WEBVTT - What T-Mobile and Sprint's Merger Means For You

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<v Speaker 1>What does a T Mobile Sprint merger mean for you?

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<v Speaker 1>Amrich Damiro.

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<v Speaker 2>This is Rich on Tech Daily.

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<v Speaker 1>While in case you haven't heard, T Mobile announced it's

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<v Speaker 1>buying Sprint for twenty six billion dollars. The combined company

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<v Speaker 1>would be named T Mobile, and T Mobile CEO John

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<v Speaker 1>Ledger would continue as CEO of the new company. The

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<v Speaker 1>two companies are saying that this will be a big

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<v Speaker 1>deal for five G, you know, the next generation wireless network,

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<v Speaker 1>and the new company is going to be a force

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<v Speaker 1>for positive change in the US wireless video and broadband markets.

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<v Speaker 1>Remember T Mobile recently bought a cable company called Layer three. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>the big thing these two companies are saying is that

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<v Speaker 1>they will build a five G network faster than their competition.

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<v Speaker 2>Can. They certainly have the spectrum to do this.

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<v Speaker 1>They estimate that they can get speeds fifteen times faster

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<v Speaker 1>nationwide by twenty twenty four, with lots of customers getting

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<v Speaker 1>speeds one hundred times faster than early four G, which

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<v Speaker 1>sounds really good, but let's be honest, early four G

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<v Speaker 1>was pretty slow. The two companies say they're going to

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<v Speaker 1>spend up to forty billion dollars in the first three

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<v Speaker 1>years to invest in their new network and businesses, which

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<v Speaker 1>is forty six percent more than T Mobile and Sprint

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<v Speaker 1>spent combined in the past three years. And what I

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<v Speaker 1>love about facts and figures like this is how in

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<v Speaker 1>the past T Mobile would always send out press releases

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<v Speaker 1>saying how they're spending so much on their network, but

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<v Speaker 1>now apparently all that was not enough. Of course, the

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<v Speaker 1>question we all want answers to This sounds great for

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<v Speaker 1>the two companies, but what about me and my bill

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<v Speaker 1>and my phone. For starters, T Mobile and Sprint run

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<v Speaker 1>two different types of networks. T Mobile is GSM, Sprint

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<v Speaker 1>is CDMA, but both of them use the newer technology

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<v Speaker 1>called LTE. According to reports, about twenty million phones used

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<v Speaker 1>by Sprint customers can work on both kinds of networks.

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<v Speaker 1>This includes recent iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones, so some

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<v Speaker 1>folks would see increased coverage immediately from both networks. Other

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<v Speaker 1>customers might have to upgrade their phones to take advantage

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<v Speaker 1>of a new roaming deal. As for plans, customers would

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<v Speaker 1>probably be able to keep their current plans. Sprint's cheapest

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<v Speaker 1>is sixty dollars a month for unlimited. T Mobile is

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<v Speaker 1>seventy dollars a month. Both also offer add ons like

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<v Speaker 1>HD Video for an extra ten dollars a month. But

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<v Speaker 1>here's what usually happens in circumstances like this. Yes, you

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<v Speaker 1>can keep your plan grandfathered in, but usually the company,

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<v Speaker 1>the new company is going to offer something slightly better

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<v Speaker 1>for a similar price, just so they can get folks

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<v Speaker 1>on a new plan which is less confusing.

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<v Speaker 2>So that's what I would expect to happen.

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<v Speaker 1>I would expect to see the new Tea Mobile offer

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<v Speaker 1>some sort of compelling combined plan to entice new customers

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<v Speaker 1>out of the gate, since they will promote increased coverage

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<v Speaker 1>across both networks. Now, when it comes to the new

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<v Speaker 1>five G network they're promising, which could be really fast

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<v Speaker 1>and really a game changer that would definitely require a

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<v Speaker 1>new device, But that is still a ways off, so

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<v Speaker 1>you've got lots.

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<v Speaker 2>Of time to figure that one out.

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<v Speaker 1>So what about all the perks you might get as

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<v Speaker 1>a subscriber of either Sprint or T Mobile. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>T Mobile has those Tuesdays with all the benefit and

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<v Speaker 1>that free Netflix offer, plus Sprint offers FREEHLU to customers.

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<v Speaker 1>Then you've got Google's Project five, which combines both networks

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<v Speaker 1>into one and many more carriers that latch onto these

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<v Speaker 1>two networks, they call him MVNOs.

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<v Speaker 2>All of these deals would probably be up.

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<v Speaker 1>In the air at some point, maybe at renewal time,

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<v Speaker 1>but probably not immediately. Keep in mind, this will be

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<v Speaker 1>a new company that doesn't have to prove as much

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<v Speaker 1>as the old Sprint and Tea Mobile did when they

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<v Speaker 1>were separate and trying to win over customers. This time around,

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<v Speaker 1>they will actually have a pretty decent network to put

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<v Speaker 1>up a good fight, So that leaves the biggest question

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<v Speaker 1>will this deal be approved? While perhaps the President's silence

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<v Speaker 1>on Twitter says a lot, we've heard nothing yet about

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<v Speaker 1>a challenge from the administration, and the focus on a

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<v Speaker 1>five G network seems right in line with what the

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<v Speaker 1>President has talked about wanting before, although he is not

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<v Speaker 1>a huge fan of foreign ownership, especially in the communications sector,

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<v Speaker 1>and with the new Team Mobile, we'd have a German

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<v Speaker 1>and Japanese company having lots of ConTroll over the new company.

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<v Speaker 2>That's gonna do it for this episode of the show.

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<v Speaker 2>If you liked the podcast, please leave a rating and

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<v Speaker 2>review in the Apple.

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<v Speaker 1>Podcast sapp and tell your friends I'm Richie Dmairo You

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<v Speaker 1>can find links to everything I talk about here at

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<v Speaker 1>richontech dot TV.

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<v Speaker 2>I'll talk to you real soon.