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NiteSn0w
join:2010-12-24

1 recommendation

NiteSn0w

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Does anyone else smell another Sprint-Nextel catastrophe?

This is going to fail due to both carriers having incompatible voice and data networks/technologies. Unless T-Mobile and MetroPCS start deploying LTE rapidly along side VoLTE there's going to be no benefit for either carrier or their customers.
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx

Member

If I was running the show, I wouldn't be so quick to make enemies with Sprint. They could be a key partner in shutting down MetroPCS's CDMA service quickly and freeing up ex-Metro spectrum for LTE.

MetroPCS already has a roaming agreement with Sprint such that their phones more or less see Sprint as native coverage. TMobile could get the terms of the agreement modified such that ALL CDMA voice and data traffic on MetroPCS would be farmed out to Sprint, removing the need to keep CDMA service going on MetroPCS towers (which can be a bit expensive spectrum-wise, since for a CDMA deployment you need 2.5MHz of paired spectrum including a guard band, and 1.25MHz per additional CDMA channel).

By the time the two companies merge, T-Mobile will probably already have LTE in NYC and Dallas, so that takes care of the data hungry 4G side of MetroPCS devices. At this point, they can turn off the MetroPCS cell sites (which I guarantee they'll do in most cases), remove the equipment and use the spectrum for the T-Mobile LTE network in those markets.

The next step of course is to incentivize current MetroPCS customers, starting with those with CDMA phones, to switch to HSPA T-Mobile phones. The plus side here is that T-Mobile's low-end phones (comparable to MetroPCS CDMA-only phones) will be comparably priced and have access to faster data than MetroPCS phones had (Metro didn't have EvDO in a lot of their footprint). For LTE phones, the push to switch things over will be less swift, as most of their usage will be data, which will already be on T-Mobile.

One thing I expect to come out of this merger is a renewed focus on non-contract plans from T-Mobile. They may just do this under the MetroPCS brand, or retire the MetroPCS brand altogether, but they now have too big of a non-contract base to ignore, like it or not.

j1349705
Premium Member
join:2006-04-15
Holly Springs, NC

j1349705 to NiteSn0w

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to NiteSn0w
said by NiteSn0w:

This is going to fail due to both carriers having incompatible voice and data networks/technologies. Unless T-Mobile and MetroPCS start deploying LTE rapidly along side VoLTE there's going to be no benefit for either carrier or their customers.

Incorrect. AT&T has acquired CDMA carriers (such as certain Alltel areas that Verizon had to divest) and converted them to GSM/UMTS (mostly UMTS). These transitions were very quick. There's no reason why T-Mobile can't do the same thing.

Verizon has acquired GSM carriers and converted them to CDMA in a very short time.

Don't assume that one carrier's inability to handle a merger involving different network technologies applies to the same industry. With Sprint and Nextel, there was a completely different set of issues including questionable management decisions and the desire to keep iDEN around due to its distinct advantages for push to talk services. Management has changed now at Sprint (for the better) and technology has moved on, and other carriers have likely learned from their mistakes.

There's no benefit to leaving MetroPCS CDMA up and running for any longer than required. It isn't a nationwide network, and it will be easy to sell customers new phones over a relatively short period of time. There's nothing that Metro's CDMA can do that can't be done better over UMTS or LTE. Even Metro's LTE isn't very fast in a lot of markets, so the real benefit here is spectrum, which means moving customers over to the T-Mobile network as soon as possible.
PastTense
join:2011-07-06
united state

PastTense

Member

I think both the AT&T and Verizon situations involved situations where the customers acquired were overwhelmingly postpaid customers. For postpaid customers it is reasonable to give them a new phone, since they are under contract and seldom switch. But is anyone going to do this for prepaid customers--like this MetroPCS situation? And if you wait until all the prepaid customers upgrade their phones naturally it is going to be a very long time (particularly since a lot of them are bargain hunters and won't upgrade except for strong reasons).

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5 to NiteSn0w

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to NiteSn0w
said by NiteSn0w:

This is going to fail due to both carriers having incompatible voice and data networks/technologies. Unless T-Mobile and MetroPCS start deploying LTE rapidly along side VoLTE there's going to be no benefit for either carrier or their customers.

