Tag Archives: Deutsche Telekom

Is This the $99.99 Deal That Saves Apple?

By Rick Munarriz, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

A new carrier could be just what Apple needs to grow its market share.

Deutsche Telekom unit T-Mobile T-Mobile began selling the iPhone 5 over the weekend, and initial reports on Friday were encouraging. Online reports showed some T-Mobile stores busy with customers taking advantage of T-Mobile’s new relationship with Apple, and that’s more than what can be said for some of the new smartphones that have hit the market recently.

Healthy interest in a device released half a year ago is a welcome surprise. It’s also a bit of a shock, given the flimsy value proposition of the iPhone 5 on T-Mobile. T-Mobile’s advertised price of $99.99 for an entry-level iPhone 5 — half of the retail price of the smartphone through larger carriers — is actually just a down payment. The deal requires zero-interest financing approval, as customers are expected to pay $20 a month for the next two years. That adds up to $579.99 in capital outlays over two years, far more than the $199.99 that iPhone 5 buyers are shelling out on larger carriers. Even customers who can whittle down the initial down payment to zero through a trade-in will pay far more for the iPhone 5 itself.

T-Mobile’s marketing claim is that it doesn’t tie customers to annual contracts, and that’s why it’s not willing to subsidize the cost of a new smartphone. Is it ironic that the “Un-carrier” that disses long-term contracts is tethering customers to two-year financing deals? Yes, but let’s not forget that the T-Mobile deal gets far more attractive when you compare T-Mobile’s lower monthly rates with what AT&T , Verizon , and even Sprint Nextel are charging.

T-Mobile’s Simple Choice Plan offering iPhone 5 owners unlimited talk, text, and Web for $50 a month is a pretty sweet deal. It’s only $80 a month for two devices, and just $10 more a month for additional lines in a family plan.

Of course, there’s a catch. The basic plan includes only 500 megabytes of high-speed data a month before bumping users down to serviceable but slow 2G speeds. Customers can pay $10 a month more to have 2.5 gigabytes of high-speed data a month, or $20 a month for unlimited 4G connectivity.

T-Mobile argues that this is still a superior deal. Even with someone paying $20 a month for the iPhone 5 and another $20 a month for the unlimited nationwide 4G plan, $90 a month is still less than comparable plans.

Plan

Monthly Rate

Savings

Annual Savings

AT&T Individual 5GB

$139.99

$49.99

$599.98

Verizon Share Everything 4GB

$110.00

$20.00

$240.00

Sprint Simply Everything

$109.99

$19.99

$239.88

Source: T-Mobile website.

The larger carriers will argue that there are advantages to paying hundreds more a year to be on their networks, but at least there’s a value proposition to T-Mobile’s offering after all.

The big winner, of course, is Apple. Having the iPhone 5 available on T-Mobile is incremental at a time when the

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/14/is-this-the-9999-deal-that-saves-apple/

MetroPCS gives shareholders more time to consider T-Mobile bid

MetroPCS has pushed back a hotly anticipated shareholder meeting that will decide the fate of the carrier’s proposed merger with T-Mobile USA.

MetroPCS shareholders were due to vote for or against the deal on Friday, but on Thursday, the regional U.S. carrier gave them more time to consider the matter after Deutsche Telekom sweetened its bid earlier this week.

The merger, proposed last October, would give T-Mobile USA’s parent company 74 percent of a combined mobile operator that would have about 42 million subscribers and a stronger spectrum position than either MetroPCS or T-Mobile on their own. Shareholders of MetroPCS would get US$1.5 billion and 26 percent of the new company. Regulators have already approved the plan.

However, some investment advisory services had recommended MetroPCS shareholders reject the deal. On Wednesday, Deutsche Telekom sweetened its bid, calling the new plan its “best and final offer.” DT reduced the amount of debt that the merged company would carry by $3.8 billion, to $11.2 billion, and lowered the interest rate on that debt.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

From: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2034152/metropcs-gives-shareholders-more-time-to-consider-tmobile-bid.html#tk.rss_all

T-Mobile Throws MetroPCS Shareholders a Bone

By Rich Duprey, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

With a vote on its acquisition of MetroPCS imminent, T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom  is trying to mollify angry shareholders by throwing them a bone. It’s offered to reduce the debt the new company will carry, reduce the interest rate on the debt, and triple the amount of time it must hold onto the new stock before it can sell it. 

Despite having passed all the necessary regulatory hurdles, the merger is in danger of falling apart as major shareholders and institutional services alike say the deal is not favorable to MetroPCS stockholders.

While there’s been a war of words going on between the major participants, T-Mobile’s CEO certainly won himself no fans after calling hedge fund operator John Paulsongreedy.” Particularly after Institutional Shareholder Services came out blasting the deal as well, backing the contention of Paulson and P. Schoenfeld Asset Management that because T-Mobile has so underwhelmed the markets, MetroPCS shareholders need to be better compensated for the risk of turning control over to Deutsche Telekom.

Under the original proposal, MetroPCS shareholders would be paid about $4.09 a share and receive a 26% stake in the new company.

With the merger unraveling, DT decided it needed to salve the wounds it created. It offered to reduce the debt burden of the combined company by $3.8 billion and said it would cut the interest rate it charged by half a percentage point. Additionally, it would increase from six months to 18 months the amount of time it would have to hang onto the new company’s stock, but the rest of the terms apparently will remain unchanged.

While the original deal was scheduled to be voted on by MetroPCS shareholders tomorrow, that has now been pushed back to April 24 to give more time to review the deal. And while not giving any indication of which way it would fall on the new offer, at least the asset management firm has said it appreciated the olive branch.

