T-Mobile USA
Encyclopedia
T-Mobile USA, Inc. is an American mobile-network operator
, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington
, that provides wireless voice, messaging and data services in the United States, Puerto Rico
and the U.S. Virgin Islands
. The company is the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. market with 33.73 million customers and annual revenues of US$21.35 billion. , J.D. Power and Associates
, a global marketing-information-services firm, ranked the company highest among major wireless carriers for retail-store satisfaction four years consecutively and highest for wireless customer care two years consecutively.
The company traces its roots to the 1994 establishment of VoiceStream Wireless PCS
, originally a subsidiary of Western Wireless Corporation
. Western Wireless spun off VoiceStream Wireless to shareholders in 1999, creating a public independent company, VoiceStream Wireless Corporation. In July 2002, VoiceStream Wireless Corporation was renamed T-Mobile USA, Inc. which operates as the U.S. operating entity of T-Mobile International AG
, the mobile-communications holding company and subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom
.
On March 20, 2011, Deutsche Telekom accepted a US$39 billion stock and cash purchase offer for the company from AT&T Inc.
If completed, the acquisition would create the largest wireless carrier in the U.S., with nearly 130 million customers. The deal is pending regulatory and legal approval, but is facing significant hurdles that could prevent the merger's completion.
. Spun off from parent Western Wireless on May 3, 1999, VoiceStream Wireless was purchased by DT in 2001 for US$35 billion and re-named T-Mobile USA, Inc. in July, 2002.
brand.
VoiceStream Wireless was a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Wireless until December 1997, when U.S. federal regulators granted Western Wireless' request to exceed a foreign ownership cap. The waiver allowed Hong Kong
-based Hutchison Whampoa
to buy a 19.9 percent stake in the VoiceStream Wireless subsidiary.
On May 3, 1999, Western Wireless spun off
its VoiceStream Wireless division to Western Wireless shareholders, creating an independent, publicly traded Delaware
corporation called VoiceStream Wireless Corporation. Shares of VoiceStream Wireless traded on the NASDAQ
under the stock ticker symbol VSTR. The spin off was intended to remove any conglomerate discount, get better value recognition for each of Western Wireless' core analog cellular and digital PCS networks and help each business pursue independent strategies.
, was acquired on February 25, 2000, and Aerial Communications, Inc., a regional network operator in the Midwestern U.S.
, was acquired on May 4, 2000. The combined company retired the Omnipoint and Aerial brands and completed integrating the three companies by converting to a single customer billing platform, implementing standard business practices and launching the VoiceStream brand and "GET MORE" marketing strategy in all markets.
regional GSM network operator Powertel, Inc.
for US$24 billion. By the end of 2001, VoiceStream Wireless had 19,000 employees serving 7 million subscribers.
In July 2002, VoiceStream Wireless Inc. took its current name, T-Mobile USA, Inc. and began rolling out the T-Mobile brand, starting with locations in California and Nevada. T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. operating entity of T-Mobile International AG
, the mobile communications subsidiary of DT.
for US$2.4 billion; the acquisition closed on February 22, 2008. By September 8, 2008, SunCom's operations were integrated with those of the company. The acquisition added SunCom's 1.1 million customers to the company's customer base and expanded the company's network coverage to include North Carolina
, South Carolina
, eastern Tennessee
, northeastern Georgia
, Puerto Rico
and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
for the company. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals, a reverse breakup fee in certain circumstances, and customary regulatory and closing conditions.
According to an industry analyst, after the introduction of the iPhone
in 2007, the company began to lose contract customers, dropping to 78 percent of subscribers in 2010, compared to 85 percent in 2006. Its high churn rate of 3.2 percent, compared to 1.2 percent at Verizon Wireless
and AT&T Mobility, and the drop in contract customers made the needed investments in network upgrades and additional spectrum too risky, reinforcing DT's decision to sell.
Randall Stephenson, the chairman and chief executive officer of AT&T Inc., expressed his confidence in the deal being approved based on the benefit to the public of expanding wireless access and relatively robust competition in the wireless market. The Alliance for Digital Equality, the Hispanic Federation, the National Black Chamber of Commerce
and California Democratic representatives Loretta Sanchez
and Joe Baca
all support the deal. Consumer groups Public Knowledge
, Media Access Project
and Consumer's Union and the Computer & Communication Industry Association oppose the deal. Opposition groups have stated numerous concerns with industry consolidation resulting in a reduction in competition and job losses.
If the merger is completed, AT&T Mobility would have a customer base of approximately 130 million users, making AT&T Mobility the largest wireless carrier in the U.S.
On August 31, 2011, the United States Department of Justice
sued to block AT&T's merger with T-Mobile on the grounds that it would “substantially lessen competition” in the wireless market.
Further reports indicate that the FCC is likely opposed to the merger.
(Personal Communications Service) digital cellular network
and a 1700 MHz/2100 MHz UMTS
AWS
(Advanced Wireless Services) digital cellular network that cover areas of the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It provides coverage in areas in which it does not own radio frequency
spectrum licenses via roaming agreements with other operators of compatible networks.
In addition to its cellular mobile network, the company operates a nationwide Wi-Fi
Internet access network under the T-Mobile HotSpots brand. The T-Mobile HotSpots network consists of thousands of Wi-Fi access points installed in businesses, hotels and airports throughout the U.S.
, 1900 MHz GSM, circuit switched, digital cellular network in 1994 and first offered service in 1996 in Honolulu, Hawaii
, and Salt Lake City, Utah
. From that starting point, the network has expanded in size through acquisitions of other cellular-network operators and additional spectrum purchases. The network has expanded in capabilities through the introduction of new technologies. VoiceStream upgraded the 1900 MHz network to include packet switching via General Packet Radio Service
(GPRS), then increased packet switched data transmission speeds via Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution
(EDGE). In 2006, the company spent US$4.2 billion to purchase 120 D, E or F block 1700 MHz/2100 MHz AWS licenses and began rolling out 3G
UMTS services in those frequency bands. Most recent, the company has been upgrading network equipment and back-haul capabilities to enable first HSPA
(High Speed Packet Access), then HSPA+
(Evolved HSPA) services in the AWS bands. It is marketing its HSPA+ services as 4G
.
As of 2010, the company's network reached over 293 million potential subscribers.
(GPRS). Packet-switched data speeds increased when Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution
(EDGE) was incorporated into the network. EDGE coverage is available within at least forty percent of the GSM footprint.
Both voice capacity and packet-switched data speeds improved when 3G Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
(UMTS) equipment was installed in the network. On January 5, 2010, the company announced that it has upgraded its entire 3G network to HSPA 7.2 Mbit/s, an improvement from its previous peak of 3.6 Mbit/s. It also said that it plans to be the first U.S. carrier to deploy HSPA+
across its network by mid 2010. The company has finished HSPA+ trials in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, and has begun deploying HSPA+ across its network. HSPA+ 42 Mbit/s service is now available to over 200 million potential subscribers. T-Mobile is marketing its HSPA+ services as 4G.
(FCC) auctioned licenses in the first Advanced Wireless Services
band. This band was an area of wireless spectrum
, half in the 1700 MHz (1.7 GHz
) and half in the 2100 MHz (2.1 GHz
) frequencies, that was already in use by government services. The spectrum was planned to become available after the government users migrated to different frequencies.
The auction made numerous licenses available in overlapping market-areas, economic-areas, and regional levels. Each license was individually bid upon, and T-Mobile USA was the winner in 120 license auctions, at an aggregate price of $4.18 billion. As part of its winnings, T-Mobile USA gained nationwide coverage of 1.7 GHz and 2.1 GHz, with numerous areas being supplemented with addition licenses. Examples include New York City
, Chicago
, and Boston
where T-Mobile USA acquired one-third (33 percent) of the available spectrum, or San Francisco, Houston, and Miami where they acquired 45 percent of the available spectrum.
