
FCC Chairman Statement on T-Mobile/Sprint Transaction [pdf] - daegloe
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-357535A1.pdf
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dangus
The statement reads directly like it's coming directly out of of the mouths of
T-Mobile and Sprint's own CEOs.

We don't actually need to "accelerate" 5G deployment. What we need is to have
real carrier choice (4 nationwide carriers instead of 3) so that prices don't
increase to unattainable levels.

In no way does this statement address what will happen to our cellular bills.
What will prevent T-Mobile/Sprint from raising its price to match Verizon?
What will prevent Verizon and AT&T from raising their prices further as well?
How high will MVNO prices increase due to this merger?

Right now, Sprint is the lowest cost carrier in the country, and it along with
its MVNOs are a great alternative for many customers. That will go away after
this merger occurs.

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nradov
Sprint is a dead carrier walking. They wasted a fortune years ago on WiMax.
Now they don't have the capital or the subscriber base to build a 5G
nationwide network. This merger is more likely to preserve some real
competition over the long run.

Cheap Sprint MVNO prices aren't much good to the many consumers in areas where
they have shitty coverage. Their network and spectrum is just really weak.

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axaxs
Exactly. In fact, their network is so bad, they've been offering free service
for nearly 2 years now, and still aren't growing...

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tracker1
Given the current FCC Chairman, I cannot bring myself to even look. This
person is definitely not pro-consumer. There are definitely places where
consolidation into a given company can be a positive. I cannot be convinced
that given the actions taken by the telecom industry in the past that any
movement towards more consolidation will be a net positive today and in the
near future.

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tracker1
I had no idea the above comment would be quite so divisive (noting up/down on
points movement). It's simply hard to trust an insider working in the
government given the revolving door that the FCC and other regulating bodies
have been within their respective industries. Combined with a lot of anti-
consumer efforts from the FCC specifically.

I also saw the comment regarding it looking more like a corporate press
release. I'm effectively saying that any trust the FCC Chairman may have had
has, in my mind, been completely eroded to the point that my own bias could
not overcome it.

I'm not sure that even three national carriers is enough with a lack of
collaboration between them. Given the current direction, it'll eventually
become an anti-trust issue anyway.

