULOUS PHONE you have in your pocket right now; nothing like it even existed in 2005.

Re: AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion

#134

Post by jwcacces » Sun, Mar 20, 2011, 9:50 PM UTC

Well, there goes my great rate, my unlimited data, and the great customer service.

At least I can look forward to a larger bill.

Re: AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion

#135

Post by s3graham » Sun, Mar 20, 2011, 9:58 PM UTC

Derbasti wrote: post #127

nerfhammer wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

20 cent text messages both ways is competitive?

You realize that 40 ct per 160 bytes makes those bytes more expensive than sending the same data to the hubble space telescope?

It's actually only 140 octets. :(

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS#Message_size

Re: AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion

#136

Post by neutronicus » Sun, Mar 20, 2011, 10:06 PM UTC

Locke1689 wrote: post #130

akgerber wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Smartphones are only getting cheaper. My smartphone is an LG Optimus V, which was $150 without a contract (but it's bound to Virgin Mobile, a prepaid carrier). By my estimation the phone is all-around better than a 3G iPhone. Obviously I probably got the phone somewhere near at-cost (considering how hard the RadioShack employees push you against buying it) but smartphones will be dirt cheap soon enough.

By my estimation the phone is all-around better than a 3G iPhone. The Optimus V is a late 2010 phone. My iPhone 3G is from 2008 and hasn't been sold by Apple for a full generation. Your comparison doesn't really make sense.

Yes it does. It's 2-year old technology at commodity prices. That's an important observation.

Re: AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion

#137

Post by rhizome » Sun, Mar 20, 2011, 10:11 PM UTC

nhangen wrote: post #27

ATT is damned if they do, and damned if they don't.

Whenever have they don't-ed?

Re: AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion

#138

Post by nerfhammer » Sun, Mar 20, 2011, 10:15 PM UTC

paulschreiber wrote: post #125

mmastrac wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FWIW, Wind Mobile in Canada also uses AWS. The rest of the Canadian providers match AT&T.

US -> Canada carrier rough equivalency chart Bell, Telus, Rogers = AT&T Wind Mobile, Mobilicity, Videotron = T-Mobile* Public Mobile = Sprint/Verizon Bell, Telus (old network) = Sprint/Verizon * T-Mobile USA also has a legacy 2G/EDGE/GPRS network, whereas Wind et al. do not.

Wait, Canada has 7 mobile providers? And we get 3?

Re: AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion

#139

Post by uxp » Sun, Mar 20, 2011, 10:18 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #121

uxp wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But with only two providers of GSM, you already have emerging cartel pricing dynamics. And people already complain about the fact that there are only 2 GSM providers and 2 CDMA providers in the US. Your statement appears to me to be "I don't understand why you are complaining, it's not much worse than what we already have", but people already don't like what we have. This just makes it worse. Between a rock and a h…

We don't have a small number of wireless providers because of some collusive conspiracy. We have a small number of wireless providers because it costs billions of dollars to create nationwide wireless networks in a country the size of the United States. I completely understand your frustration at having to choose between two goliath companies for wireless access that works when you get off the plane no matter where y…

Right. It's not the best situation to have one or the other. More would be great in an ideal world, but we have this right now and until you or I can deploy a wide wireless GSM network for a few grand nothing will change.

I was commenting on your point that it's not that big of a deal for AT&T to acquire T-Mobile. It is a big deal because, why it may not be easy (or in fact possible) to stick a third carrier in the middle of this in a completely hypothetical scenario, combining the two carriers in a real life, AT&T just announced it was planning on doing just that scenario is not good for consumers. It is worse than the already less than ideal situation we have right now.

Re: AT&T to Acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion

#140

Post by icegreentea » Sun, Mar 20, 2011, 10:37 PM UTC

nerfhammer wrote: post #138

paulschreiber wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

US -> Canada carrier rough equivalency chart Bell, Telus, Rogers = AT&T Wind Mobile, Mobilicity, Videotron = T-Mobile* Public Mobile = Sprint/Verizon Bell, Telus (old network) = Sprint/Verizon * T-Mobile USA also has a legacy 2G/EDGE/GPRS network, whereas Wind et al. do not.

Wait, Canada has 7 mobile providers? And we get 3?

Wind, Mobilicity etc are all new (they popped in existence after our AWS auction), and only have limited coverage (outside of their coverage area, they all have sharage agreements with one of the big three). For example, Wind only services a few of the major cities, but the moment you leave Wind's towers range, you're switched over the Roger's network and are charged hilarious fees.

And our Big Three (Bell, Rogers, and Telus) are even worse than youres. It's beyond ridiculous.