October 6, 2006, two weeks after confirming its winning bids, the company announced its intentions to create a UMTS third-generation, or 3G
, cellular network with the spectrum it had won. It said it would utilize and build on the experience of T-Mobile International's European subsidiaries, which already implemented 3G networks. At the time of initial roll-out, the company intended to offer 7.2 Mbit/s service, making the company's 3G network the fastest in the U.S. The upgrade was forecast to cost $2.6 billion, in addition to the $4.12 billion spent to acquire the spectrum licenses.
In an October 6 announcement, the company indicated it had already begun to deploy about half of the upgraded equipment, beginning in major markets such as New York City. With the equipment in place, it would be able to activate its network as soon as the government agencies vacated the spectrum. The company had hoped to have its network activated by mid-2007, but as of September 2007, the government users had not vacated the AWS
band.
The company began selling its first 3G-capable phone, the Nokia 6263, in November 2007 and announced in February 2008 that its 3G network would finally be activated "within the next few months". and released in the New York City market on May 1, 2008.
To date, the company has launched its 3G network in most of its top markets. Additional markets will launch as they are tuned for optimal performance and in conjunction with marketing programs for new services or handsets. In 2009, the company upgraded more than 200 markets, covering some 208 million points of presence (POPS).
launched the N900, which was the first device to support HSPA 10.2.
On June 28, 2010, the company announced that it will begin to upgrade the network from HSPA+ 21 to HSPA+ 42 beginning sometime in 2011.
The company operates a nationwide Wi-Fi Internet access network under the T-Mobile HotSpots brand. The T-Mobile HotSpots network consists of thousands of Wi-Fi access points installed in businesses, hotels and airports throughout the U.S.
The T-Mobile HotSpot service offers access to a nationwide network of approximately 8,350 access points, installed in venues such as Starbucks
coffeehouses, FedEx Office
Office and Print Centers, Hyatt
hotels and resorts, Red Roof Inns, Sofitel
hotels, Novotel
hotels, the airline clubs of American Airlines
, Delta Air Lines
, United Airlines
and US Airways
, and airports.
The T-Mobile HotSpots network can be traced to the company's 2002 purchase of bankrupt wireless ISP MobileStar
, which began building its network in 1998. After completing the purchase, the company expanded the network into 400 Borders
bookstores, as well as 100 of the most-frequented airport clubs and lounges operated by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.
Family Plans:
Classic Data Plans
All Classic plans include unlimited nights & weekends. Unlimited Nights starts on Mon-Fri from 9:00 P.M. to 6:59 A.M., Unlimited Weekends starts on Sat-Sun from 12:00 A.M. to 11:59 A.M.
Customer qualifies for a subsidized, discounted handset and are required to enter into a two-year contract.
Family Plans:
Value Data Plans
All Value plans include unlimited nights & weekends. Unlimited Nights starts on Mon-Fri from 9:00 P.M. to 6:59 A.M., Unlimited Weekends starts on Sat-Sun from 12:00 A.M. to 11:59 A.M.
Customer does not qualifies for a subsidized, discounted handset and are required to enter into a two-year contract. The Value plans is different from the classic plan as the discounts are not focused on the device itself, but rather on the plan, customers can either use their own mobile phone or purchase an unsubsidized handset from the company at full retail price and making payments in installments.
Mobile Broadband Classic Plans:
Mobile Broadband Value Plans:
Mobile Broadband Value Plans qualifies for a US$10.00 monthly discount (Must have active T-Mobile postpaid/flexpay voice line on the same account to qualify).
(a subsidiary of AT&T Mobility), Dobson Cellular
(a subsidiary of AT&T Mobility), and Rural Cellular Corporation
(a subsidiary of Verizon Wireless) and with the national mobile network operators AT&T Mobility and the former Alltel Corporation
(a subsidiary of Verizon Wireless) GSM network.
These carriers predominately provided service using the GSM 850 MHz band, and a dual-band phone is required to use both the native and affiliate networks. When roaming on these affiliated networks, airtime is deducted from the user's plan, effectively expanding T-Mobile USA's nationwide coverage.
As of 2008, prepaid customers have almost all of the postpaid domestic roaming privileges and restricted international roaming to Canada and Mexico.
On June 29, 2010, the company launched voice service in the Gulf of Mexico
on GSM via roaming agreement through BroadPoint Communications
. T-Mobile USA was scheduled to launch data service in Fall 2010.
While international roaming is available to most customers, the service must first be activated by contacting customer service. Once international roaming is provisioned on a customer's line, there is no monthly fee to maintain the service.
In 2009, T-Mobile USA began removing AT&T Mobility roaming coverage in many locations across the country, and updated its on-line coverage maps to reflect the smaller coverage area. AT&T Mobility roaming remains available in select locations, primarily on smaller carriers that were acquired by AT&T Mobility after long term roaming contracts were in place between T-Mobile and the smaller carriers, including Centennial Wireless and Edge Wireless.
annual awards in the areas of retail sales satisfaction, wireless customer care, and overall customer satisfaction. In 2011, J.D. Power and Associates stated that T-Mobile retail stores achieved the highest ratings among major wireless carriers for customer satisfaction for the fourth consecutive year, performing particularly well in price and promotions. Also in 2011, J.D. Power and Associates ranked T-Mobile USA highest among major providers in wireless customer care for the second consecutive year.
announced on October 10 that data "almost certainly has been lost as a result of a server failure at Microsoft/Danger." On October 15, Microsoft said it had been able to recover most or all data and would begin to restore it. A few weeks later, all Sidekick customers were able to recover their data via Danger's sync website using a restore file, or had the option to wait until data was restored to the device itself. Due to this outage, many users abandoned the Sidekick for another device, or left T-Mobile USA for another carrier entirely.
. The company confirmed the outage via Twitter
and later stated that five percent of its user base had been affected. It blamed a software error for the service interruption, stating that a backend system software error had generated abnormal congestion on the network.
who was the main figure in its branding strategy. As of September 2006, Zeta-Jones had officially been dropped as the "face" of the company for its advertising campaigns due to a corporate rebranding strategy. The company also relied on rapper Snoop Dogg
as the spokesperson for its T-Mobile Sidekick
in a series of commercials late in 2004, the company also released a series of Sidekick phones known as the D-Wade Edition for basketball player Dwyane Wade
.
The company is also an official sponsor of the National Basketball Association
, the NBA Rookie Challenge
and the Women's National Basketball Association
.
In 2009, it changed its approach to advertising, and moved from the "Get More" slogan to a "Stick Together" slogan to focus more on the personal aspect of staying together with those who matter the most to its customers. With this the company also ended its relationship with Zeta-Jones, and now use mainly non-celebrity spokespeople (though Dwyane Wade, Charles Barkley
, and Dwight Howard
are featured in some commercials, in association with the company's sponsorship of the NBA as official wireless provider).
In late May 2009, Zeta-Jones was brought back as a company spokesperson to show customers how to pay less for their wireless plan in a new "Mobile Makeovers" advertising campaign that refers customer to third-party comparison site BillShrink.com.
In late 2009, commercials for the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G
featured the song "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out
" by Cat Stevens
and celebrities such as Chevy Chase
, Molly Shannon
, Dana Carvey
and Darrell Hammond
. Another commercial with the same song performed by a different artist showed Wyclef Jean
, Avril Lavigne
and Brad Paisley
.
Carly Foulkes
is the spokeswoman for the myTouch 4G in commercials that parody the Get a Mac
campaign. The model is known for Rugby Ralph Lauren
ads.
Although Foulkes is often identified with the color pink, T-mobile actually has a color trademark for the color magenta
, and markets itself using its corporate colors.
Virgin Mobile
has, in turn, parodied the Carly Foulkes ads.
In September 2010, the company launched "Kids are free till 2012" for family lines.
(CWA).
formed a joint union for T-Mobile workers named TU
. The organization was formed with the goal of overcoming the double standard of DT recognizing unionization efforts in Germany but discouraging similar efforts in the U.S. As of 2011, no T-Mobile USA work groups have elected TU as their representative.
