Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) recently announced a multi-year, $3.5 billion contract to support T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network deployment. Under the deal, Ericsson will provide T-Mobile with the latest 5G New Radio (NR) hardware and software compliant with 3GPP standards.
Ericsson and T-Mobile $3.5B 5G Agreement
Bridging from a nationwide LTE Advanced network to 5G, T-Mobile will leverage Ericsson’s market-leading 5G portfolio to expand existing LTE capacity needs while future-proofing the network.
The contract also encompasses Ericsson’s digital services solutions, including dynamic orchestration, business support systems (BSS) and Ericsson Cloud Core, enabling T-Mobile to rapidly launch innovative and groundbreaking 5G experiences to customers. Continue reading “Ericsson and T-Mobile $3.5B 5G Agreement”
Talk about fast… T-Mobile recently announced it has now lit up 600 MHz (Band 71) Extended Range LTE in 1,254 cities and towns in 36 states, including the island of Puerto Rico. The Un-carrier’s furiously paced deployment of 600 MHz LTE is expanding network coverage and capacity, particularly in rural areas, and lays the foundation for nationwide 5G in 2020 with 5G-ready equipment.
T-Mobile LTE 5G Expanding in More Cities
“Our swift deployment of 600 MHz spectrum is a game changer. While paving the way for the next generation of wireless tech, we’re bringing choice to consumers, mainly in rural areas, who’ve been forced to rely on the other guys in the past” Continue reading “T-Mobile LTE 5G Expanding in More Cities”
On August 28, 2018, T-Mobile unveiled the AT&T and Verizon #HallofLame sand sculpture at the U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge and Dimensional Art Exposition, built by Archisand Professional Sand Sculptors. The Un-carrier is applying a little “pier” pressure to get Verizon and AT&T to treat customers better, calling out the carriers for charging customers tons of extra taxes and fees, forcing them to endure frustrating phone mazes and bots when they need help and more.
AT&T and Verizon’s Message From T-Mobile
“No matter how many times I’ve told the carriers to listen to customers and do what they tell you, they just won’t listen – they’ve got their heads in the sand, so we’ll try to reach them where they’re at…in the sand,” said John Legere, CEO at T-Mobile. “AT&T and Verizon, it’s time for change – stop gouging customers. Kill your phone maze. Give customers technology for today, not relics from yester-year. It’s time to take another page from the Un-carrier book and treat your customers like rock stars!”
Where:
The Broadway Pier and Pavilion in the Port of San Diego: 1000 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101.
Video and photos of the sand sculpture will also be available today on the T-Mobile Newsroom at: https://www.t-mobile.com/news/heads-in-the-sand.
When:
Friday, August 31 – Monday, September 3
Friday, August 31 Preview Night – 5pm – 9pm
Saturday, September 1: 10am – 9pm
Sunday, September 2: 10am – 9pm
Monday, September 3: 10am – 7pm
Why:
T-Mobile thinks every customer ought to be treated like a rock star – yep, even carrier customers. And the Un-carrier takes rock star treatment seriously – T-Mobile ONE customers get unlimited LTE data on America’s best unlimited network, Netflix included on family plans, free stuff every T-Mobile Tuesday, incredible Live Nation and Pandora extras, free texting all flight long and a free hour of Gogo Wi-Fi…and, of course, taxes and fees included. PLUS, T-Mobile recently unveiled their revolutionary customer care model – postpaid customers now get a dedicated Team of Experts – no bots, no bouncing, no BS.
Team of Experts is for our postpaid wireless customers. Qualifying service required for T-Mobile Tuesdays.
On August 28, 2018, T-Mobile unveiled the AT&T and Verizon #HallofLame sand sculpture at the U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge and Dimensional Art Exposition, built by Archisand Professional Sand Sculptors. The Un-carrier is applying a little “pier” pressure to get Verizon and AT&T to treat customers better, calling out the carriers for charging customers tons of extra taxes and fees, forcing them to endure frustrating phone mazes and bots when they need help and more.