Yet Deutsche Telekom needs this deal to go through if it ever wants to get out of the U.S. market. It previously tried by selling T-Mobile to AT&T for $39 billion, but regulators quashed it over anti-competitive concerns. Now with the proposed combined company being publicly traded, DT will finally get its exit strategy, even if it takes a year and a half to leave instead of the six months it previously envisioned.

A fresh idea for 2013
The Motley Fool’s chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for the next year. Find out which stock it is in the brand-new free report: “The Motley Fool’s Top Stock for 2013.” Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.

The article T-Mobile Throws MetroPCS Shareholders a Bone originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Rich Duprey has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/11/t-mobile-to-sweeten-the-pot-for-metropcs/

Report: Deutsche Telekom OKs richer T-Mobile bid for MetroPCS

A sweeter offer for the merger of T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS reportedly has been approved by T-Mobile parent company Deutsche Telekom.

The improved bid reduces the amount of debt that the merged company would hold and the interest rate on that debt, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Deutsche Telekom called this its “best and final offer,” according to the report.

MetroPCS agreed to merge with T-Mobile USA last October in a deal that would give MetroPCS shareholders US$1.5 billion and 26 percent of the merged company. Deutsche Telekom would own 74 percent of the carrier. The new offer cuts the amount of debt that the new company will hold by $3.8 billion, to $11.2 billion, the Journal reported.

The sweetened deal comes in time for a MetroPCS shareholder vote scheduled for Friday. Some investment advisory services had recommended that MetroPCS shareholders reject the deal.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld

T-Mobile offers iPhone 5 at no upfront payment in trade-in deal

T-Mobile USA is trying to boost the number of iPhone users on its network by offering the iPhone 5 without down payment to people who bring in their iPhone 4 and 4S smartphones for a trade-in which could also earn them up to US$120 in credits.

The iPhone 5 will be available nationwide on Friday at T-Mobile owned retail stores as well as its online store. The carrier announced in March that customers could get an iPhone 5 for $100 down payment, plus monthly payments of $20 for 24 months. The new trade-in deal hence knocks of the about $100 down payment for the device, though the monthly payments continue.

The trade-in offer, which runs through Father’s Day on June 16, also provides customers on the Simple Choice Plan with up to $120 in credits, which will depend on the trade-in value of the device, and can be used toward “monthly payments, an existing T-Mobile bill, or the purchase of accessories or another device,” the operator said on Wednesday.

The U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom, which is offering the iPhone for the first time in the U.S., has been trying to woo customers from its competitors like AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel by offering the iPhone 5 without usual annual contracts.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld

Microsoft sells IPTV platform to Ericsson

Microsoft has sold its Mediaroom IPTV platform to Ericsson in order to solely focus on the Xbox. For Ericsson, the deal will make it the largest provider of “IPTV and multi-screen solutions,” it said on Monday.

The two companies didn’t announce any financial details, but the deal is expected to be completed during the second half of the year.

With the sale of Mediaroom, Microsoft will be dedicating all remaining TV resources to the Xbox as well as connected smartphones, PCs and tablets, the company said in a blog post. The company is looking to partner with content creators, studios, labels, networks, content aggregators, operators and distributors. The fact now that it no longer has conflicts of interest with operators that use the Mediaroom platform will give it more freedom.

Ericsson will get a middleware platform that is used to distribute TV to 11 million households, delivered by the likes of AT&T, Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica. Mediaroom can distribute live, recorded, and on demand programming to TVs, PCs and mobile devices.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld

DISH's $9 Billion Coffer and the Company's Future

By Michael Lewis, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

DISH Network has lots and lots of cash — more than $7 billion following this week’s debt issuance. As opposed to other cash hoarders, there’s no secret as to what the company wants to spend it on. DISH is knee-deep in the race for spectrum and wireless buildout to launch its much-anticipated 4G network. The question is, where will the company make its purchase? As Sprint  and Clearwire  continue to cozy up, the satellite-television provider will likely have to look elsewhere for its spectrum bundle. Where will the billions go?

To buy, or be bought?
DISH Network, despite the occasional stumbles and mediocre subscriber gains, is a thriving business, with strong cash flows and sound management. Its biggest detractor is more than $11 billion in long-term debt.

The company does not need a buyer, but it may happen anyway. DIRECTV has been killing it in Latin America, adding millions of subscribers in a relatively short period of time. Even in the U.S., where pay-tv penetration approaches total saturation, the company has increased its average revenue per user, and found ways to boost its North American cash flows. Meanwhile, DISH‘s numbers have suffered, similar to the numbers of cable companies.

This presents an interesting opportunity for both companies. DISH could use the Latin American subscriber growth, and DIRECTV could gain immediate exposure to the wireless network effort. It would be a pretty textbook case of a symbiotic merger — more like an acquisition, since DTV is the bigger company.

In the company’s last conference call, DISH CEO Charlie Ergen said he would have to consider the buyout possibility, because it just makes sense. While not the most enthusiastic language, he’s absolutely right.

But, meanwhile, what is to be done with the billions the company just raised in a debt offering, not to mention the quarterly cash flows that continue to add hundreds of millions?

Spectrum!
DISH is starving for spectrum. At the end of last year, the company made an offer for Clearwire, but it never got too far, as Sprint, the original suitor, seems to have warmed up the former’s board to the idea. There must be some potential elsewhere, though, as DISH just this week issued its latest debt of $1 billion, in addition to $4 billion in senior notes last year.