In a March 13, 2009, letter, U.S. Senator John Kerry
(D-MA) asked "why the company's approach to labor rights are different in Germany than in the United States". In an April 30, 2010, letter sent after lobbying by Communications Workers of America activists, 26 Democratic members of Congress called on DT to protect and respect workers' rights in the U.S. A separate July 1, 2010, letter from seven Republicans addressed the same issue. On August 10, 2010, U.S. Senator Bob Casey
(D-PA) released a statement in support of the worker's efforts to organize a union at the company. In a letter, dated September 21, 2010, fifteen Californian Members of Congress urged Obermann to take action and implement fair and equitable labor relations
.
In a November 5, 2009, letter, Thomas DiNapoli
, New York State Comptroller
and Trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund, stated concerns about "the potential impact on the value of T-Mobile that may result from a disenfranchised workforce and the associated negative publicity that may impact T-Mobile's profitability."
published a report written by Prof. John Logan, Director of Labor Studies at San Francisco State University
, titled "Lowering the Bar or Setting the Standard? Deutsche Telekom's U.S. Labor Practices". The report details behavior by the company that the author perceives as anti-union including dissemination of anti-union materials, intimidation and threats directed at pro-union workers, "captive audience meetings" and the retention of anti-union specialists. In the report, which is based on documents from the National Labor Relations Board
, internal company memos and handbooks, and interviews with workers, Logan asserts that the company engaged in a systematic campaign to prevent employees from forming a union and that DT was guilty of operating by a double standard. Deutsche Telekom respects workers' rights in Germany, where it cooperates closely with unions, but mistreats workers in the United States and interferes with their right to organize".
On September 2, 2010, Human Rights Watch
released a report written by Lance Compa titled "A Strange Case: Violations of Workers' Freedom of Association in the United States by European Multinational Corporations". The report concludes that "company policy has translated into practices that leave the workforce fearful about even seeking union representation." DT proclaims its adherence to international labor law and standards that are embodied in German domestic laws. But HRW found that "T-Mobile USA's harsh opposition to workers' freedom of association in the United States betrays Deutsche Telekom's purported commitment to social responsibility, impedes constructive dialogue with employee representatives, and in several cases, has violated ILO
and OECD labor and human rights standards".
, Pennsylvania
, call center, security guards were ordered by company managers to write up incident reports whenever union supporters appeared on nearby public grounds and to record the license plate numbers of employees who stopped to take leaflets. In 2006, the National Labor Relations Board
found these activities to be in violation of Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act
.
In 2008, company management in the Pacific Northwest and Southwest Retail Divisions sent a memorandum to store managers instructing them to immediately report any union activity to their supervisors. Human Rights Watch states, "The NLRB has long held that such activity interferes with, restrains, and coerces employees in the exercise of Section 7 rights in violation of workers' right to freedom of association."
Nicolas Jacobsen had been charged with intruding into the company's internal network. Reports indicated that for about a year he had access to customer passwords, address books, Social Security number
s, birth dates, and Sidekick
photos but not credit-card numbers. He was also able to read customer e-mail including that of the U.S. Secret Service
. He was identified by a Secret Service informant as part of "Operation Firewall" who provided evidence that Jacobsen had attempted to sell customer information to others for identity theft. The company and the Secret Service did not elaborate on the methods Jacobsen used to gain access but sources close to the case indicated that an unpatched flaw in the Oracle WebLogic Server
application software used by the company was the weakness he exploited. Additional SQL injection
vulnerabilities with the company's web site were reported by Jack Koziol of the InfoSec Institute.
An additional security flaw with its voice-mail system password-less login feature exposes the customer's voice mails to third-parties through Caller ID spoofing
. The company recommends that this feature not be used but still offers it by default due to customer demand.
On June 6, 2009, a message posted from an email account "pwnmobile_at_Safe-mail.net" to the Full Disclosure mailing list claimed that the company's network had been breached and showed sample data. The sender offered "databases, confidential documents, scripts and programs from their servers, financial documents up to 2009" to the highest bidder. On June 9, the company issued a statement confirming the breach but stating that customer data was safe. It claimed to have identified the source document for the sample data and believe it was not obtained by hacking. A later statement claimed that there was not any evidence of a breach.
Mobile network operator
A mobile network operator , also known as mobile phone operator , carrier service provider , wireless service provider, wireless carrier, or cellular company, or mobile network carrier is a telephone company that provides services for mobile phone subscribers.One essential...
, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
, that provides wireless voice, messaging and data services in the United States, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and the U.S. Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
. The company is the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. market with 33.73 million customers and annual revenues of US$21.35 billion. , J.D. Power and Associates
J.D. Power and Associates
J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services firm founded in 1968 by James David Power III. The firm conducts surveys of customer satisfaction, product quality, and buyer behavior for industries ranging from cars to marketing and advertising firms. The firm is best known for...
, a global marketing-information-services firm, ranked the company highest among major wireless carriers for retail-store satisfaction four years consecutively and highest for wireless customer care two years consecutively.
The company traces its roots to the 1994 establishment of VoiceStream Wireless PCS
VoiceStream Wireless
VoiceStream Wireless Inc. traces it roots to the 1994 establishment of VoiceStream Wireless PCS as a subsidiary of Western Wireless Corporation. On May 3, 1999, Western Wireless Corporation spun off its VoiceStream Wireless PCS subsidiary to Western Wireless shareholders, creating an independent,...
, originally a subsidiary of Western Wireless Corporation
Western Wireless Corporation
Western Wireless Corporation was a cellular network operator that provided mobile telecommunications service to subscribers in 19 western states and seven countries. Western Wireless marketed analog cellular service under the CELLULAR ONE brand in 88 FCC-defined rural service areas and digital PCS...
. Western Wireless spun off VoiceStream Wireless to shareholders in 1999, creating a public independent company, VoiceStream Wireless Corporation. In July 2002, VoiceStream Wireless Corporation was renamed T-Mobile USA, Inc. which operates as the U.S. operating entity of T-Mobile International AG
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
, the mobile-communications holding company and subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom AG is a telecommunications company headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It is the largest telecommunications company in Europe....
.
On March 20, 2011, Deutsche Telekom accepted a US$39 billion stock and cash purchase offer for the company from AT&T Inc.
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
If completed, the acquisition would create the largest wireless carrier in the U.S., with nearly 130 million customers. The deal is pending regulatory and legal approval, but is facing significant hurdles that could prevent the merger's completion.
History
T-Mobile USA, Inc. traces its roots to the 1994 establishment of VoiceStream Wireless PCS as a subsidiary of Western Wireless CorporationWestern Wireless Corporation
Western Wireless Corporation was a cellular network operator that provided mobile telecommunications service to subscribers in 19 western states and seven countries. Western Wireless marketed analog cellular service under the CELLULAR ONE brand in 88 FCC-defined rural service areas and digital PCS...
. Spun off from parent Western Wireless on May 3, 1999, VoiceStream Wireless was purchased by DT in 2001 for US$35 billion and re-named T-Mobile USA, Inc. in July, 2002.
VoiceStream Wireless
VoiceStream Wireless PCS was established in 1994 as a subsidiary of Western Wireless Corporation to provide digital wireless personal communications services (PCS) in 19 FCC-defined metropolitan service areas. VoiceStream Wireless' digital, urban service areas complemented the analog, rural service areas marketed by Western Wireless under the Cellular OneCellular One
Cellular One is the trademarked brand name used by several cellular service providers in the United States and Bermuda. The brand was sold to Trilogy Partners by AT&T in 2008 shortly after AT&T had completed its acquisition of Dobson Communications...
brand.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
-based Hutchison Whampoa
Hutchison Whampoa
Hutchison Whampoa Limited or HWL of Hong Kong is a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. HWL is an international corporation with a diverse array of holdings which includes the world's biggest port and telecommunication operations in 14...
to buy a 19.9 percent stake in the VoiceStream Wireless subsidiary.