T-Mobile ‘s Message To AT&T and Verizon
“No matter how many times I’ve told the carriers to listen to customers and do what they tell you, they just won’t listen – they’ve got their heads in the sand, so we’ll try to reach them where they’re at…in the sand,” said John Legere. “AT&T and Verizon, it’s time for change – stop gouging customers. Kill your phone maze. Give customers technology for today, not relics from yester-year. It’s time to take another page from the Un-carrier book and treat your customers like rock stars!”
Where:
The Broadway Pier and Pavilion in the Port of San Diego: 1000 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101.
Video and photos of the sand sculpture will also be available today on the T-Mobile Newsroom at: https://www.t-mobile.com/news/heads-in-the-sand.
When:
Friday, August 31 – Monday, September 3
Friday, August 31 Preview Night – 5pm – 9pm
Saturday, September 1: 10am – 9pm
Sunday, September 2: 10am – 9pm
Monday, September 3: 10am – 7pm
Why:
T-Mobile thinks every customer ought to be treated like a rock star – yep, even carrier customers. And the Un-carrier takes rock star treatment seriously – T-Mobile ONE customers get unlimited LTE data on America’s best unlimited network, Netflix included on family plans, free stuff every Tuesday, incredible Live Nation and Pandora extras, free texting all flight long and a free hour of Gogo Wi-Fi…and, of course, taxes and fees included. PLUS, T-Mobile recently unveiled their revolutionary customer care model – postpaid customers now get a dedicated Team of Experts – no bots, no bouncing, no BS.
Team of Experts is for our postpaid wireless customers. Qualifying service required for T-Mobile Tuesdays.
On August 15, 2018, at Un-carrier NEXT, T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) brought in the noise … and also the funk … with upgraded music experiences for Un-carrier customers. Through a new partnership with Pandora, the #1 music streaming service in the U.S., T-Mobile customers now get exclusive access to a free Pandora Plus subscription all year long – courtesy of T-Mobile. And when your favorite artists come to town, you’ve got the magenta hookup. In another first for the Un-carrier, T-Mobile announced an exclusive multi-year partnership with Live Nation, the world’s largest live entertainment company, giving Un-carrier customers rock star status at Live Nation amphitheater and arena concerts, including access to last-minute reserve seats in sold-out sections and discounted tickets. And starting next year, your T-Mobile phone will unlock more exclusive benefits just for T-Mobile customers!
T-Mobile Elevated Rock-Star Customers
“Our customers get treated like rock stars with Team of Experts, and we believe they ought to be treated like that everywhere they go,” said Mike Sievert, President and COO at T-Mobile. “Music connects us, so we’re connecting our rock star customers with exclusive magenta extras at Live Nation events and with Pandora. Now, when they turn on their tunes or head to a show, they’ll get an elevated experience, just for being with T-Mobile. We’re always looking to thank our customers in bigger, bolder ways…this latest move is no exception – and we won’t stop!”
All the Music, All the Time
Pandora pioneered music streaming. Now, T-Mobile customers score a free subscription to Pandora Plus! That’s unlimited ad-free music and higher quality audio for some serious ear candy, all year long. Now, account holders will get unlimited skips, replays, personalized stations and offline listening — and no ads — just for being magenta.
“We are committed to creating exciting new opportunities for more people to find, share, and listen to the music they love,” said Pandora CEO Roger Lynch. “Through this exclusive offer, we will give T-Mobile’s massive customer-base access to one of our most in-demand offerings – Pandora Plus. This is just the first step in a larger strategic partnership between T-Mobile and Pandora. Expect to hear more.”
Customers can snag a code to unlock their free Pandora Plus subscription in the T-Mobile Tuesdays app for iOS and Android on August 28th, so mark your calendars now!
Magenta Carpet Treatment at Live Shows
Live Nation is the hands-down leader in live music and, your concert experience is getting a serious upgrade.