Besides increasing the company’s $3.30 per share offer for Clearwire, which could induce a shareholder riot compared to Sprint’s $2.97 offer, the company could back Deutsche Telekom‘s proposed takeover of MetroPCS. This would accomplish nearly the same thing, and a JV with the German telecom juggernaut could add a sense of security for investors and analysts.

The next few months will be very interesting for DISH shareholders, as it may show the future direction (and viability) of the company. If any of the above materialize, it would be a win for investors.

More from The Motley Fool

Profiting from our increasingly global economy can be as easy as investing …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Vodafone Group Expands International Presence

By Sam Robson, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

LONDON — As the M&A rumors continue to swirl around Vodafone  , specifically its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless, the British telecom Goliath pushes on with expanding its international presence.

Yesterday, Vodafone announced that it has formed a consortium with China Mobile to bid for a mobile telecommunications license in Myanmar, formerly Burma, believed to be an important new market for the mobile industry.

The news follows the government in Myanmar doubling the number of mobile operators from two to four, and backing plans to encourage the country’s development of mobile infrastructure. The two new licenses will authorize the license holders to build, own and operate a mobile network on a nationwide basis for an initial term of 15 years.

Myanmar currently has a GDP growth rate of 5.5% per year, a comparatively young and highly literate population of around 60 million, and its and mobile phone penetration is currently below 10%, which is much lower than many emerging countries.

Elsewhere, Reuters reported that Vodafone is thought to be in talks with Deutsche Telekom in Germany over a wholesale deal “that would enable the British group to offer its German customers superfast broadband and a TV service,” according to “a person familiar with the situation.” 

Earlier this year, it had been thought that Vodafone was eyeing up a potential acquisition of Kabel Deutschland, with CEO Vittorio Colao saying “I’d like to provide pan-European unified services,” but making no mention of a specific company. 

A one-stop shop to include bundles of wireless, web, television, and phone service is a promising prospect to consumers, while a fixed-line offering in the country would strengthen Vodafone’s operations that are needed to connect its radio masts as well as handle the volumes of Internet data, as it currently has to rent capacity from its rivals’ fixed networks in continental Europe.

Both companies are yet to comment on the speculation.

If you are looking for alternative opportunities in the FTSE 100this exclusive wealth report reviews five particularly attractive possibilities.

Indeed, all five blue chips offer a mix of robust prospects, illustrious histories, and dependable dividends, and have just been declared by The Motley Fool as “5 Shares You Can Retire On.” Simply click here for the report — it’s completely free!

The article Vodafone Group Expands International Presence originally appeared on Fool.com.


Sam Robson owns shares of Vodafone. The Motley Fool recommends Vodafone. The Motley Fool owns shares of China Mobile. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

(function(c,a){window.mixpanel=a;var b,d,h,e;b=c.createElement(“script”);
b.type=”text/javascript”;b.async=!0;b.src=(“https:”===c.location.protocol?”https:”:”http:”)+
…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

MetroPCS Merger in Further Danger

By Dan Radovsky, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

It looks like opponents of the proposed merger of MetroPCS with Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Mobile USA got strong support on Wednesday, according to The New York Times.

Institutional Shareholder Services has agreed with Paulson & Co. and P. Schoenfeld Asset Management that voting for approval of the transaction would not be in the interest of MetroPCS shareholders.

Paulson has a 9.9% stake in MetroPCS, Schoenfeld 2%, and both funds believe the deal would incur too much debt for the newly formed company and would not give MetroPCS shareholders enough of a slice of the enterprise.

What may prove influential in the outcome of the voting is this from ISS: “The ultimate question for PCS holders, therefore, is whether this offer is sufficient compensation for putting control of their investment in the hands of another strategic, DT [Deutsche Telekom], under whose control T-Mobile has appeared to have so vastly underperformed.”

P. Schoenfeld, which has been constantly filing proxies over the last several weeks urging shareholders to vote against the proposal, was thrilled with the ISS recommendation to turn down the deal.

“We are extremely pleased that ISS recognizes the Proposed Transaction between MetroPCS and T-Mobile (the “Combined Company”) is not in the best interests of PCS shareholders …” the fund said today in a statement.

P. Schoenfeld also quoted ISS as agreeing with merger opponents that MetroPCS would be better served staying as a stand-alone company, or possibly able to attract a better merger deal in the future: “Absent merging with T-Mobile, PCS will have enough cash on its balance sheet to dedicate to new spectrum and could continue operating as a stand-alone company. It may well, as many commentators have suggested, have additional M&A opportunities in the offing, given its attractive assets.”

The ISS appraisal may take some of the swagger out of T-Mobile CEO John Legere’s remark Tuesday that the merger would be “approved despite the greedy hedge funds that are trying to take a double-dip out of that process.”

Paulson, in a statement released last night, took umbrage to Legere’s characterization. The hedge fund “strenuously objects” to shareholders being called “greedy because they believe the current terms of the merger are poor for MetroPCS shareholders.”

“If anyone is being greedy here, it is Deutsche Telekom … It is not surprising that Deutsche Telekom is so eager to close this deal, as they get the lion’s share of the benefits,” Paulson continued.

Will the ISS analysis be the tipping point that ultimately undermines the deal — at least as it is currently structured? That will be determined at the special MetroPCS shareholders’ meeting on April 12.