The plan to combine networks is very drawn out. Sounds like a failure to me.
»www.theverge.com/2012/10 ··· ion-2015
Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA

1 recommendation

Sammer

Member

said by FFH5:

The plan to combine networks is very drawn out. Sounds like a failure to me.
»www.theverge.com/2012/10 ··· ion-2015

This deal won't close until at least the middle of next year and the plan is shut down the MetroPCS CDMA network by 2015. How is that very drawn out?
tanzam75
join:2012-07-19

tanzam75 to PastTense

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to PastTense
said by PastTense:

And if you wait until all the prepaid customers upgrade their phones naturally it is going to be a very long time (particularly since a lot of them are bargain hunters and won't upgrade except for strong reasons).

According to the Verge, MetroPCS disclosed a 60-65% annual upgrade rate. I don't know what it is for the postpaid carriers -- should be around 50% with a 2-year contract length?

As long as it isn't always the same 60% that upgrades every year, the rollover to the new network will take place largely by natural attrition. Remember that they won't start shutting down the CDMA sites until 2015. Legacy handsets will be down into the 15% range by then.

buddahbless
join:2005-03-21
Premium

buddahbless to Sammer

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to Sammer
said by Sammer:

said by FFH5:

The plan to combine networks is very drawn out. Sounds like a failure to me.
»www.theverge.com/2012/10 ··· ion-2015

This deal won't close until at least the middle of next year and the plan is shut down the MetroPCS CDMA network by 2015. How is that very drawn out?

Agreed this will work out great if done right, this deal is nothing like the sprint/nextel deal, there main problem was trying to integrate 2 different technologies keep both up and running was a nightmare and that was a mess. TMO and Metro have already figured out one network for all customers is the way to go,plain simple and efficient and the lesser of the 2 (metropcs) will shut its network down and migrate everyone over to TMO network, all with letting customers keep there current rate plans and packages ( this could be looked at similarly for Metro pcs as to when ATT turned to into cingular and went from TDMA to GSM).

This may also add a larger coverage footprint with better coverage as areas where Metro currently has towers and TMO does not those will be converted into TMO towers for gsm/hspa/lte use. not to mention in areas where tmo coverage is stretched short if a comparable Metro tower is with in range it will be integrated into the new network Giving customers much better coverage (indoor mostly)which is what TMO customers have complained of for years (due to the high frequency TMO uses), only towers that are directly within a short distance of each other will be shut down.

Now all you need is for TMO-Metro to take advantage of that new coverage area, sure up there network as one, Allow customers to have a broad choice of phones chose LTE for those who want the super high speed data and HSPA for those who don't mind there data a little slower (but still faster than DSL) to see what can be achieved. The combined company (T Mobile Metro?) to run one of those Metro deals but as A special TMO offer of 4 smartphones with unlimited talk, txt, and data ( LTE and/or HSPA) and for the rock bottom price of $100 flat per mth. I only ask one question which im sure would be on the mouths of millions..... WHERE CAN I SIGN UP?
NiteSn0w
join:2010-12-24

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That could make Sprint a ton of money and kill data speeds (they're already horrible I doubt any more load is a good idea) for a lot of Sprint customers. I could see it working out if Sprint was given some PCS Spectrum in the markets where Metro has it. Sprint would have to rush to deploy some sort of AAV or just go forth and push fiber and network vision to all of the towers in the markets where the bulk of their customers are i.e. native coverage.
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx

Member

They already have Network Vision online in DFW, NYC and LA...or parts of it anyway.
NiteSn0w
join:2010-12-24

NiteSn0w to j1349705

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Easy to do when Alltel was mostly ran on CLR spectrum (800MHz) They didn't have to switch all of the towers to GSM/UMTS in a short amount of time they just had to change base stations at enough sites to create coverage. 800MHz goes far so this is fairly easy.

I don't know much about Verizon's conversions but I have heard that Claro in PR has been quite horrible since the merger.
NiteSn0w

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DFW's progress is a joke, NYC is getting there... It's not exactly going quick by any means but it's still making more progress than DFW IIRC. LA has tons of towers so this market will take some time. Then you have Florida, and Michigan one of which is underway (Florida) but I have yet to see any actual numbers/completed sites. I know work in Florida is being done, tons of reports of it to show that, but nothing has gone live as far as I can see.