AfterDawn: News

T-Mobile to merge with Sprint?

The parent company of cell phone carrier T-Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, is in talks to either merge with or acquire the large mobile phone carrier Sprint.

Citing a gradual weakening of the US dollar and worsening profits at Sprint, Deutsche Telekom is now looking for any transaction that will help T-Mobile's US branch gain ground in the large US market.



The deal, if it goes through, would make Deutsche Telekom the largest American carrier, and with the currency rate as it is, the deal would be cheaper than Telekom's acquisition of VoiceStream in 2001.

Sprint has declined to comment on "market rumors."

There is however a hitch to this report. T-Mobile uses the GSM standard while Sprint uses the mainly North American-focused CDMA network. T-Mobile phones are not compatible on the Sprint network and vice versa meaning Sprint customers would have to trade in their handsets or purchase new ones that are GSM (SIM card) compatible.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 4 May 2008 16:09

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• 11 comments

• engage16

  Well I live in Masschusetts... And both of those networks absolutely SUCK! It was only AT&T out where I live until about a year ago when Verizon started to penetrate here... I've had AT&T for 5 years now and haven't had any issues with either signal or customer service...

  4.5.2008 16:36 #1

• Sazy

  Coverages is different wherever you go. I live in SouthEast Michigan and Travel to NorthEast Ohio alot. I have Verizon and my Girlfriend has Sprint. I ALWAYS have service unless we're in a Mall. Otherwise she is always in Digital Roam mode.
  
  Coverage is also dependant upon the phone too, my girlfriends dad spent over 1000$ in phones last year trying to find a phone that would "work" (To put it lamely). He went through a Sanyo, Two Samsungs, and recently both the Katana and Katana II.

  4.5.2008 16:40 #2

• goodswipe

  HAHAHA...I owe both of these companies money!
  
  /y0nK!
  
  Sprint is the modern day Nazi's IMO...
  
  SIM card is the way to go anyways...
  
  I love how people become slaves to their cell phones.

  4.5.2008 17:44 #3

• 21Q

  This would be a huge merge/acquisition. Especially because I know many people who are on either network (mostly t-mobile "sidekick"). If sprint where to have to get rid of their current phones there would be a massive loss of customers due to that fact that t-mobile doesn't have the same type of phones.

  4.5.2008 20:49 #4

• jetyi83

  i have sprint ecause my plan is so cheap but the service is pretty terrible.
  phones suck too, they need to switch to gsm with the sim cards.

  4.5.2008 22:14 #5

• locobrown

  I take sim cards anyday. Just unlock your phone, by doing so it can be used anywhere in the world with all carriers that use the GSM band. I wouldn't be a T-mobile user anymore if the sims were thrown out but I would keep the phone and use it internationally, obtaining a foreign number is not that expensive as you may think. I have 3 different numbers; Mexico, Spain, and Brazil. Prepaid is real popular and have much better rates that its monthly service and besides prepaid accounts expire after 1 year of service, it extends to additional years if replenished before the expiration date. It just depends on the carrier, the expiration date maybe less. It wouldn’t be all that bad I wouldn’t mind, I’ll just switch to another carrier but they better not penalize their users for early termination, It would resemble a franchise tag if that happened.

  5.5.2008 10:14 #6

• ChiefBrdy

  One thing I like about T-Mobile is they kind of remain 'the little guys.' Which is just how I like it. At least with T-Mobile there's still a residue of humanity left in their customer service.
  
  If they merge with Sprint, you're right, there may be a lot of lost customers. But it won't be from GSM for me. I'll leave if they take on Sprint's horrendous robotic press 1, 2, 3 to infinity LACK OF customer service.

  5.5.2008 15:34 #7

• susieqbbb

  This is going to suck..
  
  And not because of t-mobile being interrested in sprint but sprint user's would then have to convert there phones to t-mobiles nasty service and most of the sprint phones don't contain sim cards so that will be the worlds biggest mess

  5.5.2008 19:27 #8

• iluvendo

  And the big just get bigger, not by offering superior products and services, but by just gobbling up the competition.
  

  If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck!
  "The flimsier the product,the higher the price"
  Ferengi 82nd rule of aquisition

  6.5.2008 02:35 #9

• ee2skater

  T-Mobile's network does suck but if they merged with Sprint wouldn't T-Mobile have service where Sprint has service and vise-versa?
  I would take a SIM card any day too but service for Sprint is pretty good where I live and sucks for T-Mobile.

  10.5.2008 11:56 #10

• kmass

  I hate t mobile in my area sprint has better coverage than any phone company ... i just bought my centro if they merge then the companys should replace all current sprint customers with equal or better phones for free and not make us buy new phones

  10.5.2008 17:25 #11