AT&T will buy T-Mobile for $39 Billion
by Antonio Wells
Mar 20, 2011 9:32 PM –
Just as rumors were resurfacing about Sprint to buy T-Mobile, AT&T swooped in and confirmed they will buy Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile USA for $39 in cash and stocks. If the purchase is allowed (as it would create a GSM network monopoly for AT&T) it would combine 134 million U.S. customers. Larger than Verizon’s 100 million and Sprint’s 50 million (T-Mobile has 39 and AT&T 95 million).
This purchase would be more fitting from a similar technology perspective; both have GSM networks and both are implementing HSPA+ 4G mobile broadband solutions. That said GSM iPhone’s are easy to port between U.S. carriers once jailbroken, but… the number one question on the tip of T-Mo customers tongue is — “Will T-Mobile get the iPhone” and the answer is NO!
Sorry folks for not reporting it sooner, we knew about it the second it broke this morning but busy traveling to Orlando for CTIA Wireless. We’ll follow up with more juicy details Tuesday morning as each major U.S. wireless carrier will have a round table and we’ll be front and center. Follow our CTIA tag for more!