“T-Mobile and Live Nation are creating new ways for our fans to enjoy live concerts with exclusive access and perks only this partnership could make possible,” said Russell Wallach, Global President Media & Sponsorship, Live Nation. “As fans experience this new level of access, word will quickly spread, because the power of live music is contagious and can’t be matched.”
The latest Un-carrier gives T-Mobile customers the ability to get last-minute reserved tickets to sold out sections and get into great shows at a great price. Just identify yourself as a T-Mobile customer, and you’ll unlock:
Tickets to Sold-Out Reserved Seating. Forgot to get tickets when they first went on sale? Calendar freed up and your favorite artist is in town? While others are scrambling to find tickets and paying more than list prices, customers can get last minute seats at first day prices. Coming soon, customers can exclusively unlock reserved seats in sold-out sections to hundreds of concerts on LiveNation.com … you ballers. Just look for the T-Mobile Reserved Seats icon, starting 30 days before select shows.
Discounted Tickets. Get two $25 tickets for you and a friend to select Live Nation amphitheater shows, and that’s $25 ALL IN, taxes and fees included, a price only available to T-Mobile customers.* Starting August 21st, discounted tickets will be made available in the T-Mobile Tuesdays app for some of the summer’s hottest concerts including Charlie Puth, Counting Crows, Dierks Bentley, Wiz Khalifa and Rae Sremmurd, Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker, Niall Horan and hundreds more. Act fast because these tickets are available first-come, first-served and while supplies last. And when amphitheater show season ends, new discounts begin! On Tuesdays, Un-carrier customers get at least $10 off tickets to select shows all across the nation.
Plus, more exclusive perks at select amphitheater shows starting next year, just for the magenta fam:
Magenta Fast Lane Entry. Skip the line with a free Fast Lane at select Live Nation amphitheaters across the country, an especially valuable perk where general admission seats are first come, first served.
Magenta Concessions. Exclusive concession line just for T-Mobile customers, so you can get back to the music as soon as possible. And, customers can snag a Signature Magenta Cocktail available at select locations.
Magenta Lawn Chairs. T-Mobile customers get lawn chairs for free, so they can watch in style at no extra cost, while supplies last.
T-Mobile is all in on customer love and has always taken a radically different approach – rather than making you buy your way to better treatment, they give it to you – just for being a customer. T-Mobile ONE customers get Netflix included on family plans, Gogo Wi-Fi on domestic flights, freebies and deals with T-Mobile Tuesdays, your own dedicated Team of Experts and so much more. With today’s upgrades, every customer’s magenta status Just. Went. Platinum.
For more on Live Nation and Pandora, head here.
For more on Team of Experts, head here.
Limited time offers; subject to change. *Live Nation: $25 Tickets: qualifying service required; limit 2 tickets per code, 1 code per customer. Fees included for digital tickets. Seat type varies by venue. Cannot be combined with any other promotions. Codes expire. See Offer Terms for details. Pandora: Claim in T-Mobile Tuesdays App by 8/29 4:59 a.m. ET and redeem with Pandora by 9/4 at 4:59 a.m. ET for 12 mo. subscription. Limit 1/account. New Pandora account may be required. Pandora terms apply. If you cancel the service, free subscription ends. Images are for illustrative purposes only.
This is how it should be done. On August 6, 2018 T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) unveiled T-Mobile Essentials, a new plan designed to meet the needs of the millions more Americans now covered by the Un-carrier’s rapidly expanding network. As always, T-Mobile is listening to customers, and T-Mobile Essentials is designed for those who say they just want the basics: unlimited talk, text and smartphone data in the U.S. – all at the industry’s best price, only $30 per line for a family of four with autopay.
T-Mobile Essentials Unveiled
T-Mobile’s LTE network has tripled in size over the last three years and now reaches nearly every American! That means lots of new people in new parts of the country, many of whom just want the freedom to use their smartphone without worrying about overage penalties. They don’t plan to travel outside the country or use their phone as a hotspot. That’s who T-Mobile Essentials is for.