A fresh idea for 2013
The Motley Fool’s chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for the next year. Find out which stock it is in the brand-new free report: “The Motley Fool’s Top Stock for 2013.” Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

How AT&T and Verizon Made T-Mobile's iPhone a Reality

By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

In the wireless war over smartphone subscribers, Apple‘s iPhone has proven to be an invaluable weapon. AT&T‘s initial and risky bet to carry the device sight unseen paid off in spades, as Ma Bell started scooping up lucrative smartphone users en masse. Verizon Wireless took note and once it became an iPhone carrier, it promptly began to outpace its smaller rival in smartphone subscriber growth.

Yesterday, T-Mobile finally became an official iPhone carrier, making Apple’s device available on all four of the largest domestic wireless carriers. Before that, the iPhone and T-Mobile were kept apart due to technical spectrum incompatibilities that relegated the iPhone to 2G data speeds for unlocked device users.

Source: T-Mobile.

As it turns out, both AT&T and Verizon played a part in facilitating their smaller rival getting Apple’s flagship — at long last making the T-Mobile iPhone a reality.

Ma Bell’s consolation prize
It seems like just yesterday that AT&T failed in its attempt to acquire T-Mobile, but that was nearly two years ago at this point. It was a jaw-dropping $39 billion deal when it was initially announced in 2011, one that would be heavily scrutinized and eventually vetoed by regulators, since the No. 2 and No. 4 players in the industry joining forces to take down the No. 1 had important and potentially negative implications on the overall competitive landscape.

That’s a stark contrast to regulator stance on T-Mobile’s proposed merger with MetroPCS , which amounts to the No. 4 and No. 5 players pairing up to put more competitive heat on the top three. Regulatory bodies have chosen not to object and will forever hold their peace regarding the union, so long as shareholders nod in approval.

The consolation prize for the failed acquisition included a $3 billion breakup fee from AT&T, made payable to T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom, and a negligible roaming agreement, but more importantly the smaller carrier also received Advanced Wireless Service, or AWS, spectrum licenses in 128 markets from Ma Bell.

Big Red’s big red heart
Fast forward six months and T-Mobile would separately ink a spectrum agreement with Verizon, purchasing or exchanging additional AWS licenses in 218 markets throughout the country. That greatly benefited T-Mobile’s spectrum position by allowing the carrier create more contiguous blocks of spectrum and realign its airwave holdings in adjacent markets. That boosted T-Mobile’s data performance and throughput speeds in numerous key markets, and was all made possible by the swap with Verizon.

Naturally, Verizon didn’t agree to the swap out of the kindness of its big red heart. Big Red had been looking to purchase a 20 MHz block of AWS spectrum for $3.9 billion from a handful of cable companies and was getting mean looks from regulators. The AWS swap helped pave the way for Verizon’s larger deal, even if it helped beef up T-Mobile’s network in the process.

The net result of all of this was that …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Largest MetroPCS Shareholder Angry at Being Called "Greedy"

By Dan Radovsky, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Paulson & Co., holder of 9.9% of MetroPCS stock, issued a press release today stating it “strenuously objects” to T-Mobile USA CEO John Legere‘s characterization of it and other of the carrier’s shareholders “as greedy because they believe the current terms of the merger are poor for MetroPCS shareholders.

Legere was asked at a T-Mobile event on Tuesday about the prospects of his company’s proposed merger with MetroPCS. “It will be approved,” he answered, “despite the greedy hedge funds that are trying to take a double-dip out of that process.”

Paulson’s response to that in its press release was to remind “MetroPCS shareholders that John Legere owns no MetroPCS stock, wants the best deal for T-Mobile/Deutsche Telekom, not MetroPCS, and is the wrong person to comment on the interests of MetroPCS shareholders.”

Paulson continued: “If anyone is being greedy here, it is Deutsche Telekom by stripping out $15 billion of senior debt at above market rates and terms for themselves before the pro forma shareholders get anything. … It is not surprising that Deutsche Telekom is so eager to close this deal, as they get the lion’s share of the benefits.”

Deutsche Telekom is the parent company of T-Mobile USA.

The article Largest MetroPCS Shareholder Angry at Being Called “Greedy” originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Dan Radovsky and The Motley Fool have no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

(function(c,a){window.mixpanel=a;var b,d,h,e;b=c.createElement(“script”);
b.type=”text/javascript”;b.async=!0;b.src=(“https:”===c.location.protocol?”https:”:”http:”)+
‘//cdn.mxpnl.com/libs/mixpanel-2.2.min.js’;d=c.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];
d.parentNode.insertBefore(b,d);a._i=[];a.init=function(b,c,f){function d(a,b){
var c=b.split(“.”);2==c.length&&(a=a[c[0]],b=c[1]);a[b]=function(){a.push([b].concat(
Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments,0)))}}var g=a;”undefined”!==typeof f?g=a[f]=[]:
f=”mixpanel”;g.people=g.people||[];h=[‘disable’,’track’,’track_pageview’,’track_links’,
‘track_forms’,’register’,’register_once’,’unregister’,’identify’,’alias’,’name_tag’,
‘set_config’,’people.set’,’people.increment’];for(e=0;e<h.length;e++)d(g,h[e]);
a._i.push([b,c,f])};a.__SV=1.2;})(document,window.mixpanel||[]);
mixpanel.init("9659875b92ba8fa639ba476aedbb73b9");

function addEvent(obj, evType, fn, useCapture){
if (obj.addEventListener){
obj.addEventListener(evType, fn, useCapture);
return true;
} else if (obj.attachEvent){
var r = obj.attachEvent("on"+evType, fn);
return r;
}
}

addEvent(window, "load", function(){new FoolVisualSciences();})
addEvent(window, "load", function(){new PickAd();})

var themeName = 'dailyfinance.com';
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-24928199-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);

(function () {

var ga = document.createElement('script');
ga.type = 'text/javascript';
ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

T-Mobile's Legere Kicks Butt. Will It Matter?

