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Sprint: AT&T and T-Mobile Merger Would Create Duopoly

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rural LTE is just a ploy -- see the maps

WiWavelength

Apr 19, 2011, 6:55 PM
AT&T has set up an "astroturfing" web site to promote the merger:

http://www.mobilizeeverything.com/ »

On this web site, AT&T displays supposed future LTE coverage maps. Side by side, one map depicts future LTE coverage under the current plan, another depicts future LTE coverage if the merger is approved. AT&T claims that the merger can allow it to use T-Mobile spectrum to expand LTE coverage to rural areas. Unfortunately, that claim is, at best, a half truth, at worst, an outright lie.

Comparison of the supposed future LTE coverage maps with current AT&T coverage maps shows that AT&T would deploy LTE only where it has existing Cellular 850 MHz and/or PCS 1900 MHz coverage. In fact, the propagation characteristics & coverage holes...
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nextel18

Apr 19, 2011, 9:30 PM
yea its a good set up 🙂

Gov seems to care mostly about the rural areas.
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CellStudent

Apr 19, 2011, 9:35 PM
Good catch AJ-

P.S. I'm still hoping you can take a look at this one and tell me what I'm missing.

https://www.phonescoop.com/news/discuss.php?fm=m&ff= ... »
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WiWavelength

Apr 19, 2011, 11:11 PM
CellStudent said:
Good catch AJ-

P.S. I'm still hoping you can take a look at this one and tell me what I'm missing.

https://www.phonescoop.com/news/discuss.php?fm=m&ff= ... »


I will take another look. But FFT analysis & filtration at radio frequencies is not my strong suit. I am more familiar working with audio spectrum.

AJ
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Slammer

Apr 19, 2011, 9:35 PM
If I'm understanding these maps correctly, ATT is trying to snow job the FCC into believing that tmobile's added spectrum is going help immensely when in fact, ATT's current spectrum holdings could already accommodate their plan without acquiring T-mobile.

Can the FCC be this dumb or will dollar bills be mightier than factual evidence?

John B.
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nextel18

Apr 19, 2011, 9:36 PM
not exactly. current plans dont indicate such a great roll out for LTE (AT&T)

gaining spectrum from t-mobile will help them
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Slammer

Apr 19, 2011, 9:48 PM
Plans are plans until acted upon.

It think AJ is pointing out that the first links of every state he mentioned, depict ATT's plans without TMO and then after TMO. The second links are ATT's actual spectrum holdings without TMO. Meaning ATT has the spectrum to not only plan almost the same LTE coverage alone, but also carry through with the rollout. They just choose to lie to the FCC.

Essentially, they are sitting on "unused" spectrum they already own. They don't need TMO's.

John B.
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nextel18

Apr 19, 2011, 9:52 PM
well yes AT&T has enough spectrum but not the towers 🙂 a little bit of a difference.

having spectrum is key. 🙂
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WiWavelength

Apr 19, 2011, 10:05 PM
Slammer said:
The second links are ATT's actual spectrum holdings without TMO.


The orange colored maps are screen captures taken from AT&T's coverage viewer. So, in essence, they depict cell site locations & wireless coverage for Cellular 850 MHz & PCS 1900 MHz spectrum currently in use. AT&T also has quite a cache of AWS 2100+1700 MHz & Upper/Lower 700 MHz spectrum, but none of that is currently in service.

AJ
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Slammer

Apr 19, 2011, 10:15 PM
Thanks AJ.

John B.
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WiWavelength

Apr 19, 2011, 9:56 PM
nextel18 said:
not exactly. current plans dont indicate such a great roll out for LTE (AT&T)

gaining spectrum from t-mobile will help them


This is incorrect. If gaining T-Mobile's spectrum holdings were really going to expand AT&T's LTE deployment, then the future LTE coverage maps that I linked would have few if any coverage gaps. After all, T-Mobile holds AWS 2100+1700 MHz spectrum licenses for the entire country, thus AT&T could deploy LTE anywhere & everywhere. But the maps reveal that AT&T would be content just to overlay its existing network. And AT&T would not require T-Mobile's spectrum to accomplish that.

AJ
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nextel18

Apr 19, 2011, 9:59 PM
i dont agree with that. it doesnt make sense if lets say spectrum wasnt an issue why would AT&T merge with t-mobile?
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WiWavelength

Apr 19, 2011, 10:12 PM
nextel18 said:
i dont agree with that. it doesnt make sense if lets say spectrum wasnt an issue why would AT&T merge with t-mobile?


Two reasons: to remove a competitor from the marketplace and to buy up even more market share.

Now, if AT&T truly requires additional spectrum, Clear would be more than happy to sell or lease some of its BRS 2500/2600 MHz spectrum.

AJ
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nextel18

Apr 19, 2011, 10:15 PM
but if that was the case for them to acquire more marketshare they have to take into account the devistitures likely.

have you figured that out? (since you know something- which you dont find on here)
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Slammer

Apr 19, 2011, 10:22 PM
Think of divestures as money.

In order for me to acquire $1.00, I need to get rid of 10 cents. This means the remaining carriers get the chance to fight for almost useless leftovers.

John B.
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nextel18

Apr 19, 2011, 10:23 PM
lol i know what they are. i am asking if anybody knows in what $ figure they are. lol
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WiWavelength

Apr 19, 2011, 10:23 PM
nextel18 said:
but if that was the case for them to acquire more marketshare they have to take into account the devistitures likely.


AT&T will argue for very few divestitures, since T-Mobile is primarily an urban market carrier, and many urban markets currently have five (or greater) competitors.

http://mobilizeeverything.com/competition.php »

AJ
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nextel18

Apr 19, 2011, 10:25 PM
okay i was actually asking you 🙂 i dont want to see something from AT&T 🙂 thanks.
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CellStudent

Apr 19, 2011, 11:06 PM
WiWavelength said:


AT&T will argue for very few divestitures, since T-Mobile is primarily an urban market carrier, and many urban markets currently have five (or greater) competitors.

http://mobilizeeverything.com/competition.php »

AJ



Why does the FCC not consider "The United States of America as a whole" to be a "market" for anti-trust calculations?

There is a huge class of customers that are constrained by their lifestyle to mandate nationwide coverage.

Why aren't they considered a marketplace that needs 5 or more competitors?

Why is the FCC analyzing this exclusively at the smaller market level? There needs to be large scale and small scale competition to have a balance...
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