On May 3, 1999, Western Wireless spun off
Spin out
A spin-out, also known as a spin-off or a starburst, refers to a type of corporate action where a company "splits off" sections of itself as a separate business....
its VoiceStream Wireless division to Western Wireless shareholders, creating an independent, publicly traded Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
corporation called VoiceStream Wireless Corporation. Shares of VoiceStream Wireless traded on the NASDAQ
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
under the stock ticker symbol VSTR. The spin off was intended to remove any conglomerate discount, get better value recognition for each of Western Wireless' core analog cellular and digital PCS networks and help each business pursue independent strategies.
Omnipoint and Aerial acquisitions
In 2000, VoiceStream Wireless acquired two regional GSM carriers. Omnipoint Corporation, a regional network operator in the Northeastern U.S.Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
, was acquired on February 25, 2000, and Aerial Communications, Inc., a regional network operator in the Midwestern U.S.
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, was acquired on May 4, 2000. The combined company retired the Omnipoint and Aerial brands and completed integrating the three companies by converting to a single customer billing platform, implementing standard business practices and launching the VoiceStream brand and "GET MORE" marketing strategy in all markets.
Deutsche Telekom acquires VoiceStream and Powertel
On June 1, 2001, DT completed the acquisition of VoiceStream Wireless Inc. for US$35 billion and Southern U.S.Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
regional GSM network operator Powertel, Inc.
Powertel (U.S. cellular carrier 1998-2001)
Powertel Inc. was a mobile network operator headquartered in West Point, Georgia, United States that provided analog cellular and digital PCS mobile communications services in the Southeastern United States. Powertel traces its roots to the May, 1999 incorporation in Georgia of Interstate Cellular,...
for US$24 billion. By the end of 2001, VoiceStream Wireless had 19,000 employees serving 7 million subscribers.
In July 2002, VoiceStream Wireless Inc. took its current name, T-Mobile USA, Inc. and began rolling out the T-Mobile brand, starting with locations in California and Nevada. T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. operating entity of T-Mobile International AG
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
, the mobile communications subsidiary of DT.
SunCom acquisition
On September 17, 2007, the company announced the acquisition of SunCom Wireless Holdings, Inc.SunCom
SunCom Wireless Holdings, Inc. was a wireless carrier that operated in the Southeastern United States since 1999 and in parts of the Caribbean since 2004. From the "About Us" section of the company's website:...
for US$2.4 billion; the acquisition closed on February 22, 2008. By September 8, 2008, SunCom's operations were integrated with those of the company. The acquisition added SunCom's 1.1 million customers to the company's customer base and expanded the company's network coverage to include North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, eastern Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, northeastern Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Proposed acquisition by AT&T Inc.
On March 20, 2011, DT accepted a US$39 billion stock and cash purchase offer from AT&T Inc.AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
for the company. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals, a reverse breakup fee in certain circumstances, and customary regulatory and closing conditions.
According to an industry analyst, after the introduction of the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
in 2007, the company began to lose contract customers, dropping to 78 percent of subscribers in 2010, compared to 85 percent in 2006. Its high churn rate of 3.2 percent, compared to 1.2 percent at Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
and AT&T Mobility, and the drop in contract customers made the needed investments in network upgrades and additional spectrum too risky, reinforcing DT's decision to sell.
Randall Stephenson, the chairman and chief executive officer of AT&T Inc., expressed his confidence in the deal being approved based on the benefit to the public of expanding wireless access and relatively robust competition in the wireless market. The Alliance for Digital Equality, the Hispanic Federation, the National Black Chamber of Commerce
National Black Chamber of Commerce
The National Black Chamber of Commerce was incorporated in 1993 by Harry Alford and Kay DeBow, who in 2011 continue as President/CEO and Executive Vice President, respectively. Harry Alford is also a Board member of the United States Chamber of Commerce. It is organized as a 5013 corporation and...
and California Democratic representatives Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 46th, serving since 2003. She is a member of the Democratic Party, and a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. The district lies in central Orange County....
and Joe Baca
Joe Baca
Joseph N. "Joe" Baca is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 42nd from 1999 to 2003, is located in southwestern San Bernardino County and includes Fontana, Rialto, Ontario and parts of the city of San...
all support the deal. Consumer groups Public Knowledge
Public Knowledge
Public Knowledge is a non-profit Washington, D.C.-based public interest group that is involved in intellectual property law, competition, and choice in the digital marketplace, and an open standards/end-to-end internet....
, Media Access Project
Media Access Project
The Media Access Project is a non-profit group that promotes the public’s interest before Congress and the US court system. MAP grew out of a 1960’s lawsuit against the United Church of Christ and was eventually formed in 1972 in order to advance the rights of the public wanting to participate in...
and Consumer's Union and the Computer & Communication Industry Association oppose the deal. Opposition groups have stated numerous concerns with industry consolidation resulting in a reduction in competition and job losses.
If the merger is completed, AT&T Mobility would have a customer base of approximately 130 million users, making AT&T Mobility the largest wireless carrier in the U.S.
On August 31, 2011, the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
sued to block AT&T's merger with T-Mobile on the grounds that it would “substantially lessen competition” in the wireless market.
Further reports indicate that the FCC is likely opposed to the merger.
Networks
The company owns licenses to operate a 1900 MHz GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) PCSPersonal Communications Service
At the most basic level Personal Communications Service or PCS describes a set of wireless communications capabilities that allows some combination of terminal mobility, personal mobility, and service profile management...
(Personal Communications Service) digital cellular network
Cellular network
A cellular network is a radio network distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver known as a cell site or base station. When joined together these cells provide radio coverage over a wide geographic area...
and a 1700 MHz/2100 MHz UMTS
W-CDMA (UMTS)
W-CDMA , UMTS-FDD, UTRA-FDD, or IMT-2000 CDMA Direct Spread is an air interface standard found in 3G mobile telecommunications networks. It is the basis of Japan's NTT DoCoMo's FOMA service and the most-commonly used member of the UMTS family and sometimes used as a synonym for UMTS...
AWS
Advanced Wireless Services
AWS-1 or UMTS band IV, is a wireless telecommunications spectrum band used for mobile voice and data services, video, and messaging. AWS-1 is used in the United States and Canada...
(Advanced Wireless Services) digital cellular network that cover areas of the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It provides coverage in areas in which it does not own radio frequency
Radio frequency
Radio frequency is a rate of oscillation in the range of about 3 kHz to 300 GHz, which corresponds to the frequency of radio waves, and the alternating currents which carry radio signals...
spectrum licenses via roaming agreements with other operators of compatible networks.
In addition to its cellular mobile network, the company operates a nationwide Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
Internet access network under the T-Mobile HotSpots brand. The T-Mobile HotSpots network consists of thousands of Wi-Fi access points installed in businesses, hotels and airports throughout the U.S.
Cellular network
The company's predecessor, VoiceStream Wireless, began building a regional, 2G2G
2G is short for second-generation wireless telephone technology. Second generation 2G cellular telecom networks were commercially launched on the GSM standard in Finland by Radiolinja in 1991...
, 1900 MHz GSM, circuit switched, digital cellular network in 1994 and first offered service in 1996 in Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, and Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. From that starting point, the network has expanded in size through acquisitions of other cellular-network operators and additional spectrum purchases. The network has expanded in capabilities through the introduction of new technologies. VoiceStream upgraded the 1900 MHz network to include packet switching via General Packet Radio Service
General Packet Radio Service
General packet radio service is a packet oriented mobile data service on the 2G and 3G cellular communication system's global system for mobile communications . GPRS was originally standardized by European Telecommunications Standards Institute in response to the earlier CDPD and i-mode...
(GPRS), then increased packet switched data transmission speeds via Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution
Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution
Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution is a digital mobile phone technology that allows improved data transmission rates as a backward-compatible extension of GSM...
(EDGE). In 2006, the company spent US$4.2 billion to purchase 120 D, E or F block 1700 MHz/2100 MHz AWS licenses and began rolling out 3G
3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
UMTS services in those frequency bands. Most recent, the company has been upgrading network equipment and back-haul capabilities to enable first HSPA
High Speed Packet Access
High Speed Packet Access is an amalgamation of two mobile telephony protocols, High Speed Downlink Packet Access and High Speed Uplink Packet Access , that extends and improves the performance of existing WCDMA protocols...
