“2013 was a great year for T-Mobile. Its Uncarrier party shook the wireless industry, and it soon became one of the most talked about companies.”
T-Mobile announces $2.37 billion purchase of Verizon’s A-block spectrum : TmoNewsTmoNews
“We’ve been reading reports for a while that T-Mobile could be weighing up a move for Verizon’s unused lower-frequency airwaves. Initially, VZW had officially stated that it was willing to sell, but only for the right price (thought to be between $2B-$3B).”
T-Mobile CEO John Legere is not impressed by AT&T’s $450 promotion
“AT&T is likely feeling the heat from T-Mobile at this point. Building on the increasingly unfriendly battle between the two carriers, AT&T released a customer incentive today that offered T-Mobile customers up to $450 to switch (likely back) over to AT&T.”
AT&T CEO knows device subsidies are going the way of the dodo
“AT&T knows that it can’t keep providing subsidized devices to customers forever. Speaking at an investor conference in New York, CEO of AT&T Randall Stephenson explained that with smartphone adoption at 75 percent and rising, the cost of offering devices on subsidies just isn’t financially viable.”
AT&T LTE expands or rolls out in seven new markets across the US
“Another week, another grouping of markets getting or expanding their AT&T LTE network footprint. Each time we get a new set of cities they seem to be smaller and smaller, indicating that AT&T has covered many of the largest markets and is working to fill out its complete nationwide network.”
AT&T wins ruling in price-fixing suit against LCD makers
(Reuters) – AT&T on Thursday won a ruling from a federal appeals court in a lawsuit against liquid crystal display panel makers alleging a price-fixing conspiracy. The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco reinstated AT&T’s claims based on California law over panel purchases outside the state. The decision reversed a lower court partial dismissal of AT&T’s lawsuit. The manufacturer defendants, including Taiwan-based AU Optronics Corporation and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, had argued that AT&T’s claims violated the due process clause of the U.S. Constitution. …
via Tech News Headlinesl
AT&T bus Alltel, 780 million
AT&T today announced that it has agreed to purchase Atlantic Tele-Network’s Alltel assets for a total of $780 million. The agreement includes wireless spectrum licenses in the 700, 850, and 1900MHz bands, network assets, retail stores, and 585,000 subscribers. Alltel Wireless was purchased by Verizon Wireless in 2008. As part of the acquisition, Verizon was required by the Federal Communications Commission to divest some assets. AT&T picked up some of those assets and Atlantic Tele-Network picked up the rest. Atlantic Tele-Network continued to run those assets under the Alltel brand across portions of six states, covering some 4.6 million POPs. AT&T is now hoping the FCC will allow it to purchase those assets from Atlantic Tele-Network. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close during the second half of the year.
Proposed AT&T/T-Mobile Merger Hits Yet Another Snag
In a possible setback to AT&T and T-Mobile’s proposed merger, FCC chairman Julius Genachowski Tuesday circulated a draft order to seek a further administrative hearing on the deal, potentially placing another barrier in the road to one of the largest mergers in telecommunications history.
If the order is passed, the merger decision would then go in front of a judge presiding over an administrative hearing on the matter.
The last major merger proposal referred to this type of hearing occurred almost a decade ago, in the case of the proposed DirecTV and EchoStar merger, which was ultimately shot down.
The draft order, created by chairman Genachowski, must be circulated to all of the members of the FCC, who will then decide to sign off on the order, amend it or deny it. The commission gave no time frame on when it would come to a decision.
If the order is approved by the rest of the FCC, the administrative hearing would be another in a line of stumbling blocks for the two companies. In late August, the Department of Justice moved to block the merger by filing a federal antitrust lawsuit, stating the deal would “result in tens of millions of consumers all across the United States facing higher prices, fewer choices and lower-quality products for mobile wireless services,” according to deputy attorney general James M. Cole.
Rival telecom Sprint has also lobbied fiercely in opposition to the deal, with CEO Dan Hesse previously arguing the takeover would create “a 1980s-style duopoly,” doing “irreparable harm” to the U.S. economy and consumers as a whole.
Sprint was quick to issue a comment on Tuesday’s decision, lauding chairman Genachowski for his efforts and upholding that the merger “more than justifies moving this matter to an Administrative Law Judge for a hearing,” according to Vonya McCann, Sprint SVP of Government Affairs.
AT&T also issued a statement, essentially condemning Genachowski’s move. “The FCC’s action today is disappointing,” said Larry Solomon, SVP of corporate communications for AT&T. “It is yet another example of a government agency acting to prevent billions in new investment and the creation of many thousands of new jobs at a time when the US economy desperately needs both.”
Although it isn’t clear whether or not all members of the commission will agree upon the statement, any hearings that could take place would not proceed until after litigation between AT&T, T-Mobile and the Department of Justice has concluded.
UPDATED 2:38 P.M. PST with AT&T statement
via Proposed AT&T/T-Mobile Merger Hits Yet Another Snag | Epicenter | Wired.com.
