Rumor Mill

Verizon buying Sprint is my prediction. Then T-Mobile merging with Nextel. So there will be a Big 3 - 1)Cingular, 2)Verizon, 3) T-Mobile. Your thoughts?

timslo said:
Verizon buying Sprint is my prediction. Then T-Mobile merging with Nextel. So there will be a Big 3 - 1)Cingular, 2)Verizon, 3) T-Mobile. Your thoughts?

Im thinking if Verizon bought Sprint, it would not longer be #2.

Nextel and Tmobile are not going to merge. I'm thinking NO ONE will merge with Sprint. They just have way too much debt. VZW and ALLTEL, however may be a better option.

to tell you the truth it's more likely that T-mobile and Sprint will merge because even with the debt it would make a finacially great idea. and also there isn't one wireless phone carrier that isn't in debt. Sprint just has more of it.

I'm sorry I just have to ask. Do you know what GSM and CDMA mean? Not trying to be rude, just wondering if you know.

GSM (Global System for Communication) and CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access). Now, maybe I didn't explain myself clearly, but when I ment T-Mobile and Sprint would more likely merge, was that Sprint would offer GSM phones with the Sprint name but on T-Mobile's GSM network. The reason i stated that is due to Sprint's next palm device with GSM and CDMA capabilities. My source is from one of the guys who produce the technology for Sprint.

The Sprint/T-mobile merger is going to take place the day after never 🤣 🤣 🤣

also like verizon is doing, they are making phones with both capabilities for the world travelers that each company has. as for merger it does seem unlikely, and for sprint making a device with cdma and gsm technology its going to happen, but the gsm will more than likely only be 900/1800, neither of which we use here

the reason sprint is offering a gsm/cdma phone is so people traveling the world can use the same phone instead of having to rent one....

Not to be rude, but you DO know that CDMA\GSM phones exsist, right?

They would beable to work on EITHER network.. Who'da thunk it?

NO WAY....It's Sprint-Nextel and that's the new name when the merger is complete...They came too a tenative agreement today...it's in the news...Good combination Nextel will drop iden/tdma and start using cdma/pcs which will increase their data ability...Sprint will drop ReadyLink and with Nextel's PTT and Sprint's cdma/pcs it will make an awesome combo...They'll have a great cell & the best PTT phone around and with the data added the phone will be HOW BUSINESS GETS DONE...

I AGREE!!! great post.

qchat was a good pick for nextel and i think becuase of that it was a hint of nextel wanting to go to cdma.

Verizion could not afford to buy out Sprint. Sprint does the bying out lol

lol .

Verizon buying Sprint was already discussed on Nightline earlier this year as a part of the "Nightmare" scenario for cell phone users!!!!

Verizon would never be able to buy Sprint or Vice versa, It would make a large monopoly with to many subscribers and the FTC would never approve it. But Verizon or Sprint will probably acquire Alltel

SPRINT TMOBILE THATS CRAZY CDMA GSM /WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INFO PAL LOOK FOR 3 MAJOR CARRIERS INTHE FUTURE VERIZON,CINGULAR,ALLTEL

jw9601 said:
SPRINT TMOBILE THATS CRAZY CDMA GSM /WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INFO PAL LOOK FOR 3 MAJOR CARRIERS INTHE FUTURE VERIZON,CINGULAR,ALLTEL

And just where will Nextel, Sprint and Tmobile be? On Mars? Guys, guys, guys...it's not that Tmobile and Sprint don't have compatible technology, it's that Deutsche isn't even considering mergers or buyouts now that they've finally got Tmobile USA beyond shaky financial shape.

Alltel?


...yeah...you keep dreamin' buddy. 🙄

Is anyone aware that Verizon has an established history of buying up pieces of Alltel? Already, a customer can bring an Alltel phone to VZW and have it activated.

LOL ALLTEL?!? What the hell are you smoking? lol dude... alltel?

Verizon had the go ahead by vodophone to place a bid on sprint and verizon declined. They like to put rumors out there that they are going to bid on compnais so that people like cingular and sprint/nextel will have to pay more than they should for companies they are trying to merge with/purchase. It will be interesting to see what tmobile does. I can't believe they are still activating new customers...

I've been reading the responses to the T-Mobile/Sprint merger and find some information good as far as your knowledge of technology. Merging deals with, technology, cost, and the FCC. All of the above, not just one.

T-Mobile will not merger or buy any other company unless it is I Wireless, they are already affiliated with them. I Wireless will put up a fit during the whole thing too, because Mega Talk will disappear (Thank GOD). And T-Mobile has roaming agreements with Cingular and At&t for their customers to use those towers when needed. No more mergers for GSM for at least the next 5 years.

US Cellular might possibly merge or buy out Midwest Wireless, but there will be major problems there with cost neither can afford it right now. ...
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T-Mobile couldn't merge with Nextel either. Same as T-Mobile and Sprint. Nextel is iDEN and T-Mo is GSM

Catch a clue... Nextel and Sprint aren't using the same or even similar technology and they are still merging. If I'm correct (and feel free to tell me if I'm wrong)... They will keep up both networks for the immediate future and will phase out Nextel's iDEN network in the 3 year range with all customers moving to Sprint's Network and converting Nextel towers to Sprint's technologies (or getting rid of the tower if it's not needed).

In saying all this, it's ludicrous to think that just because two carriers use different technologies that they couldn't merge. A merger doesn't mean they will keep everything the same, it just means the customer base will be housed under one company name.