By Dan Radovsky, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

T-Mobile has been mentioned more lately than any time since the FCC and Department of Justice pulled the company from the wide-open merger maw of AT&T-Rex last year.

That mega merger not-to-be put a few billion dollars of penalty fees in T-Mobile’s treasury, but the question of “What next?” for the Deutsche Telekom subsidiary still lingered… along with something else: the chip on T-Mobile’s shoulder from being the U.S.’ No. 4 mobile carrier (after No. 3 Sprint Nextel , no less).

Here’s T-Mobile CEO John Legere’s no-holds-barred assessment of the quality of his company’s former altar-mate at this January’s CES:

Anybody here from New York? Any of you use AT&T? Any of you that use them, are you happy? Of course not, the network’s crap.

And that was just the beginning of the colorful language, folks. He got more explicit yesterday at the T-Mobile event in NYC staged to kick off the carrier’s LTE network, confirm getting the iPhone, and announce its new “Uncarrier” plans. Legere derided the postpaid contract model pushed by Verizon , AT&T, and Sprint.

“Carriers are really nice to you … once every 23 months,” he added.

A contract is a contract is a contract
But when consumers put the Uncarrier to the sniff test, they may come away with the same assessment of the plan that Legere has of the other carriers’ plans.

The current two-year commitment consumers must make at the other three first-tier U.S. wireless carriers gives them a phone at a much lower cost than what the phone’s retail price would be. Sometimes the phone even comes free.

A base iPhone 5’s retail price of $649 falls to $199 when coupled to a two-year contract from AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. Of course, the $450 price difference will be made up for by the 24 monthly plan payments to come.

The T-Mobile plan, on the other hand, does not subsidize the cost of the phone. An iPhone 5, which T-Mobile will begin offering on April 12, will cost the full retail price. However, if customers prefer not to — or cannot afford to — pay full price, they will have the option of buying that phone over time.

For example, the iPhone 5 from T-Mobile will cost $580 — without a contract, of course, because there are no more contracts at T-Mobile. But, one can get that same phone by putting $100 down and committing to two years’ worth of $20 monthly phone payments .

But won’t the customer have to sign a two-year contract stipulating the 24 $20 payments? Of course they will. So is there really a difference between T-Mobile and the other carriers? In reality, no.

And who is eating/subsidizing the $70 difference between Apple‘s retail price for that phone and the price charged by T-Mobile? It looks like T-Mobile will have to choke down the difference.

In the end, I think, any subscriber increase for T-Mobile will have to come from quality of service coupled …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

How T-Mobile Aims to Win Over Apple Fans

By Tim Beyers, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

We’re known for a while that Deutsche Telekom unit T-Mobile is intent on disrupting rivals such as AT&T and Verizon to win subscribers here in the U.S. A deal with Apple has been in the works since at least early December.

We’re due a glimpse at what else the telco has planned at its “Uncarrier” event scheduled for Tuesday. A likely topic: LTE. GigaOm reports that T-Mobile is on the verge of launching hyperfast wireless broadband service in eight cities, including Denver, Kansas City, Las Vegas (both Kansas and Missouri), New Orleans, San Diego, and Seattle, as well as New York and the San Francisco Bay Area.

In the following video, Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova says the rollout comes at the right time, especially in underserved markets such as Denver. Making fast LTE service available to iPhone owners in these areas could lead to a windfall of sign-ups of disgruntled AT&T and Verizon users, Tim says. Do you agree? Disagree? Please weigh in using the comments box below.

Still hungry for Apple information? The Motley Fool’s senior technology analyst and managing bureau chief, Eric Bleeker, has the skinny on the various reasons to buy or sell Apple right now. Click here to get his latest thinking on the stock and what opportunities are left for Apple (and your portfolio) going forward.

var FoolAnalyticsData = FoolAnalyticsData || []; FoolAnalyticsData.push({ eventType: “TickerReportPitch”, contentByline: “Tim Beyers“, contentId: “cms.26826”, contentTickers: “NASDAQ:AAPL, NYSE:VZ, NYSE:T, NASDAQOTH:DTEGY”, contentTitle: “How T-Mobile Aims to Win Over Apple Fans”, …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

MetroPCS Merger Opponent Raises More Questions

By Dan Radovsky, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

The proposed merger of MetroPCS and T-Mobile USA has passed all the regulatory hurdles: vetting by the Department of Justice, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Committee on Foreign Investment.

All it has to do now is make it past the stockholders, who get to vote the deal up or down at a special shareholders meeting to be held on April 12. Unlike the governmental scrutiny, however, getting the merger past MetroPCS’ investors may not go as smoothly.

One very persistent major shareholder, P. Schoenfeld Asset Management, or PSAM, which owns 2% of MetroPCS’ outstanding shares, has met every company call for a “yes” vote on the merger with its own call for a thumbs down.

PSAM‘s latest appeal, poses a number of questions for shareholders to think about and for the company to answer. Here are a few:

  • “How does PCS explain the approximately 23% decline in its share price since the announcement of the Proposed Transaction, a period when the S&P is up 7.2% and the comparable index is up 0.6%?”
  • “How does PCS explain that its Chairman and CEO Roger Linquist has sold 2 million shares (approximately 28% of his holdings) at an average price of approximately $10 per share since December 12, 2012, and board member Kevin Landry’s Firm, TA Associates, has sold approximately 3.8 million shares since the Proposed Transaction was announced?”
  • “Why is PCS deducting $1.5 billion of future spectrum purchases from its value relative to T-Mobile?”
  • “Why is PCS contributing its intellectual property to the combined PCS/T-Mobile while DT is insisting on a royalty for the use of the T-Mobile name through a trademark license?”

