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T-Mobile says MetroPCS' network transition is ahead of schedule
T-Mobile is more than a little eager to justify its acquisition of MetroPCS. To its relief, there's early evidence that the money was well spent: it says that MetroPCS' switch to a blend of HSPA+ and LTE is ahead of schedule, and it cites the just-started Bring Your Own Phone program as proof. The bigger carrier is already planning to expand MetroPCS' device mix, too. In addition to the recent launches of the Galaxy Exhibit and Optimus L9, T-Mobile's refreshed Galaxy S III is due on June 17th. We won't declare the transition a resounding success just yet, however -- when T-Mobile only expects to finish converting MetroPCS customers by 2015, there's still a lot of ground left to cover. [Image credit: Jim Carroll, Flickr]
MetroPCS launches GSM-based Bring Your Own Phone service in four cities
We'd heard rumors that T-Mobile would take advantage of its MetroPCS deal to offer bring-your-own-device service to more customers, and it isn't letting us down with the launch of MetroPCS' Bring Your Own Phone. Much like T-Mobile itself, MetroPCS can now offer its plans to customers with unlocked GSM phones. Don't be too quick to hop aboard, however. Only those in Boston, Dallas, Hartford and Las Vegas can switch service right away, and the carrier's official support is limited to Android, iPhone and Windows Phone devices. Should everything line up, though, Bring Your Own Phone is available today.
MetroPCS to start using T-Mobile's network and GSM handsets June 12th
And so it begins. With T-Mobile recently closing the deal to acquire MetroPCS, it was only a matter of time before we'd see more commingling. PhoneArena's uncovered yesterday that MetroPCS is about start using T-Mobile's network and GSM handsets. Two phones which are currently available on T-Mobile -- the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Exhibit (a Galaxy S III mini clone) and the LG Optimus L9 -- are making their way to MetroPCS, complete with GSM / EDGE and AWS-capable UMTS / HSPA+ radios (no LTE). Pricing for these devices is still unknown, but the company's expected to begin selling plans on T-Mobile's network as soon a June 12th. In addition, a service called BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone) will allow customers to bring their own GSM handsets to MetroPCS (excluding BlackBerry models). It's unclear if eligible devices have to be unlocked and / or T-Mobile branded but we'll find out soon enough. So there you have it -- the start of a perfect honeymoon.
Editor's Letter: Welcome to May
In each issue of Distro, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news. A bit of a lull this week ahead of what is shaping up to be an insane May -- and perhaps an even crazier June. We have events stacked three-deep at times, with industry ones like Google I/O, BlackBerry World, CTIA and SID Display Week looming along with private ones like Microsoft's next-generation Xbox unveiling. Next month? WWDC and the Electronic Entertainment Expo, just to name a few. Giddyup. This week, we got what should be the final dredges of first-quarter earnings, with Facebook reporting $1.46 billion in revenue. That's a 38 percent increase over this quarter last year and a healthy $312 million in profit. Daily active users are also up, from 526 million to 665 million and, perhaps most importantly, Facebook managed to increase the performance of its mobile ads. That will be the key to its long-term success.
It's official: T-Mobile closes deal to acquire MetroPCS
T-Mobile has been slowly inching closer to closing its acquisition deal with MetroPCS, and the day for inking that contract is finally here. Less than a week after MetroPCS shareholders approved the merger, which would give them a total cash payment of $1.5 billion, the deal is done, and T-Mo is a publicly traded company. In addition to giving Deutsche Telekom a 74 percent stake in the new company, the deal will bring nine million new prepaid customers to T-Mobile. According to the Uncarrier's President and CEO, the network would "continue our legacy of marketplace innovation by tearing up the old playbook and rewriting the rules of wireless to benefit consumers." T-Mobile plans to keep the MetroPCS brand, holding on to its retail outlets too, pitching to different demographics with the two carriers, according to AllThingsD. MetroPCS broke the news to its customers first through Facebook, although Big Magenta followed swiftly with the official press release -- you'll find that right after the break.