(High Speed Packet Access), then HSPA+
Evolved HSPA
HSPA+, or Evolved High-Speed Packet Access, is a technical standard for wireless, broadband telecommunication. HSPA+ was first defined in the technical standard 3GPP release 7....
(Evolved HSPA) services in the AWS bands. It is marketing its HSPA+ services as 4G
4G
In telecommunications, 4G is the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards. It is a successor to the 3G and 2G families of standards. In 2009, the ITU-R organization specified the IMT-Advanced requirements for 4G standards, setting peak speed requirements for 4G service at 100 Mbit/s...
.
Packet-switched data upgrade
Packet-switched data service first became available to users in the form of General Packet Radio ServiceGeneral Packet Radio Service
General packet radio service is a packet oriented mobile data service on the 2G and 3G cellular communication system's global system for mobile communications . GPRS was originally standardized by European Telecommunications Standards Institute in response to the earlier CDPD and i-mode...
(GPRS). Packet-switched data speeds increased when Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution
Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution
Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution is a digital mobile phone technology that allows improved data transmission rates as a backward-compatible extension of GSM...
(EDGE) was incorporated into the network. EDGE coverage is available within at least forty percent of the GSM footprint.
Both voice capacity and packet-switched data speeds improved when 3G Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System is a third generation mobile cellular technology for networks based on the GSM standard. Developed by the 3GPP , UMTS is a component of the International Telecommunications Union IMT-2000 standard set and compares with the CDMA2000 standard set for...
(UMTS) equipment was installed in the network. On January 5, 2010, the company announced that it has upgraded its entire 3G network to HSPA 7.2 Mbit/s, an improvement from its previous peak of 3.6 Mbit/s. It also said that it plans to be the first U.S. carrier to deploy HSPA+
Evolved HSPA
HSPA+, or Evolved High-Speed Packet Access, is a technical standard for wireless, broadband telecommunication. HSPA+ was first defined in the technical standard 3GPP release 7....
across its network by mid 2010. The company has finished HSPA+ trials in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and has begun deploying HSPA+ across its network. HSPA+ 42 Mbit/s service is now available to over 200 million potential subscribers. T-Mobile is marketing its HSPA+ services as 4G.
3G upgrade
In September 2006, the Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) auctioned licenses in the first Advanced Wireless Services
Advanced Wireless Services
AWS-1 or UMTS band IV, is a wireless telecommunications spectrum band used for mobile voice and data services, video, and messaging. AWS-1 is used in the United States and Canada...
band. This band was an area of wireless spectrum
Electromagnetic spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. The "electromagnetic spectrum" of an object is the characteristic distribution of electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by that particular object....
, half in the 1700 MHz (1.7 GHz
GHZ
GHZ or GHz may refer to:# Gigahertz .# Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state — a quantum entanglement of three particles.# Galactic Habitable Zone — the region of a galaxy that is favorable to the formation of life....
) and half in the 2100 MHz (2.1 GHz
GHZ
GHZ or GHz may refer to:# Gigahertz .# Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state — a quantum entanglement of three particles.# Galactic Habitable Zone — the region of a galaxy that is favorable to the formation of life....
) frequencies, that was already in use by government services. The spectrum was planned to become available after the government users migrated to different frequencies.
The auction made numerous licenses available in overlapping market-areas, economic-areas, and regional levels. Each license was individually bid upon, and T-Mobile USA was the winner in 120 license auctions, at an aggregate price of $4.18 billion. As part of its winnings, T-Mobile USA gained nationwide coverage of 1.7 GHz and 2.1 GHz, with numerous areas being supplemented with addition licenses. Examples include New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
where T-Mobile USA acquired one-third (33 percent) of the available spectrum, or San Francisco, Houston, and Miami where they acquired 45 percent of the available spectrum.
October 6, 2006, two weeks after confirming its winning bids, the company announced its intentions to create a UMTS third-generation, or 3G
3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
, cellular network with the spectrum it had won. It said it would utilize and build on the experience of T-Mobile International's European subsidiaries, which already implemented 3G networks. At the time of initial roll-out, the company intended to offer 7.2 Mbit/s service, making the company's 3G network the fastest in the U.S. The upgrade was forecast to cost $2.6 billion, in addition to the $4.12 billion spent to acquire the spectrum licenses.
In an October 6 announcement, the company indicated it had already begun to deploy about half of the upgraded equipment, beginning in major markets such as New York City. With the equipment in place, it would be able to activate its network as soon as the government agencies vacated the spectrum. The company had hoped to have its network activated by mid-2007, but as of September 2007, the government users had not vacated the AWS
Advanced Wireless Services
AWS-1 or UMTS band IV, is a wireless telecommunications spectrum band used for mobile voice and data services, video, and messaging. AWS-1 is used in the United States and Canada...
band.
The company began selling its first 3G-capable phone, the Nokia 6263, in November 2007 and announced in February 2008 that its 3G network would finally be activated "within the next few months". and released in the New York City market on May 1, 2008.
To date, the company has launched its 3G network in most of its top markets. Additional markets will launch as they are tuned for optimal performance and in conjunction with marketing programs for new services or handsets. In 2009, the company upgraded more than 200 markets, covering some 208 million points of presence (POPS).
4G upgrade
The company has begun rolling out its HSPA+ capabilities throughout its cellular network, planning to complete an upgrade of the entire network by the end of 2010, covering 185 million potential subscribers. It is marketing its HSPA+ services as 4G. The company's HSPA+ is currently claimed to be faster than Sprint Wi-Max. On September 2, 2009, NokiaNokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
launched the N900, which was the first device to support HSPA 10.2.
On June 28, 2010, the company announced that it will begin to upgrade the network from HSPA+ 21 to HSPA+ 42 beginning sometime in 2011.
Radio frequency spectrum chart
The following chart describes radio frequency spectrum bands accessible by the company's customers using compatible devices.| Frequency Band | Protocol | Class | Spectrum Purchased | Service Began | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 850 MHz | GSM/GPRS/EDGE | 2G | n/a | 1996 | Not operated by T-Mobile. Competitor networks accessible via roaming agreements |
| 1900 MHz | GSM/GPRS/EDGE | 2G | 1994 | 1996 | Based on original VoiceStream Wireless GSM PCS network |
| 1700 MHz/2100 MHz | UMTS (W-CDMA)/HSPA | 4G (formerly 3G) | 2006 | 2008 (3G), 2010 (Marketed as 4G) | First carrier in the U.S. to deploy services on AWS Advanced Wireless Services AWS-1 or UMTS band IV, is a wireless telecommunications spectrum band used for mobile voice and data services, video, and messaging. AWS-1 is used in the United States and Canada... frequencies. Markets HSPA+ as "4G". UMTS band UMTS frequency bands The UMTS frequency bands are radio frequencies used by third generation wireless Universal Mobile Telecommunications System networks.They were allocated by delegates to the World Administrative Radio Conference held in Málaga-Torremolinos, Spain between February 3, 1992 and March 3, 1992... IV |
Wi-Fi network - T-Mobile HotSpots
The T-Mobile HotSpot service offers access to a nationwide network of approximately 8,350 access points, installed in venues such as Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
coffeehouses, FedEx Office
FedEx Office
FedEx Office is a chain of stores that provide a retail outlet for FedEx Express and FedEx Ground shipping, as well as printing, copying, and binding services...
Office and Print Centers, Hyatt
Hyatt
Hyatt Hotels Corporation , is an international operator of hotels.Hyatt Center is the headquarters for Hyatt corporation...
hotels and resorts, Red Roof Inns, Sofitel
Sofitel
Sofitel is a luxury hotel chain managed by Accor, which opened its first property in Strasbourg in 1964. Its first overseas opening in Minneapolis, USA was in 1974. In 1995 Sofitel had 100 hotels in 40 countries and employed 12500 people....
hotels, Novotel
Novotel
Novotel is a mid-scale hotel brand within the Accor group. Novotel has close to 400 hotels and resorts in 60 countries, situated in the business districts and tourist destinations of major international cities.-History:...
hotels, the airline clubs of American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
, United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
and US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
, and airports.