PSAM has a powerful ally in its fight against the merger with T-Mobile and its parent company Deutsche Telekom. MetroPCS’ largest single stockholder, Paulson & Co., which owns 9.9% of the company, has filed its intent with the Securities and Exchange Commission to vote against the deal as it is now structured.

Paulson says it agrees with PSAM that “the new company will be saddled with an onerously large amount of debt,” and that “the interest rate on Deutsche Telekom‘s debt financing is far above market, based on the new company’s anticipated credit rating. Specifically, MetroPCS/T-Mobile will pay an egregiously high 7% interest rate on the $15 billion of intercompany debt.”

One more question: Where’s Roger?
Earlier this week, a joint announcement from Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile USA, and MetroPCS listed the board of directors for the proposed new company. What made it interesting was not who was on it but who wasn’t.

Roger Linquist was nowhere to be found on the new board. Will he be out entirely? Two inquiries regarding this to MetroPCS have not been answered.

The Motley Fool’s chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for the next year. Find out which stock it is in the brand-new free report: “The Motley Fool’s Top Stock for 2013.” Just click here to access the …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

A Foolish Week of Telecom

By Dan Radovsky, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

The announcement of the day comes from the Federal Communications Commission, whose chairman, Julius Genachowski, said he will be leaving his post in the coming weeks.

Genachowski told his staff:

“I’m proud of what we’ve done together to harness technology to advance the American dream for the 21stcentury. I know you’ll continue to fight hard to fulfill this agency’s vital mission, and I look forward to continuing to work together until my last day at the agency, and to count you as family and as an inspiration for long after that.”

The iPhone toss, more refreshing than a sauna
Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, appearing on Finnish TV, decided to help the program’s host make up his mind about a new phone.

The host pulled out his iPhone on air, which prompted a “how embarrassing” comment from Elop. The host told Elop he actually wanted to lose the iPhone and get a Nokia phone. Elop then said, “I can take care of that for you” and tossed the iPhone aside, which landed with an audible crash.

The TV presenter remained unfazed and Elop said, with a smile, he would replace what’s left of the iPhone with a Nokia. Here’s the video.

Wait, that’s not all
BlackBerry  CEO Thorsten Heins also had a go at Apple‘s iconic phone, just not physically.

Days before BlackBerry’s great hope for redemption, when the BB Z10 was about to go on sale in the U.S., Heins told the Australian Financial Times newspaper in an interview that “The user interface on the iPhone, with all due respect for what this invention was all about, is now 5 years old.”

But he did admit “I do not believe that Apple is worried much about BB10 stealing sales. …  [I]t will be extremely hard to get customers who have an iPhone to switch over to a BB10 device. It would have been much easier to convert customers to BB10 a couple of years ago when there was a larger BlackBerry install base at the high end.”

All over but the shouting
MetroPCS and T-Mobile USA got the last of the regulatory approvals for their merger out of the way this week when the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. signed off on the deal, which was necessary because the German company Deutsche Telekom is the parent of T-Mobile. The FCC and the Department of Justice have already given the venture the OK .

However, on April 12 there will be a special shareholders meeting, at which the proposed deal will be put up to a vote, and there has been opposition to its going through.

P. Schoenfeld Asset Management and Paulson & Co., together holders of almost 12% of MetroPCS’ outstanding shares, have been vocal in their criticism of the merger. They have questioned the high debt the deal would put on MetroPCS’ shoulders as well as a high interest rate on that debt .

Where’s Roger?
Not waiting for …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

MetroPCS Merger Opponent Calls for Resignations

By Dan Radovsky, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

P. Schoenfeld Asset Management, or PSAM, sent a letter today to the MetroPCS board of directors, calling for a change in the company’s “governance structure and policies should the proposed transaction [merger] with T-Mobile be voted down” at the special shareholders’ meeting to be held on April 12, PSAM announced late today.

In its letter, PSAM calls for the resignation of current chairman of the board and company CEO Roger Linquist, and also of director Kevin Landry, because of their “aggressively selling down their positions in PCS stock while simultaneously recommending the T-Mobile transaction to PCS stockholders, based on implied values nearly 70% above their sales prices. In our opinion, these two directors no longer have their interests properly aligned with shareholders and they should both leave the board now.”

Earlier, PSAM had accused Mr. Linquist of selling 28% of his MetroPCS holdings despite pushing for the merger with T-Mobile.

In a recent announcement from MetroPCS, T-Mobile USA, and T-Mobile’s parent company Deutsche Telekom, which announced the composition of the board of directors of the proposed new company, neither Mr. Linquist’s nor Mr. Landry’s name is mentioned.

PSAM and its investment clients together own MetroPCS shares worth approximately $100 million, and which represent 2% of the company’s outstanding shares.

