FCC Approves T-Mobile, MetroPCS Merger

FCC Approves T Mobile, MetroPCS Merger

It looks as though those reports of T-Mobile possibly laying off over 100 people once it merges with MetroPCS is one step closer to become true as not only did the Department of Justice give the A-OK for the merger to occur, but today, the FCC also gave their blessing for the merger.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski released a statement in regards to the merger saying is “in the public interest” as it will strengthen the US wireless market by “moving toward robust competition and revitalized competitors.” (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Yellow/Gold iPhone 5S In The Works?, Samsung Galaxy S3 Refresh Coming (Rumor),

FCC approves T-Mobile – MetroPCS deal, deems the merger will ‘serve the public interest’

FCC approves TMobile, MetroPCS deal, deems the merger to 'serve the public interest'

FCC head Julius Genachowski has made it official: Deutsche Telekom can proceed with its acquisition of MetroPCS. News of the planned mobile marriage first arrived this past October, setting the stage for a more competent wireless carrier alternative in the US — an arrangement that would also give DT a majority stake (74-percent). Now, with regulatory hurdles firmly out of the way, this newly created corporate entity (which will assume the T-Mobile US branding) will be able to combine all PCS, AWS-1 and 700MHz spectrum licenses across 248 Cellular Market Areas.

Citing the competitive benefits it would achieve on “both the local and national levels,” the commission’s given a thumbs up to the transaction, noting that any potential service overlaps or public interest harm are outweighed by the possibility of a greater LTE buildout and the “deployment of a more robust, national network” for the nation’s number four operator. According to the terms of the deal, both MetroPCS and T-Mobile will retain their branding and continue to operate as separate business units in their respective markets, with the potential to expand their reach. All that’s left now is for MetroPCS shareholders to vote on the deal next month, giving it the final sign off. FCC chair Genachowski has issued a statement extolling the virtues of the deal, which you can find just after the break.

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Source: FCC

FCC approves T-Mobile merger with MetroPCS

Well on its way to approval from every legal entity required to make it a reality, the merger between T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS has been given the thumbs-up by the FCC. This merger is referred to by the FCC in the official documentation issued today as “Newco” but will be called “T-Mobile US, Inc.” when all is said and done. Together they’ll move forward into the future with such possibilities as the advanced facilitation of 4G LTE and the expansion of what up until now has been MetroPCS’s brand into “new geographical markets.”

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The FCC’s statement also makes clear that this merger will very possibly create a “more robust, national network” and will move to make the fourth-largest carrier in the United States a service provider with “improved quality of service” from top to bottom. The FCC has concluded that, per their mission to decide,

“Any potential public interest harms would be outweighed by the resulting public interest benefits” – FCC

This decision is made with several conclusions including that Deutsche Telekom has the right to select a name other than the one listed above any time prior to the close of the deal “Deutsche Telekom AG Application, ULS File No. 0005446627, Exhibit 1, Description of Transaction and Public Interest Statement at 3 n.5″ Deutsche Telekom is the parent company of T-Mobile USA, you should know, if you did not know before right this minute.

Four FCC heads, Chairman Genachowski, Commissioner Rosenworcel, and Commissioner Pai, have released statements in support of the approval, letting the public know why they’ve supported the merger and how it’ll affect us all.

“When markets are competitive, consumers are better off when the government forbears from intervening and allows private parties to negotiate and enter into voluntary agreements. As I have said before, mutual consent implies mutual benefit, and it is accordingly in the public interest for freely-negotiated contracts to be allowed and enforced so long as third parties are not harmed. ” – Commissioner Pai

“I have expressed to the parties my concern that as they move ahead, American workers do not get left behind. Major job losses are not in the public interest. The companies have pledged to me that they have no plans to close any domestic call centers, to move them offshore, to close any retail stores, or to reduce retail positions as a result of this deal. They have also assured me that they plan to increase the overall number of workers they employ in the United States. I expect that the company will keep its word—and live up to these promises.” – Commissioner Goldman

Above you’ll see Commissioner Pai‘s statement as well as the statement of Commissioner Goldman. You’ll see that Goldman made a point to assure the public hat both T-Mobile and MetroPCS have promised to keep all of the stores and workers they’d had before this deal, and have no plans to fire any workers or close any stores as a result of the deal.