MetroPCS reveals Q1 earnings, will make T-Mobile merger official April 30th
By now, you're probably aware that MetroPCS shareholders voted in favor of a merger with T-Mobile, and with regulatory red tape out of the way, both companies are now set to become one on April 30th. Now, MetroPCS has laid its Q1 2013 financials bare, which provides us with an excellent peek at T-Mobile's future partner. First off, the company is making money, and its operational income is actually rising, but it's also dealing with increased costs from loans, taxes and the like. Overall, MetroPCS reported a net income of $19.4 million for the first quarter, which is down from $21 million just one year ago. Speaking of loans, MetroPCS has a ton of them. Its liabilities now sit at $10.3 billion, and its managed to take on $3.4 billion in financing during the last year alone. From a balance sheet perspective, 75 percent of the company's assets exist as debt, and this is a burden that T-Mobile must now take on. Naturally, much of this merger was in effort to score additional spectrum, but Ms. Magenta also stands to gain 9 million new customers once the deal completes, 39 percent of which are LTE subscribers. Better yet, with a churn rate of 2.9 percent, they're sticking around now more than any previous time in company history.
MetroPCS shareholders vote to approve T-Mobile merger
It hit a few snags along the way, but T-Mobile's merger with MetroPCS now appears to be all but a done deal. Bloomberg is reporting that MetroPCS shareholders voted to approve the deal this morning, following a recommendation from two previously opposed shareholder advisory firms that the merger be approved last week -- and approval from the board before that. According to Bloomberg, the final terms of the deal give T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom a 74 percent stake in the new company, with MetroPCS shareholders receiving a $1.5 billion cash payment. Most notably for T-Mobile, the deal brings nine million new prepaid customers into the fold, as well as the all-important wireless spectrum that MetroPCS currently owns.
MetroPCS board approves Deutsche Telekom's merger offer, urges shareholders to do the same
After delaying a vote on T-Mobile's final merger bid a few days ago, MetroPCS' board of directors has voiced unanimous approval and is encouraging shareholders to vote yes as well. Deutsche Telekom's offer would reduce MetroPCS' debt by $3.8 billion as well as slash the interest rate on that debt by half a point. These measures should increase both the carrier's overall value and cash flow -- hopefully that will help in building out LTE more quickly. For folks fearing that T-Mo will suffer from buyer's remorse, don't. The offer also stipulates that Deutsche Telekom will refrain from selling its shares in the combined company for 18 months. It remains to be seen if stock owners will be convinced enough to vote yes on April 23rd; and so the saga continues.
T-Mobile improves its bid for MetroPCS, prompts MetroPCS to delay its vote
While executives at T-Mobile and MetroPCS may be ready to close their merger, some shareholders aren't -- major advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services has been recommending that MetroPCS investors vote against the deal unless T-Mobile can sweeten the pot. Consider it sweetened. T-Mobile's parent Deutsche Telekom has made a "final offer" that would slash the debt owed by the post-merger company by $3.8 billion (to $11.2 billion), reduce the interest rate on that debt by half a point and prevent Deutsche Telekom from selling its shares in the merged firm for 18 months, rather than the original six. The reshuffled finances may not sound very exciting on the surface, but they're enough to put MetroPCS in a tizzy: the carrier is delaying a shareholder vote on the deal from April 12th to the 24th to allow for some reevaluations. There's no guarantees that the new offer is enough to please the naysayers. Still, we'd venture that T-Mobile will get a warmer reaction than the last time it tried a corporate alliance.
Samsung Galaxy S 4 hits the FCC in MetroPCS and Sprint forms
Get ready for a small deluge of Galaxy S 4 filings at the FCC in the near future. Just a couple of weeks after Samsung's flagship hit the US agency in its international guise, we're now seeing the first US editions of the smartphone receive approval, starting with both MetroPCS (SCH-R970) and Sprint (SPH-L720) examples. Either has CDMA, EV-DO and LTE, although there's variances you'll want to watch for if you're free to choose between carriers: the Sprint version has HSPA 3G for world roaming, while the MetroPCS model drops HSPA but has a broad four bands of LTE meant mostly to support other mid-size American networks, like US Cellular. We still have AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon to go among the bigger US providers supporting the GS4, although it's just a matter of time before their models make FCC appearances.