Of course, most people want more, and that’s why T-Mobile ONE is the Un-carrier’s most popular option, setting the bar across the industry. T-Mobile ONE has all the value and extras that most customers want – the industry’s best travel benefits, Netflix included for families, unlimited mobile hotspot and so much more – for just $40 per line, taxes and fees included, for a family of four with autopay.
“The other guys got one thing right – some customers just want the basics, but the Carriers did it all wrong,” said John Legere, CEO at T-Mobile. “They seem to be doing everything they can to turn rate plans into a hot, confusing mess. They’ve got Above Unlimited, Unlimited Plus, Beyond Unlimited, Unlimited and More…Unlimited and More Premium?! No wonder nearly half of Verizon and AT&T customers are still stuck on data bucket plans with overage penalties. The other guys make it sooo confusing! The Un-carrier wants to make it easy. Give customers the options they want … but keep it simple, stupid!”
And for power users, T-Mobile also offers ONE Plus with all the most-popular premium services like high-speed mobile hotspot (with twice the high-speed data, a total of 20 GBs, and unlimited 3G speeds after, starting August 10) HD streaming, caller ID and more – for just an extra $10 per line when you add ONE Plus for the whole family or $15 for a single line.
T-Mobile Essentials will be available in T-Mobile stores nationwide starting August 10 and starts at $60 for a single line, $30 for the second line and just $15 per line for lines 3-6, plus taxes and fees with autopay. Without autopay, it’s $5 more per line. During times and places with heavy network demand, Essentials customers may notice slower speeds than other customers. More information about T-Mobile Essentials is available right here.
Customers using>50GB/mo. may notice further reduced speeds. Video typically streams at 480p. Unlimited data while on our network. Credit approval, deposit, and $25 SIM starter kit may be required.
T-Mobile US, Inc. a Bellevue-based company has announced that its Q2 numbers have been the best in company history. Here are some of the highlights from T-Mobile’s record setting second quarter:
T-Mobile Announced Its Best Q2 So Far
Industry-Leading Customer Growth
1.6 million total net additions – 21st consecutive quarter with more than 1 million net additions
1.0 million total branded postpaid net additions – supported by continued strong postpaid other net additions
686,000 branded postpaid phone net additions – led industry for the 18th consecutive quarter
91,000 branded prepaid net additions – flat year-over-year despite increased competitive activity in the market
Record low 0.95% branded postpaid phone churn, down 15 bps year-over-year
Service revenues up 7% to $7.9 billion – led industry for the 17th consecutive quarter
Total revenues up 4% to $10.6 billion
Net income up 35% to $782 million and diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.92
Adjusted EBITDA(1) up 7% to $3.2 billion
Net cash provided by operating activities(3) up 14% to $1.3 billion
Free Cash Flow(1)(3) up 61% to $774 million
Network Expansion Continues, Garners Industry Accolades
T-Mobile now covers 323 million people with 4G LTE – targeting 325 million people by year-end 2018
Aggressive deployment of 600 MHz in Q2 2018, augmenting existing low-band capabilities on 700 MHz
Fastest LTE network according to Ookla; outright winner in 5 of 7 categories in most recent OpenSignal study
Continued Strong Outlook for 2018
Increased target for branded postpaid net customer additions of 3.0 to 3.6 million
Net income is not available on a forward-looking basis(2)
Increased Adjusted EBITDA target of $11.5 to $11.9 billion including leasing revenues of $0.6 to $0.7 billion(1)
Cash purchases of property and equipment, excluding capitalized interest, of $4.9 to $5.3 billion, unchanged from the prior target range, now expected to come in at the high end of the range. This includes expenditures for 5G deployment
Three-year compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) for Net cash provided by operating activities and Free Cash Flow from FY 2016 to FY 2019 also unchanged at 7% – 12% and 46% – 48%, respectively(1)(3)
T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) reported record results in the second quarter of 2018 with industry-leading branded customer growth, record-high service revenues, record-high Q2 profitability, and record-low postpaid phone churn. The Un-carrier has changed wireless for good and proven that putting customers first is the best way to deliver sustained, industry-leading results. T-Mobile continues to balance growth and profitability – delivering records in both categories in the second quarter of 2018.
