AT&T-Mobile?

[zaxrex]

AT&T is siding up to the Germans to buy T-Mobile for $39B

Wowzers! AT&T and Deutsche Telekom have entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of T-Mobile USA for $39 billion in cash and stocks. The combined customer base of this upcoming behemoth will be 130 million humans, though the agreed deal will have to pass the usual regulatory and closing hurdles before becoming complete.

link
Oh, wait all you IPhone 3G'ers, yeah AT&T is going to exchange your phone to new 4g model. (service contract extension of course)

AT&T said that some time after the closing, it plans to rearrange how T-Mobile's cell towers work. The airwaves they use for third-generation services, or 3G, will be repurposed for 4G, which is faster.
That would leave current T-Mobile phones without 3G. They would need to be replaced with phones that use AT&T's 3G frequencies. Ralph de la Vega, AT&T's head of wireless and consumer services, said this will happen as part of the normal phone upgrade process.
"There's nothing for them to worry about ... it will be done over time, in a way that's good for customers and good for AT&T," de la Vega said in an interview

link
Haha, "in a way that's good for customers and good for AT&T"
Tell me, is that a fancy way of saying 'hands deeper into your pocket' of you want to keep your phone working? What a crock. "hey, we are changing your network, so you can't use your phone anymore. We will upgrade you for free. Please sign up for a new contract."

[Sabre]

Ya, the new contract is BS. You changed the terms of the last one, so you can stick it.

[Raven]

Come to the red side, we have cookies!

[Libra Monkee]

But this doesn't mean that, if you're a T-Mobile customer, that you can get an iPhone now.

"T-Mobile USA remains an independent company. The acquisition is expected to be completed in approximately 12 months. We do not offer the iPhone. We offer cutting edge devices like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and coming soon our new Sidekick 4G."

[chicken n waffles]

"...remains an independent company, for the next 6-12 months"

fixed.

i've worked for many acquired companies and have been fed that bull shit before.

[complacent]

i think this is going to be horrible for innovation (they both hold opposite opinions on android usage) as well as competition.

i understand why they did it... but then again, why the did everyone let verizon buy damn near all of the 700mhz spectrum?!? dolts.

[scheherazade]

But this doesn't mean that, if you're a T-Mobile customer, that you can get an iPhone now.

"T-Mobile USA remains an independent company. The acquisition is expected to be completed in approximately 12 months. We do not offer the iPhone. We offer cutting edge devices like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and coming soon our new Sidekick 4G."

Couldn't you always, if you paid the full price for the unlocked version ($500 or $600 or something like that)?

-scheherazade