AT&T eats T-Mobile and I am FURIOUS!
Now THAT’S a Super Moon!”
While everyone was distracted looking at that EXTREMELY over-hyped Super Moon this weekend (seriously, what was the big deal? It looked the same as always here…) AT&T announced it plans to buy T-Mobile for $39 billion. This is apparently cause for everyone to run around in circles screaming, because it means there will now really just be one GSM carrier in the US, and fewer choices mean it’s more likely we’ll have to bend over and take it at some point.
That’s a fair point, but that is not why I am pissed about this would-be merger (and pissed I AM!). No, what really ticks me off here is that not ONE of the articles covering this multi-MUTLI-billion dollar merger started with the words “Well, the rumors were true…” or “Looks like reports in the New York Times/Bloomberg were right”. No, this merger, of two GIANTS in the communications world, appears to have caught everyone off guard.
So why should this anger me? Well, first, because I am easily angered. But second, because the merger of two telecom giants would appear to directly affect about 120 million people in the US (and probably a hundred million more if you factor in future price gouging by all wireless carriers) yet Apple can’t update the iPod SHUFFLE without us knowing about it 5 months out. I suppose as fanboys we should actually take this as a compliment to Apple, as anything they do gets more ink than any other company, often months before there is even anything factual to write. But as someone who likes to be surprised on Christmas morning, I’m tired of everyone shaking my gifts from Apple and telling me what size and color they are before I get a chance to unwrap it.
Apparently it IS still possible to keep a secret in the tech world. I wish Apple could figure out how.
FYI, here’s some hard data on the “supermoon”. You’re right – it was only about 2% bigger than last month or next month.
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/118265299.html
Thought it hadn’t happened yet, as it was awaiting “regulatory approval”…short for…who ever can line the governments pockets the most..
It should be a good thing for coverage and for the strength of the network. Adding another 35 million or so potential customers won’t be so bad for Apple, either. The big question is how customer costs will be affected.
Small correction: It’s just the T-Mobile business in the US, not ALL of T-Mobile…
Not to mention that those with T-mobile will go from having great customer service to have little to no customer service. And the HUGE issue of being less competition, so the customer gets raked over the coals again. I had ATT for a time and there is a reason i am not with them any more. Pissed me off to!