MetroPCS boosts budget LTE lineup with the Huawei Premia 4G, a 4-inch, ICS handset for $149
All signs point toward the T-Mobile / MetroPCS merger becoming a formal thing pretty soon, but the Wireless for All carrier isn't wasting any time and is now welcoming yet another budget smartphone with LTE to its hefty mobile arsenal. And while the newly announced Huawei Premia 4G might not be amongst MetroPCS' better-specced handsets, its 4-inch (800 x 480) display, 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB RAM and 5-megapixel rear shooter will certainly make this Ice Cream Sandwich slab a relatively solid option at $149. So, those looking for some LTE love without having to break the bank, someone's calling your name -- and, starting today, you can snag one of these Huawei Premia 4Gs in-store or via the MetroPCS site linked below.
T-Mobile's LTE ambitions get real: network expansion, the BlackBerry Z10 and an OTA update for the Galaxy Note II
AT&T's failed acquisition was the best thing to ever happen to T-Mobile. As a consequence of the failed merger, the fourth place wireless carrier received AWS spectrum in over 100 markets, a cash payout in the billions and an extensive roaming agreement with Ma Bell. All of which pushed the last place carrier into a stronger competitive standing. Now, as it nears the completion of a merger of its own devising with MetroPCS, the operator's gearing up to make good on its LTE promise. Starting today, an over-the-air update will begin rolling out to existing Galaxy Note II handsets that enables the previously dormant LTE radio. Which, if you've been keeping close tabs on Magenta's LTE plans, falls right on schedule with its previously announced 2013 deployment timeline.
Refresh Roundup: week of March 4th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
DOJ lets waiting period expire on T-Mobile / MetroPCS merger, hints it's good to go
We're sure that MetroPCS and T-Mobile USA executives were on pins and needles wondering whether or not their proposed merger would clear all the regulatory hurdles. While they're not officially free and clear, the Department of Justice has given a strong hint that the carrier union will go through. The government branch just let the mandatory waiting period expire without raising any objections; if it had thought there were serious antitrust issues, it would have piped up by now. Before anyone pops the champagne corks, though, there's still a number of formalities -- the Committee on Foreign Investment, the FCC and the companies' shareholders still need to sign off on the deal, which could take weeks or longer. Considering the troubles T-Mobile had the last time it tried a merger, though, waiting will seem like a walk in the park.
MetroPCS widens Rich Communications Services to all North American carriers
There's been a degree of irony to MetroPCS' support for Rich Communication Services when it's been limited to the one carrier's network in the US -- where's that universal chat and sharing we were promised? The carrier plans to live up to those lofty expectations with word that its Jibe Mobile-developed Joyn service will talk to devices on any North American carrier that supports the spec. That currently doesn't equate to ubiquitous access when RCS isn't widespread, but it's a start. We'll just have to wait for the expanded service to deploy later this year, and for more hardware to hit the streets.
MetroPCS rakes in $1.3 billion for Q4 2012 thanks to 2.2 million new LTE customers
Over a quarter of MetroPCS' customer base is now on LTE (26 percent), and the company made $1.3 billion in revenue for Q4 and $5.1 billion total in 2012 as a result, it said. Though revenue was down for Q4 over last year to $122 million compared to $215 million for Q4 2011, profits were up year-over-year by 10 percent to $824 million, and the company said it made a record $1.5 billion EBITDA (before taxes, etc.) The company attributes that in part to a 2.2 million LTE subscriber bump, an increase of 117 percent over Q3 2012, but indicated that it lost 93 thousand subscribers total over the same period. It added that churn (customers leaving to other carriers) fell to 3.4 percent, its lowest level ever. Meanwhile, the carrier said it's proposed Deutsche Telecom-backed merger with T-Mobile is moving along swimmingly with a definitive proposal filed yesterday. It anticipates "closing the transaction in early April" ahead of schedule, which it says would make MetroPCS "the leading value wireless carrier in the United States."
LG Spirit 4G arrives on MetroPCS, delivers 4.5-inch display and ICS to the budget-minded crowd
We are definitely no strangers to seeing MetroPCS bring well-priced, decently-specced Android handsets to market, and we have a feeling that's something potential and current subscribers certainly appreciate. Because, well, who doesn't like choice? With today's LG Spirit 4G launch, MetroPCS continues to expand its LTE-at-a-bargain ideals, announcing a smartphone that carries some pretty decent specs for being contract-free and costing a mere 269 bucks. Naturally, the 4.5-inch, 960 x 540 display is among the Spirit's main highlights, but there's also an unspecified 1.2GHz, dual-core CPU, a 5-megapixel rear shooter capable of 1080p video, and Ice Cream Sandwich, to boot. The carrier's quick to point out that its newly introduced slab is a follow-up to that LG Motion 4G we saw last year, and that it's compatible with those LTE plans which were unveiled earlier this month. It's worth noting that while the LG Spirit 4G's official MSRP is $269, MetroPCS will have it up for grabs, starting today, at the cheaper price of $199 -- that, of course, after a beloved mail-in rebate and for "a limited time" only. You'll find a couple more press shots after the break, and be sure to hit the source link if you're interested in grabbing one of these for yourself.
Rhapsody and MetroPCS announce new $5 unlimited on-demand plan for monthly subscribers
In a move that could be considered slightly similar to what Muvu's been doing with Cricket, Rhapsody announced today it's teamed up with MetroPCS to bring a more desirable music plan to the carrier's subscribers. What this means, essentially, is that MetroPCS customers can now pay an extra $5 per month on their plan to stream as many on-demand tunes as possible from Rhapsody's extensive repertoire, so long as it's one of those recently introduced "simpler" deals. Naturally, how much music folks can stream will also depend on which month-to-month plan they are on, but the $5 monthly Rhapsody subscription is set to be the same across MetroPCS' $40, $50 and $60 plans. According to Rhapsody's president, Jon Irwin, the MetroPCS partnership was a no-brainer, as he believes it will be "instrumental in the growth of the on-demand streaming music business," adding that the service is "eager to continue to bring new offers to customers that benefit all parts of the digital music value chain."
MetroPCS unveils 'simpler' 4G plans with unlimited data for $60
MetroPCS has just announced new 4G LTE data plans for those who don't want to keep one eye on data usage or try to decipher the complexity of other offerings. You'll get unlimited talk and text with all three, and unlimited, 2.5GB and 500MB of 4G LTE hustle for $60, $50 and $40 respectively, all taxes in. You'll be able add a matching 4G device with the plan starting at less than a hundred bills up to the $499 Galaxy S III -- even the thickest of us can grasp all that. Check the source for more info.
MetroPCS intros 4-inch ZTE Avid 4G, brings LTE and ICS for a mere $149
Despite announcing a couple of budget-friendly handset options in recent months, it's clear MetroPCS doesn't plan to stay put, as the company today let it be known that it's making yet another addition to its affordable Android lineup. And while the newfangled Avid 4G will come on the cheap, it could still be seen as a much better choice than that other pricier ZTE offering on MetroPCS -- albeit the former is carrying a slightly smaller 4-inch, 800 x 480 display, though it does come with a similar (unspecified) 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and a much fresher version of Google's OS (Ice Cream Sandwich). In addition, ZTE's Avid 4G also features a 5-megapixel camera on the back (VGA on the front), the ability to turn into a mobile hotspot with a few extra bucks per month and, naturally, LTE connectivity. For the relatively small amount of $149, and without any contracts attached, it wouldn't surprise us if the new Wireless for All smartphone on the block ends up gift wrapped in some places come next week's festivities. Speaking of which, folks interested can snag the Avid 4G now from the carrier's site, otherwise a quick trip to the nearest MetroPCS retail store should suffice.