“Mobile broadband is a key engine of economic growth, with U.S. annual wireless capital investment up 40% over the last four years, the largest increase in the world, and few sectors having more potential to create jobs. In this fast-moving space, of course challenges remain, including the need to unleash even more spectrum for mobile broadband and continuing to promote competition and protect consumers. The Commission will stay focused on these vital goals.” – Chairman Genachoswki

Above you’ll also see the statement of FCC Chairman Genachoswki, who opts to address the situation from a more broad perspective. Have a peek at the timeline below to see more on the history of this deal as it began and ran through to today, where it’s closer than ever to being fully approved.


FCC approves T-Mobile merger with MetroPCS is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Nokia Lumia 520 Hits The FCC

Nokia Lumia 520 Hits The FCCIt was not too long ago when we first spotted the Windows Phone 8-powered Nokia Lumia 720 arrive at the FCC, and it seems that its less powerful sibling, the Nokia Lumia 520, has arrived at the FCC as well. Upon approval, that can only mean one thing (and it is always good news with each approval, of course), that the Lumia 520 is almost ready to be released to the mass markets in the US.

The folks over at the FCC received the Nokia Lumia 520 with the model number RM-915, and of course, this would make it different from the Lumia 520 RM-914 that arrived at the FCC last month. Bear in mind that RM-914 is the model that was specially manufactured for Europe and Asia markets, and this means the RM-915 is about to roll out for North and South America, in addition to Australia. The Lumia 520 is touted to be the most affordable Windows Phone 8 from Nokia at this point in time, so with its impending release in the US market, let us see just how well it is going to do.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Alleged Samsung Galaxy S4 Cases Spotted At CeBIT 2013, Rumor: Apple’s Low-Cost iPhone Could Feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon SoC,

T-Mobile’s Galaxy S3 LTE Model Hits The FCC

T Mobile’s Galaxy S3 LTE Model Hits The FCCI know that most of the world is looking forward to the Samsung Galaxy S4 in the upcoming Samsung Unpacked event that is happening in New York City later this coming March 14th, but spare a thought for its soon-to-be outdated predecessor, the Galaxy S3. The Samsung Galaxy S3 has proven to be phenomenally successful across many markets, and it arrives in the form of several variants, including an LTE-capable model which will eventually arrive on T-Mobile, especially after we have seen the T-Mobile Galaxy S3 with LTE support hitting the FCC.

Sporting the model number T999 originally (makes it sound a whole lot cooler as though it represented one of those killer Terminator robots, no?), a new T999L model number has been caught in the wild for some time now, with the “L” suffix seemingly pointing towards LTE connectivity. It does seem as though the LTE-capable version of the Galaxy S3 will be arriving on T-Mobile very, very soon – less than a month, actually. Will you pick this up, or would you rather make the straight jump to the Galaxy S4?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: AT&T BlackBerry Z10 To Arrive First Among The Carriers?, Apple iBookstore Launched In Japan,

Nokia Lumia 720 Hits The FCC

Nokia Lumia 720 Hits The FCCPlenty of devices go through the hallowed doorway of the FCC each week, as these need to be tested under different conditions in order to make sure that they are fit and ready to be used among the general masses without any issues. Having said that, you might want to take a good and long, hard look at the Nokia Lumia 720 above, especially so if you happen to live in the US. After all, this is most probably the nearest to the Nokia Lumia 720 that you are going to get to without having to go through the troubles of dealing with an importer.

The Nokia Lumia 720 has hit the FCC and subsequently, picked up overall nods of approval from the body, although it does not come with LTE connectivity that majority of the US carriers are looking forward to. However, the Nokia Lumia 720’s full manual is definitely available for one to peruse through, in addition to HSPA+ support on AT&T’s frequencies. We do look forward to check out a Nokia Lumia 720 model that sports US-native LTE sometime down the road, keeping our fingers crossed that the folks over at Nokia might actually change their minds eventually.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: AT&T BlackBerry Z10 To Arrive First Among The Carriers?, Apple iBookstore Launched In Japan,

Nokia Lumia 720 USA release imminent: FCC tapped

Today the Nokia Lumia 720 has been spotted running through the hoops at the FCC, this being one of the prerequisites for a USA release and a generally OK indicator that a launch here in the states is imminent. We got to take a peek at the Lumia 720 just a week ago at Mobile World Congress 2013 and found it to be a rather impressive machine – especially considering how inexpensive the company aims for it to be. We’re to understand that this device may be heated to AT&T first, with the other major carriers coming up quickly behind.

sg_nokia_mwc2013_16-580x325

This device works with a lovely 4.3-inch back-lit color display with a 1GHz dual-core processor from Qualcomm and will be arriving in the states in a variety of colors. Though we’ve seen the device in just Blue and White, you’ll be seeing Black and possible Red coming in as well. And then there’s the case options – case options galore!