The T-Mobile HotSpots network can be traced to the company's 2002 purchase of bankrupt wireless ISP MobileStar
MobileStar
MobileStar was a wireless Internet service provider which first gained notoriety in deploying Wi-Fi Internet access points in Starbucks coffee shops and American Airlines Admiral Club locations across the United States. Founded by Greg Jackson and Mark Goode in 1998, MobileStar was the first...
, which began building its network in 1998. After completing the purchase, the company expanded the network into 400 Borders
Borders Group
Borders Group, Inc. was an international book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company employed approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores....
bookstores, as well as 100 of the most-frequented airport clubs and lounges operated by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.
Current products and services
Classic
Individual Plans:- Classic 500 minutes US$39.99
- Classic 1000 minutes US$49.99
- Classic Unlimited Talk & Text US$59.99$
Family Plans:
- Classic Family 1000 minutes shared US$59.98
- Classic Family 2000 minutes shared US$79.98
- Classic Family Unlimited Talk & Text US$99.98
Classic Data Plans
- Simple 200MB US$10.00 (0.10c overage per MB once over 200MB)
- Unlimited - Plus (2 GB) US$20.00
- Unlimited - Premium (5 GB) US$30.00
- Unlimited - Ultra (10 GB) US$60.00
All Classic plans include unlimited nights & weekends. Unlimited Nights starts on Mon-Fri from 9:00 P.M. to 6:59 A.M., Unlimited Weekends starts on Sat-Sun from 12:00 A.M. to 11:59 A.M.
Customer qualifies for a subsidized, discounted handset and are required to enter into a two-year contract.
Value Plans
Individual Plans:- Value 500 minutes US$34.99
- Value 1000 minutes US$44.99
- Value Unlimited Talk & Text US$49.99
Family Plans:
- Value Family 1000 minutes shared US$49.98
- Value Family 2000 minutes shared US$69.98
- Value Family Unlimited Talk & Text US$79.98
Value Data Plans
- Simple 200MB US$5.00 (0.10c overage per MB once over 200MB)
- Unlimited - Plus (2 GB) US$10.00
- Unlimited - Premium (5 GB) US$25.00
- Unlimited - Ultra (10 GB) US$55.00
All Value plans include unlimited nights & weekends. Unlimited Nights starts on Mon-Fri from 9:00 P.M. to 6:59 A.M., Unlimited Weekends starts on Sat-Sun from 12:00 A.M. to 11:59 A.M.
Customer does not qualifies for a subsidized, discounted handset and are required to enter into a two-year contract. The Value plans is different from the classic plan as the discounts are not focused on the device itself, but rather on the plan, customers can either use their own mobile phone or purchase an unsubsidized handset from the company at full retail price and making payments in installments.
Mobile Broadband Internet
Mobile broadband is the wireless data service that allows you to connect to the full Internet on a mobile broadband-capable device through T-Mobile's network. Mobile broadband-capable Internet devices from T-Mobile® include tablets, netbooks, mobile hotspots, and laptop sticks. After the data capacities are reached the data speeds are throttled with no overages.Mobile Broadband Classic Plans:
- Overage-Free Plus (2 GB) US$39.99
- Overage-Free Premium (5 GB) US$49.99
- Overage-Free Ultra (10 GB) US$79.99
Mobile Broadband Value Plans:
- Overage-Free (2 GB) US$29.99
- Overage-Free (5 GB) US$39.99
- Overage-Free (10 GB) US$69.99
Mobile Broadband Value Plans qualifies for a US$10.00 monthly discount (Must have active T-Mobile postpaid/flexpay voice line on the same account to qualify).
Roaming
Although the company has the smallest native network of all the major national U.S. carriers, it has roaming arrangements with a number of regional mobile network operators, including Centennial WirelessCentennial Communications
Centennial Communications and its subsidiaries provide wireless and broadband telecommunications services to wireless telephone subscribers in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands...
(a subsidiary of AT&T Mobility), Dobson Cellular
Dobson Cellular
Dobson Cellular Systems, Inc. now part of AT&T Mobility, was a wireless telecommunications provider in several regions of the United States, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia,...
(a subsidiary of AT&T Mobility), and Rural Cellular Corporation
Unicel
Unicel was a brand of mobile phone service from Rural Cellular Corporation. Service was provided in northern Minnesota, northern New England, Mississippi, Alabama, eastern Washington and Oregon, and adjacent areas. The company was headquartered in Alexandria, Minnesota. Until 2005, RCC also...
(a subsidiary of Verizon Wireless) and with the national mobile network operators AT&T Mobility and the former Alltel Corporation
Alltel
Alltel Corporation is a wireless service provider, primarily based in the United States. Before an acquisition by Verizon Wireless, it served 34 states. After the merger, Alltel continues to serve six states, mostly in rural areas...
(a subsidiary of Verizon Wireless) GSM network.
These carriers predominately provided service using the GSM 850 MHz band, and a dual-band phone is required to use both the native and affiliate networks. When roaming on these affiliated networks, airtime is deducted from the user's plan, effectively expanding T-Mobile USA's nationwide coverage.
As of 2008, prepaid customers have almost all of the postpaid domestic roaming privileges and restricted international roaming to Canada and Mexico.
On June 29, 2010, the company launched voice service in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
on GSM via roaming agreement through BroadPoint Communications
Broadpoint
BroadPoint Communications was a US telecommunications company in the late 1990s offering free long-distance calling supported by advertising, a service the company called "Sponsored Communications." Perry Kamel was founder and CEO of the company, based in Landover, Maryland. Users would sign up...
. T-Mobile USA was scheduled to launch data service in Fall 2010.
While international roaming is available to most customers, the service must first be activated by contacting customer service. Once international roaming is provisioned on a customer's line, there is no monthly fee to maintain the service.
In 2009, T-Mobile USA began removing AT&T Mobility roaming coverage in many locations across the country, and updated its on-line coverage maps to reflect the smaller coverage area. AT&T Mobility roaming remains available in select locations, primarily on smaller carriers that were acquired by AT&T Mobility after long term roaming contracts were in place between T-Mobile and the smaller carriers, including Centennial Wireless and Edge Wireless.
Flexpay
In July 2007, the company launched a service called Flexpay for people with no or poor credit. Customers also can request to be on Flexpay even if their credit checks are qualified for post-paid service. This is an alternative to charging for a deposit for service and it doesn't allow overages on the bill. So the monthly payment will always be the same. Flexpay works similar to Prepaid in that the customer pays for service in advance. The customer has to pay up front for any services added rather than be billed. Flexpay customers have the option to sign up for autopay or be charged a $4.99 control charge fee every month. Customers get the same services (plans and features) as a postpaid account except flexpay does not allow laptop webConnect service and it limits how many lines one can have on the account. If one run out of minutes, one can purchase refill cards to allow overage at 20 cents per minute. The company offers refill cards in $10, $20, $50 & $100 increments. These cards are available at T-Mobile retail stores, Wal-Mart, Target, 7-Eleven, Walgreens, Circle K, Office Depot, and many other locations. They can also be redeemed over the phone or online. Customers who have had good payment history for six months straight can request to do a Flexpay-To-Postpaid conversion. As of March 14, 2011, the company eliminated the Flexpay plan option in stores, and reinstated deposits based on customer credit. Flexpay plans are still available online and through Telesales by customer request. The company does a list monthly to see who qualifies to be switched over to a regular account who are currently on Flexpay.Awards
From as early as 2004, the company has captured multiple J.D. PowerJ.D. Power and Associates
J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services firm founded in 1968 by James David Power III. The firm conducts surveys of customer satisfaction, product quality, and buyer behavior for industries ranging from cars to marketing and advertising firms. The firm is best known for...
annual awards in the areas of retail sales satisfaction, wireless customer care, and overall customer satisfaction. In 2011, J.D. Power and Associates stated that T-Mobile retail stores achieved the highest ratings among major wireless carriers for customer satisfaction for the fourth consecutive year, performing particularly well in price and promotions. Also in 2011, J.D. Power and Associates ranked T-Mobile USA highest among major providers in wireless customer care for the second consecutive year.