The article MetroPCS Merger Opponent Calls for Resignations originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Dan Radovsky has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

(function(c,a){window.mixpanel=a;var b,d,h,e;b=c.createElement(“script”);
b.type=”text/javascript”;b.async=!0;b.src=(“https:”===c.location.protocol?”https:”:”http:”)+
‘//cdn.mxpnl.com/libs/mixpanel-2.2.min.js’;d=c.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];
d.parentNode.insertBefore(b,d);a._i=[];a.init=function(b,c,f){function d(a,b){
var c=b.split(“.”);2==c.length&&(a=a[c[0]],b=c[1]);a[b]=function(){a.push([b].concat(
Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments,0)))}}var g=a;”undefined”!==typeof f?g=a[f]=[]:
f=”mixpanel”;g.people=g.people||[];h=[‘disable’,’track’,’track_pageview’,’track_links’,
‘track_forms’,’register’,’register_once’,’unregister’,’identify’,’alias’,’name_tag’,
‘set_config’,’people.set’,’people.increment’];for(e=0;e<h.length;e++)d(g,h[e]);
a._i.push([b,c,f])};a.__SV=1.2;})(document,window.mixpanel||[]);
mixpanel.init("9659875b92ba8fa639ba476aedbb73b9");

function addEvent(obj, evType, fn, useCapture){
if (obj.addEventListener){
obj.addEventListener(evType, fn, useCapture);
return true;
} else if (obj.attachEvent){
var r = obj.attachEvent("on"+evType, fn);
return r;
}
}

addEvent(window, "load", function(){new FoolVisualSciences();})
addEvent(window, "load", function(){new PickAd();})

var themeName = 'dailyfinance.com';
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-24928199-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);

(function () {

var ga = document.createElement('script');
ga.type …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

MetroPCS and T-Mobile Clear Final Regulatory Hurdle

By Evan Niu, CFA, CFA, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has given its approval for the merger of MetroPCS and T-Mobile USA, leaving a shareholder meeting April 12 as the final hurdle.

Earlier this month, both the Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission signed off on the proposed merger between the companies, leaving one final regulatory hurdle to clear: the Committee on Foreign Investment, an inter-agency committee that reviews national-security issues surrounding transactions that could result in control of a U.S. business by a foreign entity.T-Mobile is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom.

The two companies announced today that they have received approval from this last regulator, which found no “unresolved national security concerns” related to the proposed transaction.

MetroPCS is holding a special shareholders meeting on April 12 to vote on the deal, and the board has sent a letter to investors urging them to vote in favor. The board unanimously agrees that this deal is in the best interest of MetroPCS. Shareholder P. Schoenfeld Asset Management hedge fund has asserted its opposition.

link

The article MetroPCS and T-Mobile Clear Final Regulatory Hurdle originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

(function(c,a){window.mixpanel=a;var b,d,h,e;b=c.createElement(“script”);
b.type=”text/javascript”;b.async=!0;b.src=(“https:”===c.location.protocol?”https:”:”http:”)+
‘//cdn.mxpnl.com/libs/mixpanel-2.2.min.js’;d=c.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];
d.parentNode.insertBefore(b,d);a._i=[];a.init=function(b,c,f){function d(a,b){
var c=b.split(“.”);2==c.length&&(a=a[c[0]],b=c[1]);a[b]=function(){a.push([b].concat(
Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments,0)))}}var g=a;”undefined”!==typeof f?g=a[f]=[]:
f=”mixpanel”;g.people=g.people||[];h=[‘disable’,’track’,’track_pageview’,’track_links’,
‘track_forms’,’register’,’register_once’,’unregister’,’identify’,’alias’,’name_tag’,
‘set_config’,’people.set’,’people.increment’];for(e=0;e<h.length;e++)d(g,h[e]);
a._i.push([b,c,f])};a.__SV=1.2;})(document,window.mixpanel||[]);
mixpanel.init("9659875b92ba8fa639ba476aedbb73b9");

function addEvent(obj, evType, fn, useCapture){
if (obj.addEventListener){
obj.addEventListener(evType, fn, useCapture);
return true;
} else if (obj.attachEvent){
var r = obj.attachEvent("on"+evType, fn);
return r;
}
}

addEvent(window, "load", function(){new FoolVisualSciences();})
addEvent(window, "load", function(){new PickAd();})

var themeName = 'dailyfinance.com';
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-24928199-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);

(function () {

var ga = document.createElement('script');
ga.type = 'text/javascript';
ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';

var …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

MetroPCS CEO Continues Weekly Share Selloff

By Dan Radovsky, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

For the fourth week in a row, MetroPCS Chairman and CEO Roger Linquist has reported selling at least 100,000 shares of his company’s stock.

The most recent SEC filing, reporting a 100,000-share sale, was dated yesterday, the same day that MetroPCS received approval from the Federal Communications Commission for its merger with T-Mobile USA. A shareholder vote on the merger is set for April 12, when the deal could be derailed by opposition shareholders.

Just ahead of the FCC giving the go-ahead for the merger, MetroPCS sent a letter to stockholders urging them to ignore attempts to dissuade them from voting for the transaction. The letter was signed by Linquist, who still has direct control of more than 3.8 million shares and indirect control of 1.3 million.

If MetroPCS prevails in getting stockholder approval, it still has to get the Committee on Foreign Investment to sign off on the merger as T-Mobile is a subsidiary of German company Deutsche Telekom.