T-Mobile once again outperformed the competition as the company continues to optimize its offers for key segments of the market, expand into new geographies and set the standard for customer experience. This has resulted in growth in postpaid phone net additions both sequentially and year-over-year as the Un-carrier again leads the industry in the second quarter with nearly twice the aggregate postpaid phone net additions of Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and Comcast combined and more than three times the net additions of our next closest competitor, Comcast. In addition, the company delivered record-low postpaid phone churn of 0.95% – the best result in company history. These results have translated into record-high service revenues, which T-Mobile has now grown year-over-year for 17 quarters in a row.
“T-Mobile just recorded its best Q2 in company history,” said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile. “That means 21 quarters with over one million net adds, record-high service revenues, industry-leading postpaid phone net additions, and record-low postpaid phone churn. Our business is strong, our strategy is working and we won’t stop!” Industry-Leading Customer Growth
T-Mobile continues to deliver industry-leading customer growth, and Q2 2018 was no different. We once again led the industry in branded postpaid phone customer net additions, capturing about two thirds of the segment. Customers continue to choose the Un-carrier over the competition as we put all our energy and efforts into giving our customers more value and treating them right.
Quarter
Six Months Ended June 30,
(in thousands, except churn)
Q2 2018
Q1 2018
Q2 2017
2018
2017
Total net customer additions(2)
1,579
1,433
1,333
3,012
2,475
Branded postpaid net customer additions
1,017
1,005
817
2,022
1,731
Branded postpaid phone net customer additions (1)(2)
686
617
533
1,303
1,331
Branded postpaid other customer additions (1)
331
388
284
719
400
Branded prepaid net customer additions(2)
91
199
94
290
480
Total customers, end of period (2)(3)
75,619
74,040
69,562
75,619
69,562
Branded postpaid phone churn
0.95
%
1.07
%
1.10
%
1.01
%
1.14
%
Branded prepaid churn
3.81
%
3.94
%
3.91
%
3.87
%
3.96
%
(1)
During the third quarter of 2017, we retitled our “Branded postpaid mobile broadband customers” category to “Branded postpaid other customers” and included DIGITS customers and reclassified 253,000 DIGITS customer net additions from our “Branded postpaid phone customers” category for the second quarter of 2017, when the DIGITS product was released.
(2)
As a result of the acquisition of Iowa Wireless Services, LLC (IWS), we included an adjustment of 13,000 branded postpaid phone and 4,000 branded prepaid IWS customers in our reported subscriber base as of January 1, 2018. Additionally, as a result of the acquisition of Layer3 TV, we included an adjustment of 5,000 branded prepaid customers in our reported subscriber base as of January 22, 2018. Customer activity post acquisition was included in our net customer additions for Q1 2018.
(3)
We believe current and future regulatory changes have made the Lifeline program offered by our wholesale partners uneconomical. We will continue to support our wholesale partners offering the Lifeline program, but have excluded the Lifeline customers from our reported wholesale subscriber base resulting in the removal of 4.4 million reported wholesale customers as of the beginning of Q2 2017.
Total net customer additions were 1.6 million in Q2 2018, bringing our total customer count to 75.6 million. Q2 2018 marked the 21st straight quarter in which T-Mobile generated more than 1 million total net customer additions.
Branded postpaid net customer additions were 1.0 million in Q2 2018, up 200,000 from Q2 2017. Strength in postpaid phone net additions and postpaid other net additions, driven by wearables, drove the year-over-year increase.