Different technologies make it more expensive and maybe not so attractive to merge. Nextel and Sprint were made for each other because of bandwidth and common goals.
I don't believe the FCC or the DOJ will allow Sprint Nextel that much bandwidth.

Does this mean that Verizon could very well buy the unused towers from Sprint or in this case Nextel to convert thier own technology to fit the tower and expand thier network since they spend over 1 billion in upgrades a year?

DSFB407 said:
Does this mean that Verizon could very well buy the unused towers from Sprint or in this case Nextel to convert thier own technology to fit the tower and expand thier network since they spend over 1 billion in upgrades a year?

A tower is nothing more than a vertical piece of steel and doesn't contribute to the technology at all.

I highly doubt that Sprint will have any "unused towers" as they are selling off their holdings in vertical real estate. They will use the cash gained by selling the towers to a professional management company to deploy new technologies. At that point they will pay rent at these facilities and not own them.

One thing for sure, Verizon has no interest in beco...
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Incorrect. Combined the two companies will have 49 mHZ in most markets. It will be allowed.

Same thing...it'd be very expensive and would take one hellava long time to execute because both carriers run on two different networks...

Let's just say that...CDMA can pair up with CDMA, and GSM can pair up with GSM. Though it's not impossible, per se, it's highly unlikely.

Thanks for clearing this up for me. I guess I'll have to go to cingular.

Sorry. Once again, not the same systems and never, ever, going to happen.

Probably wouldn't pass regulatory approval anyway.

Regulatory Approval...Now THAT's a does of good, hard reality. Cingular had to sell off 5 of it's top 12 market shares to regional networks so that the ATT merger could go through. This was mandated so that no one company could get too large.
There's no way that the FCC would allow a CDMA/GSM merger without making them sell off so much of the market that that it would become cost-prohibitive.
Any combination of the four GSM/CDMA carriers as is, would wipe out the remaining two CDMA and GSM only carriers.
The only thing I could see would be a carrier that is CDMA in the US, but GSM in Europe.

The real question the FCC has is spectrum. Cingular was allowed 70 MHZ in any market. That was a more generous allowance than Verizon was given when it was created via mergers. Verizon was forced to sell off its Seattle/Yakima/Spokane GTE property because they could not have 60MHZ in a market.
A GSM/CDMA carrier would have real problems. Althogh phones can easily be made to handle both CDMA and GSM they are expensive because there is not a single CDMA/GSM chip.
T-Mobile is safe from buyout or merger because nobody who could benefit from their licenses would want the expense of converting their GSM to CDMA, nor would they want to limit their future by converting their CDMA to GSM.

lol

Good point. LOL 🤣

actually Sprint is launching into the GSM technology very soon. Their supposed to have a GSM palm in december of 2004, but it doesn't look like it's coming out until next year.

😕 I said Nextel and Sprint, not Nextel and T-Mobile.

But you made my point anyway, which is that Sprint is stronger with consumers, while Nextel is stronger with businesses. That's exactly what makes them a good match.

My mistake! Sprint and Nextel would be an OK match. Sprint used to have a strong business focus but has lost it over the past couple years. The mix of spectrum would be great.

Now that you predicted the SPRINT/NEXTEL merger what will be the next one? Which Regional Carriers will combine? Alltel/US Cellular? US Cellular/Midwest Wireless?

Any thoughts??

Nextel and Sprint are merging. The towers will neither be replaced or changed. The merging process is planned to start December. Motorola will manufacture phones to support both CDMA and iDEN (Nextel's network founded by Motorla). Verizon is making plans to combine both the Sprint and Verizon networks to increase coverage and call capacity. T-Mobile is making plans to sell the company as T-Mobile USA was a an attempt to expand Deutsche Telekom from Germany. Thats what i've been told in my most recent training sessions from Nextel and Sprint.

Well I am here to hopefully settle this non sense. T-Mobile will NOT be brought out by any carrier no time soon, as a matter of fact never. What you heard was a Huge Rumor. There isn't a carrier financially prepared to buy T-Mobile USA out and why would T-Mobile want to merge or need to merge? If you really do your research T-Mobile is doing GREAT and will continue to build off of all of the other non sense mergers. Just do your homework and really look into things first before you respond to non sense like that and you will see just what I am speaking on. 🙂

Not to discredit you, however, tmobile USA isn’t doing that great in this marketplace especially lagging in the key areas that it needs to pick up. 1. Buying 3g spectrum and putting out a 3g network. 2. Investing heavily in their network to increase coverage and capacity.

If they are doing that great then how come did they only get 960k subscribers or so for this quarter and how come their debt (long term) went up by $2 or 3 billion dollars? That isn’t good, what so ever.

DT is looking to sell Tmobile USA and that is a fact, and since you said that no other carrier could afford to buy them out I think is pathetic, because 20 billion dollars isn’t so bad because a carrier can just buy them out and raise moneys to pay for it or other m...
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TMo won't sell because of the debt issue, who would want to buy? Assume all that debt, collect almost 20 million kids (I mean customers), for what? Thats like me selling nextel18 my Saturn (thats only worth $5K) for $20K and convincing him he'll have a great return on investment bec it just had its oil changed...

I think you read my situation with the debt wrong because I was just mentioning to that other person that if tmobile USA were doing so well their debt wouldn’t actually increase it would decrease.

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