UPDATE: We’ve seen black as well – the colors are endless!

sg_nokia_mwc2013_14

Below you’re going to see a hands-on look at the Nokia Lumia 720 as we saw it at Mobile World Congress. Here we’re rolling out at the official Nokia stand, you’ll notice too. This stand was more of a whole experience in and of itself, complete with massive shows of the devices revealed that week – Nokia Lumia 520 as well as the smaller devices too! Have a peek at more of our MWC 2013 content right this minute to see the full run-down.

WIth the Lumia 720 we’re expecting some more awesome customization of options too – have a peek at our hands-on with the brand new Nokia NFC-laden car stand to see how Nokia continues to innovate with their accessories surrounding the whole Lumia lineup. Then get pumped up about the release of the Lumia 720 which should be coming up quick – with Windows Phone 8 included – straight to a AT&T outlet near you!

fccgoods

[via FCC]


Nokia Lumia 720 USA release imminent: FCC tapped is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Nokia Lumia 720 swings by the FCC in high style

Nokia Lumia 720 swings by the FCC

Take a good look: this may be the closest most Americans get to the Nokia Lumia 720 without going through an importer. The fashion-focused Windows Phone has passed through the FCC’s approval and, as expected, doesn’t include the LTE that most US carriers would demand. The agency does throw a few bones, though. The smartphone’s full manual is on display, and there’s support for HSPA+ on AT&T’s frequencies for those who just have to get this slenderest of Lumias running on a local network. We’ll keep an eye out for a version with US-native LTE should Nokia ever have a change of heart, but those who can’t afford to wait can have a gander at the source link instead.

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Source: FCC

Samsung Galaxy S III passes FCC with support for T-Mobile LTE

Samsung Galaxy S III passes FCC with support for TMobile LTE

Ever since T-Mobile promised to introduce a Galaxy S III that supports LTE over Band 4 (1700MHz AWS), we’ve been scouring FCC docs for signs of its rumored March 27th arrival. Well folks, that day’s now come, as Samsung SGH-T999L has just cleared the regulatory body, complete with readiness for LTE Band 4. The phone’s model number pegs it as a natural successor for T-Mobile’s original Galaxy S III (SGH-T999), and it also carries telltale support for HSPA+ over the 1900, 1700 and 850MHz bands. Curiously, the handset also supports LTE Band 17, which is common amongst phones for AT&T — at the very least, this should add value for those willing to skirt those silly unlocking laws. Now, the only question that remains is how quickly this phone will become yesterday’s news.

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Source: FCC

Google Spectrum Database hits public FCC trial

Google will be conducting a 45-day public trial with the FCC to create a centralized database containing information on free spectrum. The Google Spectrum Database will analyze TV white spaces, which are unused spectrum between TV stations, that can open many doors for possible wireless spectrum expansion in the future. By unlocking these white spaces, wireless providers will be able to provide more coverage in places that need it.

Google Spectrum Database hits public FCC trial

The public trial brings Google one step closer to becoming a certified database administrator for white spaces. Currently the only database administrators are Spectrum Bridge, Inc. and Telcordia Technologies, Inc. Many other companies are applying to be certified, including a big dog like Microsoft. With companies like Google and Microsoft becoming certified, discovery of white spaces should increase monumentally.

Google’s trial allows all industry stakeholders, including broadcasters, cable, wireless microphone users, and licensed spectrum holders, to provide feedback to the Google Spectrum Database. It also allows anyone to track how much TV white space is available in their given area. This entire process is known as dynamic spectrum sharing.

Google’s trial, as well as the collective help of all the other spectrum data administrators, will help unlock more wireless spectrum. It’s a necessity as there is an increasing number of people who are wirelessly connecting to the internet via smartphones, laptops, tablets, and other wireless devices. This trial will open new doors to more wireless coverage (especially in dead zones), Wi-Fi hotspots, and other “wireless technologies”.

[via Google]


Google Spectrum Database hits public FCC trial is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.