Including the most recently reported sale of 100,000 shares, Linquist has sold about 408,000 shares since mid-February.

link

The article MetroPCS CEO Continues Weekly Share Selloff originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Dan Radovsky has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

(function(c,a){window.mixpanel=a;var b,d,h,e;b=c.createElement(“script”);
b.type=”text/javascript”;b.async=!0;b.src=(“https:”===c.location.protocol?”https:”:”http:”)+
‘//cdn.mxpnl.com/libs/mixpanel-2.2.min.js’;d=c.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];
d.parentNode.insertBefore(b,d);a._i=[];a.init=function(b,c,f){function d(a,b){
var c=b.split(“.”);2==c.length&&(a=a[c[0]],b=c[1]);a[b]=function(){a.push([b].concat(
Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments,0)))}}var g=a;”undefined”!==typeof f?g=a[f]=[]:
f=”mixpanel”;g.people=g.people||[];h=[‘disable’,’track’,’track_pageview’,’track_links’,
‘track_forms’,’register’,’register_once’,’unregister’,’identify’,’alias’,’name_tag’,
‘set_config’,’people.set’,’people.increment’];for(e=0;e<h.length;e++)d(g,h[e]);
a._i.push([b,c,f])};a.__SV=1.2;})(document,window.mixpanel||[]);
mixpanel.init("9659875b92ba8fa639ba476aedbb73b9");

function addEvent(obj, evType, fn, useCapture){
if (obj.addEventListener){
obj.addEventListener(evType, fn, useCapture);
return true;
} else if (obj.attachEvent){
var r = obj.attachEvent("on"+evType, fn);
return r;
}
}

addEvent(window, "load", function(){new FoolVisualSciences();})
addEvent(window, "load", function(){new PickAd();})

var themeName = 'dailyfinance.com';
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-24928199-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);

(function () {

var ga = document.createElement('script');
ga.type = 'text/javascript';
ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';

var s = …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS Announce FCC Approval of Proposed Combination

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS Announce FCC Approval of Proposed Combination

BONN, Germany & BELLEVUE, Wash. & RICHARDSON, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Deutsche Telekom AG(XETRA: DTE; “Deutsche Telekom“), T-Mobile USA, Inc. (“T-Mobile”) and MetroPCS Communications, Inc. (NYSE: PCS; “MetroPCS”) today announced that the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC“) has approved the proposed combination of T-Mobile USA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, and MetroPCS.

“The FCC‘s approval marks another significant milestone in bringing our two companies together, and we appreciate the Commission’s timely approval. We look forward to completing the transaction and delivering the significant customer and stockholder benefits that this combination will make possible,” said John Legere, President and CEO of T-Mobile. “Our combined company will have the products, spectrum, scale and resources to shake up this industry and deliver an entirely new wireless experience.”

“We are pleased with the FCC‘s approval of the proposed transaction,” said Roger D. Linquist, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of MetroPCS. “We thank the FCC for its prompt review of our proposed combination with T-Mobile, which will create the value leader in the United States wireless marketplace.”

On March 5, 2013, MetroPCS announced that the required waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 had expired. The proposed combination remains subject to the approval of MetroPCS stockholders.

A Special Meeting of MetroPCS stockholders to vote on matters relating to the proposed combination of MetroPCS with T-Mobile has been scheduled for April 12, 2013. MetroPCS stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 11, 2013 are entitled to vote at the Special Meeting. The combination is expected to close shortly after the Special Meeting.

The MetroPCS board unanimously recommends that stockholders vote their shares FOR all of the proposals relating to the proposed combination with T-Mobile by returning the GREEN proxy card they will receive in due course with a “FOR” vote for all proposals. The failure to vote or an abstention has the same effect as a vote against the proposed combination. Because some of the proposals required to close the proposed transaction require at least an affirmative vote of a majority of all outstanding shares, MetroPCS stockholders’ votes are important. If stockholders vote against the proposed combination, there is no assurance that MetroPCS will be able to deliver the same or better stockholder value.

The Company urges stockholders to discard any white proxy cards, which were sent by a dissident stockholder. If a stockholder previously submitted a white proxy card, the Company urges them to cast …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

MetroPCS Defends its Plans to Merge with T-Mobile

By 24/7 Wall St.

Cell Tower detail

Filed under:

Shares of MetroPCS Communications Inc. (NYSE: PCS) jumped to a 52-week high of $14.51 the day last October when the company announced its proposed merger with T-Mobile USA, which is owned by Deutsche Telekom AG. The deal was not a particularly good one for MetroPCS shareholders: $1.5 billion in cash, T-Mobile’s assumption of $15 billion in MetroPCS debt, and a 26% stake in the surviving company, which would have been called T-Mobile USA.

One asset management firm opposed the merger practically at once. Paulson & Co. joined in opposing the deal earlier this month. Together, the two opponents hold more than 10% of MetroPCS’s stock.

In today’s letter to shareholders, MetroPCS urges them to vote in favor of the deal by the April 12th special stockholders’ meeting. Their argument:

The immediate cash payment you will receive and the significant ownership interest you will hold in the combined company represent a substantial premium to MetroPCS’ stand-alone value, and your meaningful ownership in the combined company will allow you to participate in the potential synergies and value created by this combination.

Current shareholders will receive about $4.06 per share they now hold before MetroPCS shares go through a 1-for-2 reverse stock split at the time the deal closes. In addition, the board’s letter goes on, MetroPCS shareholders get a 26% stake in the combined company and the opportunity “to participate in the expected significant equity upside of the combined company.”

Opponents point out that part of the deal saddles T-Mobile USA with a total debt of $23.2 billion, of which $15 billion is owed to Deutsche Telekom. In a marketplace featuring well-capitalized competitors like Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) and AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), T-Mobile would be playing with a huge anchor around its neck.

Maybe MetroPCS is worth more than T-Mobile is paying, but that assumes that the firm could find another buyer. At this point, that could be virtually impossible. If MetroPCS turns down the T-Mobile offer, it could sink on its own. Then Paulson and other opponents of the deal on the table would really be unhappy.

Shares of MetroPCS are down 2% at around noon today, at $10.29 in a 52-week range of $5.53 to $14.51.

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Mergers and Buy Outs, Shareholder Issues, Telecom & Wireless Tagged: PCS, T, VZ

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance