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T-Mobile's Metro is launching a 'snackable' video service in February
T-Mobile didn't launch a TV service in 2018, but it will have a little something up its sleeve in the near future. In the wake of a rumor from Cheddar, video provider Xumo has confirmed that it's partnering with the carrier's prepaid Metro brand on a "snackable content app" that would launch on two smartphones in February. The original rumor had named Xumo, but claimed that the product was closer to a TV service and that it would be pre-installed on multiple Samsung phones.
T-Mobile's internet TV box revealed in an FCC filing
T-Mobile is apparently still planning on launching its streaming TV service by the end of this year, and now Variety has spotted this box in an FCC filing. Dubbed the T-Mobile Mini in the document, it can connect via WiFi, Bluetooth or Ethernet, along with a USB port and HDMI in/out.
T-Mobile and Sprint pitch FCC on the merits of their merger
You've heard T-Mobile and Sprint try to sell you on their proposed merger, but it's now regulators' turn to get an earful. The two carriers have submitted their Public Interest Statement to the FCC outlining the claimed benefits of the union, and it won't surprise you to hear that they've portrayed their move as uniformly positive for the country. They're particularly focused on courting cord-cutters -- they see this as a chance to up-end TV and wired broadband at the same time.
T-Mobile will launch a TV service in 2018
You'd think that telecoms would want to bail on conventional TV services given how many people are cutting the cord, but don't tell that to T-Mobile. The carrier has revealed that it's launching a TV service in 2018, and that it has acquired Layer3 TV (a company that integrates TV, streaming and social networking) to make this happen. It claims that it can "uncarrier" TV the way it did with wireless service, and has already targeted a few areas it thinks it can fix: it doesn't like the years-long contracts, bloated bundles, outdated tech and poor customer service that are staples of TV service in the US.
Layer3 vows to fix cable TV, not replace it
The prevailing wisdom among the internet literati is that old-school TV is on the way out. When even the incumbents are catering to cord-cutters, surely internet-only video will be the way of the future, isn't it? Don't tell that to Layer3 TV. It's revealing plans for an upcoming cable TV service that, theoretically, tackles some of the biggest problems you run into with conventional providers like Comcast or Time Warner Cable. For a start, Layer3 wants to avoid the overly compressed video that you typically endure -- it's using efficient HEVC (H.265) encoding and a fiber optic backbone to keep bandwidth use in check and maintain the highest quality possible. You're also promised very precise service appointment windows (within one hour) and set-top box installation so simple that you'll eventually get to do it yourself.