Sidekick data outage
On October 1, 2009, Sidekick users lost all data functionality and some users also experienced personal data loss including contacts, notes, and calendars. On October 8, most data services were restored to some users but the company and MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
announced on October 10 that data "almost certainly has been lost as a result of a server failure at Microsoft/Danger." On October 15, Microsoft said it had been able to recover most or all data and would begin to restore it. A few weeks later, all Sidekick customers were able to recover their data via Danger's sync website using a restore file, or had the option to wait until data was restored to the device itself. Due to this outage, many users abandoned the Sidekick for another device, or left T-Mobile USA for another carrier entirely.
Network outage
On November 9, 2009, the company's subscribers lost the ability to send and receive calls and text messagesSMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
. The company confirmed the outage via Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
and later stated that five percent of its user base had been affected. It blamed a software error for the service interruption, stating that a backend system software error had generated abnormal congestion on the network.
Marketing
Through mid-2006, the company's spokesperson was Catherine Zeta-JonesCatherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones, CBE, is a British actress. She began her career on stage at an early age. After starring in a number of United Kingdom and United States television films and small roles in films, she came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as the 1998 action film The Mask of...
who was the main figure in its branding strategy. As of September 2006, Zeta-Jones had officially been dropped as the "face" of the company for its advertising campaigns due to a corporate rebranding strategy. The company also relied on rapper Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
as the spokesperson for its T-Mobile Sidekick
Danger Hiptop
The Danger Hiptop, also re-branded as the T-Mobile Sidekick, Mobiflip and Sharp Jump is a GPRS/EDGE/UMTS smartphone produced by Danger Incorporated from 2002 to 2010....
in a series of commercials late in 2004, the company also released a series of Sidekick phones known as the D-Wade Edition for basketball player Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. nicknamed Flash or D-Wade, is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat. Awarded 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, Wade has established himself as one of the most well-known and popular players in the league...
.
The company is also an official sponsor of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, the NBA Rookie Challenge
Rookie Challenge
The Rookie Challenge is an exhibition basketball game held by the National Basketball Association on the Friday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend....
and the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
.
In 2009, it changed its approach to advertising, and moved from the "Get More" slogan to a "Stick Together" slogan to focus more on the personal aspect of staying together with those who matter the most to its customers. With this the company also ended its relationship with Zeta-Jones, and now use mainly non-celebrity spokespeople (though Dwyane Wade, Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
, and Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard
Dwight David Howard is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy...
are featured in some commercials, in association with the company's sponsorship of the NBA as official wireless provider).
In late May 2009, Zeta-Jones was brought back as a company spokesperson to show customers how to pay less for their wireless plan in a new "Mobile Makeovers" advertising campaign that refers customer to third-party comparison site BillShrink.com.
In late 2009, commercials for the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G
HTC Magic
The HTC Magic is a smartphone designed and manufactured by HTC Corporation. It is the second HTC device to run the Android software stack, after the HTC Dream. Vodafone unveiled the Magic on February 17, 2009 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona...
featured the song "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out
If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out
"If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out" is a popular song by Cat Stevens. It first appeared in the 1971 film Harold and Maude.Stevens wrote all the songs in Harold and Maude in 1970-1971, during the time he was writing and recording his Tea for the Tillerman album...
" by Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
and celebrities such as Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
, Molly Shannon
Molly Shannon
Molly Helen Shannon is an American comic actress best known for her work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995–2001 and for starring in the films Superstar and Year of the Dog. More recently, she starred in NBC's Kath & Kim from 2008–2009 and on the TBS animated series Neighbors from...
, Dana Carvey
Dana Carvey
Dana Thomas Carvey is an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for playing the role of Garth in the Wayne's World movies.-Early life:...
and Darrell Hammond
Darrell Hammond
Darrell Hammond is an American actor, stand-up comedian and impressionist. He was a regular on Saturday Night Live from 1995 until 2009, the longest tenure of any cast member. Upon his departure, Hammond, at age 53, was the oldest cast member in the show's history...
. Another commercial with the same song performed by a different artist showed Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
, Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
and Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
.
Carly Foulkes
Carly Foulkes
Carly Foulkes , also known colloquially as The T-Mobile Girl, The T-Mobile 4G Girl, or The T-Mobile myTouch Girl, is a Canadian-born model and actress best known for appearing in a series of 2010 and 2011 T-Mobile myTouch 4G television commercials, in which she often wears pink/magenta and white...
is the spokeswoman for the myTouch 4G in commercials that parody the Get a Mac
Get a Mac
The Get a Mac campaign is a television advertising campaign created for Apple Inc. by TBWA\Media Arts Lab, the company's advertising agency, that ran from 2006 to 2009...
campaign. The model is known for Rugby Ralph Lauren
Rugby Ralph Lauren
Rugby Ralph Lauren is an American clothing brand launched in 2004 under the management of parent company Polo Ralph Lauren. The brand specializes in Preppy/Rugby inspired lifestyle apparel for male and female clientele ages 16 through 25. Rugby also encompasses Rugby Food & Spirits, a small café...
ads.
Although Foulkes is often identified with the color pink, T-mobile actually has a color trademark for the color magenta
Magenta
Magenta is a color evoked by light stronger in blue and red wavelengths than in yellowish-green wavelengths . In light experiments, magenta can be produced by removing the lime-green wavelengths from white light...
, and markets itself using its corporate colors.
Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile is a brand used by many mobile phone service providers across the globe; its headquarters are based in the United Kingdom. Virgin Mobile has local operations in Australia, Canada, France, India, South Africa, Greece, United Kingdom and the United States. It briefly also had operations...
has, in turn, parodied the Carly Foulkes ads.
In September 2010, the company launched "Kids are free till 2012" for family lines.
Labor relations
Certain T-Mobile USA employees and two labor unions have led multiple unionization attempts beginning as early as 2001. As of 2011, none of those efforts have been successful. If AT&T Inc. succeeds in acquiring T-Mobile USA, Inc., AT&T has stated in documents submitted to the FCC that T-Mobile USA employees will be able to choose to organize under the agreement currently in place between AT&T and the Communications Workers of AmericaCommunications Workers of America
Communications Workers of America is the largest communications and media labor union in the United States representing about 550,000 members in both the private and public sectors. The union has 27 locals in Canada via CWA-SCA Canada representing about 8,000 members...
(CWA).
Formation of TU
In April 2008, the CWA and the German service sector union ver.diVer.di
-External links:* * on the ver.di homepage...
formed a joint union for T-Mobile workers named TU
TU (union)
TU, the international union for T-Mobile USA workers, is an international labor union that was formed represent T-Mobile USA employees. It is affiliated with the Communications Workers of America and Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft , a large German service-sector union. As of 2011, no...
. The organization was formed with the goal of overcoming the double standard of DT recognizing unionization efforts in Germany but discouraging similar efforts in the U.S. As of 2011, no T-Mobile USA work groups have elected TU as their representative.