Branded postpaid phone net customer additions were 686,000 in Q2 2018, up 153,000 from Q2 2017. This marks the 18th consecutive quarter in which T-Mobile has led the industry in this category. Sequentially and year-over-year, branded postpaid phone net customer additions increased due to continued growth in existing and Greenfield markets, the growing success of new customer segments such as T-Mobile for Business, T-Mobile ONE Unlimited 55+, and T-Mobile ONE Military, as well as record-low churn.
Branded postpaid other net customer additions were 331,000 in Q2 2018, up 47,000 from Q2 2017. Year-over-year the increase was due to higher gross customer additions from connected devices, specifically the Apple watch, partially offset by lower DIGITS gross customer additions and higher deactivations from a growing customer base.
Branded postpaid phone churn was a record-low of 0.95% in Q2 2018, down 15 basis points from Q2 2017, primarily due to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty from ongoing improvements to network quality, industry-leading customer service and the overall value of our offerings in the marketplace.
Branded prepaid net customer additions were 91,000 in Q2 2018, down 3,000 from Q2 2017.
Branded prepaid churn was 3.81% in Q2 2018, down 10 basis points compared to Q2 2017, primarily due to the continued impact from the optimization of our third-party distribution channels which was substantially completed during Q1 2017, partially offset by higher deactivations from a growing customer base and increased competitive activity in the marketplace.
Strong Financial Performance
Our strong customer results translated into record financial results. T-Mobile again posted record-high service revenues, and Q2 marks the 17th quarter in a row where we led the industry in year-over-year service revenue percentage growth. In addition, the company posted strong net income and record Adjusted EBITDA.
J.D. Power Announced Top Spots For Customer Care Company. J.D. Power announced on August 2 that T-Mobile has received the highest score of any company, ever, in the 2018 J.D. Power U.S. Wireless Customer Care Full-Service Study—Volume 2 – for the second time in a row! This marks the 16th time T-Mobile ranks highest among full-service providers in the study since 2004. In addition, MetroPCS took home the win in their respective Non-Contract Full Service segment for Overall Customer Care in the adjacent 2018 J.D. Power U.S. Wireless Customer Care Non-Contract Study—Volume 2. That’s a lot of happy wireless customers!
J.D. Power Announced Top Spots For Customer Care Company
Just 6 months ago, T-Mobile delivered the U.S. Wireless Customer Care Full-Service study’s highest overall wireless satisfaction score ever – 828. This time around, T-Mobile topped itself – and everyone else – with a new record high of 839! T-Mobile is now the only company in the study’s history to set a new record high, in the same category, twice in a row. Continue reading “J.D. Power Announced Top Spots For Customer Care Company”
T-Mobile and Nokia announced on July 30,2018 a landmark $3.5 billion agreement to accelerate the deployment of a nationwide 5G network. Nokia will provide T-Mobile with its complete end-to-end 5G technology, software and services portfolio, assisting the Un-carrier in its efforts to bring its 5G network to market for customers in the critical first years of the 5G cycle.
T-Mobile-Nokia $3.5 Billion 5G Network Agreement
“We are all in on 5G,” said Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer at T-Mobile. “Every dollar we spend is a 5G dollar, and our agreement with Nokia underscores the kind of investment we’re making to bring customers a mobile, nationwide 5G network. And together with Sprint, we’ll be able to do So. Much. More.”
As part of the agreement, Nokia will help build T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network with 600 MHz and 28 GHz millimeter wave 5G capabilities compliant with 3GPP 5G New Radio (NR) standards. Continue reading “T-Mobile-Nokia $3.5 Billion 5G Network Agreement”
Tupl Seeks to Become the Standard in AI for Networking Operations
Bellevue-based Tupl, working on automating wireless network operations, just announced that Bellevue-based T-Mobile has deployed its Automated Customer Care Resolution (ACCR) tool. Tupl’s platform uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to resolve technically complex and time-consuming issues.
T-Mobile Essentials Unveiled
J.D. Power Announced Top Spots For Customer Care Company