2009 coordinated organizing effort
In 2009, a disguised, unidentified company employee, the CWA and ver.di launched a coordinated effort to unionize company employees. A spokesman for the CWA called on the company to stop resisting mobilization efforts and allow company employees to unionize as German employees of T-Mobile USA's parent company, DT, have done. In response, the company released an employee satisfaction study showing that more than seventy percent of the company's 40,000 workers were "very satisfied" with their jobs. Through a spokesman, the company stated, "Despite the Communication Workers of America's periodic organizing efforts for more than nine years, no group of T-Mobile employees has ever chosen to be represented by a union. While our company is always striving to find ways to improve, year after year, employees continue to view T-Mobile as a good place to work where they have no need for, or interest in, a union."Political pressure
In 2009, a number of politicians, in one case acting after lobbying efforts by CWA union activists, wrote letters to René Obermann, DT's chief executive officer, in an effort to influence T-Mobile USA's labor practices in the U.S.In a March 13, 2009, letter, U.S. Senator John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
(D-MA) asked "why the company's approach to labor rights are different in Germany than in the United States". In an April 30, 2010, letter sent after lobbying by Communications Workers of America activists, 26 Democratic members of Congress called on DT to protect and respect workers' rights in the U.S. A separate July 1, 2010, letter from seven Republicans addressed the same issue. On August 10, 2010, U.S. Senator Bob Casey
Bob Casey, Jr.
Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Jr. is the senior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as Pennsylvania Treasurer, and Pennsylvania Auditor General. He is the son of former Governor Bob Casey, Sr..He is the first Democrat elected to a full term in...
(D-PA) released a statement in support of the worker's efforts to organize a union at the company. In a letter, dated September 21, 2010, fifteen Californian Members of Congress urged Obermann to take action and implement fair and equitable labor relations
Labor relations
Industrial relations is a multidisciplinary field that studies the employment relationship. Industrial relations is increasingly being called employment relations because of the importance of non-industrial employment relationships. Many outsiders also equate industrial relations to labour relations...
.
In a November 5, 2009, letter, Thomas DiNapoli
Thomas DiNapoli
Thomas P. DiNapoli is the 54th Comptroller of the state of New York. He is a former state assemblyman in New York, who was appointed as New York State Comptroller on February 7, 2007. He was formerly the Chairman of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee. DiNapoli is a Democrat from...
, New York State Comptroller
New York State Comptroller
The New York State Comptroller is a state cabinet officer of the U.S. state of New York. The duties of the comptroller include auditing government operations and operating the state's retirement system.-History:...
and Trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund, stated concerns about "the potential impact on the value of T-Mobile that may result from a disenfranchised workforce and the associated negative publicity that may impact T-Mobile's profitability."
Reports
On December 9, 2009, the non-profit organization American Rights at WorkAmerican Rights at Work
American Rights at Work is a U.S. self-described nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for workers and their right to form unions without interference....
published a report written by Prof. John Logan, Director of Labor Studies at San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, titled "Lowering the Bar or Setting the Standard? Deutsche Telekom's U.S. Labor Practices". The report details behavior by the company that the author perceives as anti-union including dissemination of anti-union materials, intimidation and threats directed at pro-union workers, "captive audience meetings" and the retention of anti-union specialists. In the report, which is based on documents from the National Labor Relations Board
National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...
, internal company memos and handbooks, and interviews with workers, Logan asserts that the company engaged in a systematic campaign to prevent employees from forming a union and that DT was guilty of operating by a double standard. Deutsche Telekom respects workers' rights in Germany, where it cooperates closely with unions, but mistreats workers in the United States and interferes with their right to organize".
On September 2, 2010, Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
released a report written by Lance Compa titled "A Strange Case: Violations of Workers' Freedom of Association in the United States by European Multinational Corporations". The report concludes that "company policy has translated into practices that leave the workforce fearful about even seeking union representation." DT proclaims its adherence to international labor law and standards that are embodied in German domestic laws. But HRW found that "T-Mobile USA's harsh opposition to workers' freedom of association in the United States betrays Deutsche Telekom's purported commitment to social responsibility, impedes constructive dialogue with employee representatives, and in several cases, has violated ILO
Ilo
Ilo is a port city in southern Peru, with some 58,000 inhabitants. It is the largest city in the Moquegua Region and capital of the province of Ilo.-History:...
and OECD labor and human rights standards".
Workplace activities
At the company's AllentownAllentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, call center, security guards were ordered by company managers to write up incident reports whenever union supporters appeared on nearby public grounds and to record the license plate numbers of employees who stopped to take leaflets. In 2006, the National Labor Relations Board
National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...
found these activities to be in violation of Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act
National Labor Relations Act
The National Labor Relations Act or Wagner Act , is a 1935 United States federal law that limits the means with which employers may react to workers in the private sector who create labor unions , engage in collective bargaining, and take part in strikes and other forms of concerted activity in...
.
In 2008, company management in the Pacific Northwest and Southwest Retail Divisions sent a memorandum to store managers instructing them to immediately report any union activity to their supervisors. Human Rights Watch states, "The NLRB has long held that such activity interferes with, restrains, and coerces employees in the exercise of Section 7 rights in violation of workers' right to freedom of association."
Information Security
In January 2005, it was revealed that twenty-one-year-old hackerHacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
Nicolas Jacobsen had been charged with intruding into the company's internal network. Reports indicated that for about a year he had access to customer passwords, address books, Social Security number
Social Security number
In the United States, a Social Security number is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents under section 205 of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent...
s, birth dates, and Sidekick
Danger Hiptop
The Danger Hiptop, also re-branded as the T-Mobile Sidekick, Mobiflip and Sharp Jump is a GPRS/EDGE/UMTS smartphone produced by Danger Incorporated from 2002 to 2010....
photos but not credit-card numbers. He was also able to read customer e-mail including that of the U.S. Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
. He was identified by a Secret Service informant as part of "Operation Firewall" who provided evidence that Jacobsen had attempted to sell customer information to others for identity theft. The company and the Secret Service did not elaborate on the methods Jacobsen used to gain access but sources close to the case indicated that an unpatched flaw in the Oracle WebLogic Server
Oracle Weblogic Server
Owned by Oracle Corporation, Oracle WebLogic consists of a Java EE platform product-family that includes:* a Java EE application server, WebLogic Application Server* an enterprise portal, WebLogic Portal* an Enterprise Application Integration platform...
application software used by the company was the weakness he exploited. Additional SQL injection
SQL injection
A SQL injection is often used to attack the security of a website by inputting SQL statements in a web form to get a badly designed website in order to dump the database content to the attacker. SQL injection is a code injection technique that exploits a security vulnerability in a website's software...
vulnerabilities with the company's web site were reported by Jack Koziol of the InfoSec Institute.
An additional security flaw with its voice-mail system password-less login feature exposes the customer's voice mails to third-parties through Caller ID spoofing
Caller ID spoofing
Caller ID spoofing is the practice of causing the telephone network to display a number on the recipient's Caller ID display that is not that of the actual originating station. The term is commonly used to describe situations in which the motivation is considered malicious by the speaker or writer...
. The company recommends that this feature not be used but still offers it by default due to customer demand.
On June 6, 2009, a message posted from an email account "pwnmobile_at_Safe-mail.net" to the Full Disclosure mailing list claimed that the company's network had been breached and showed sample data. The sender offered "databases, confidential documents, scripts and programs from their servers, financial documents up to 2009" to the highest bidder. On June 9, the company issued a statement confirming the breach but stating that customer data was safe. It claimed to have identified the source document for the sample data and believe it was not obtained by hacking. A later statement claimed that there was not any evidence of a breach.
See also
- i wirelessI wirelessi wireless is a mobile network operator founded in 1997. Headquartered in Urbandale, Iowa, i wireless is a partnership between T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Iowa Network Services Inc. i wireless owns licenses to operate GSM cellular networks in the PCS-1900 and AWS-1700 radio frequency bands covering...
, a T-Mobile USA affiliate - List of companies based in Bellevue, Washington
- List of United States wireless communications service providers
Official websites
- t-mobile.com, company's official website
- T-Mobile Community Help and support forums
- T-Mobile Partner Network Applications developer resources
- T-Mobile Towers Tower locator
- T-Mobile TakeAction Advocacy outreach for improved wireless coverage
- Deutsche Telekom AG homepage Parent company
- AT&T, Inc./T-Mobile USA, Inc. acquisition website
Unofficial sites
- Tmonews.com Independent T-Mobile USA news
- cellularmaps.com/aws_auction maps showing the results of FCC Auction 66, September, 2006 frequency auctions.