Internet Protocol (IP) is the technology used by virtually every telecommunications company today. Considering we’re now well into the 21st century, it is more than appropriate to commence a dialogue on the regulatory and competitive implications of transitioning from an original network technology that has its origins in the 19th century, more than 100 years ago. The transition to IP networks holds the potential for enormous benefits, including greater efficiencies for carriers and new, innovative services for consumers at lower prices. Although conversion to a different technology has been underway for years, regulators cannot afford to simply assume the transition by itself eliminates the need for all oversight of the relationship between incumbents and other carriers. To the contrary, it is more important now than ever for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure network interconnection arrangements keep pace with the new technology’s many benefits.

The “IP transition” has multiple facets and many important implications, including increased consumer broadband options, availability of new and innovative services, and more efficient, lower-cost networks are a few of the major ones. This last aspect can be one of the principal benefits of the IP transition: the deployment of a more efficient and reliable IP network architecture that is able to reroute traffic to avoid outages. IP networks are self-healing and redundant, allowing alternate routes to be created dynamically. As a result, interconnection among networks requires far fewer points of interconnection (POIs), and those interconnection points are completely unrelated to the hub-and-spoke design of the current public switched network, which is tied to traditional ILEC (incumbent local exchange carrier) tandem switch locations. In this respect, one of the ways we can tell if the IP transition has “succeeded” is whether we are able to move to a physical network structure that is more rational, effective, and efficient than the traditional tandem-centric telephone network.

Industry and consumers will not reap the full benefits of the IP transition so long as competitive carriers are required to deliver IP traffic to tens of thousands of different POIs used today in legacy wireline networks. Large incumbent carriers are resisting efforts to update interconnection arrangements with other carriers, while at the same time seeking to undo all FCC oversight. Those carriers continue to require competitors to exchange communications traffic at a huge number of different sites and argue that they have no obligation to interconnect using IP technology. Indeed, even when their own affiliates use IP technology, some incumbents require competitors to down-convert to the old technology before interconnecting.

The incumbent carriers’ arguments for removing FCC regulation in this area are as antiquated as the technology to which they continue to cling. Simply put, they want the authority to raise prices and refuse network interconnection to competitors (or offer it only on their own unilateral terms). Because no telecommunications network can stand entirely on its own—on the simplest level, one carrier’s customer must be able to call another carrier’s customer—deregulating, as these largest carriers suggest, would be devastating to competition and consumers. It would also undermine the very efficiency and reliability purposes of converting to 21st century technology.

Instead of stepping away from all regulation, the FCC should establish a set of regional POIs for IP interconnection, which would serve as defaults in the event carriers are unable to negotiate mutually agreeable arrangements. The FCC should also take steps to facilitate a trial to test those POIs, as well as other interconnection obligations and rights in the new technological environment. A new look at regulation is certainly warranted as we convert to IP technology. The new technology by itself, however, does not justify wholesale relinquishment of regulatory oversight needed to ensure the transition lives up to its enormous potential benefits.

With limited time and resources, it is easy for small businesses to stick to the same trusted technology strategies and solutions year after year.

So, how do small businesses get “unstuck” in 2013?

T-Mobile Vice President of B2B Marketing Milan Ruzicka discusses tips and tricks with Barry Moltz, a serial entrepreneur, small business consultant, and the author of several books on small business success.

MR: Thanks for taking time to talk today, Barry. What would you say is the biggest obstacle for small businesses looking to reimagine their business strategy in 2013?

BM: For most small businesses, the biggest obstacle is understanding how today’s consumer makes purchasing decisions. There are no longer geographic barriers to distribution, and online peer and product reviews are increasingly important buying criteria. As we discuss in Small Town Rules, this makes a company’s reputation – online and off – more important than ever. Today’s small businesses must work hard to keep that reputation strong.

MR: Any advice on addressing that obstacle?

BM: Focus on customer service as a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Listen to what customers are saying about your company, make changes based on their suggestions, and build a community for your raving fans. Ask and incentivize customers to post reviews online. Potential customers will value that “earned media” more than advertising or traditional marketing.

MR: With so many mobile technologies and more than a million available mobile apps, how can businesses key up? What new mobile technologies or applications should businesses adopt in 2013?

BM:  There will always be more technologies and devices than any one business can employ. The key is to find the technologies that will add true value to one’s specific business needs and the applications that will give a small business the data to make its employees productive and its customers happy. Of course, adopting new technology usually requires an upfront time and money investment; however, the right technology can be even more beneficial than a second (or third) set of helping hands.

For example: As businesses continue to mobilize, collaboration technologies and applications that allow secure document sharing and project management via mobile devices will become critical to their success. Also, as I mentioned earlier, online community management is increasingly important. Applications able to aggregate content from social media channels and other online communities will prove their worth almost immediately.

Other mobile applications with great return on investment include Square, which helps businesses take on-site, mobile payments, and Any.DOor Astrid, both project management applications which help set tasks and reminders for small business owners and their employees.

MR: What are some of your other favorite applications?

BM: Sure, here are some of my favorites:

PushBullet: Moves snippets of what you need easily from your computer to your phone for later use.  This includes files, messages, to-do lists and addresses.

 

Password Wallet: It is becoming increasingly hard to remember all your passwords. This app stores them all in one place on your phone. A real time saver! http://www.selznick.com/products/passwordwallet/index.htm

 

Everclip: Makes it easy to clip anything you find on your smartphone to Evernote. http://vimeo.com/44396882


 

Pocket:  This app creates a list of items to read later instead of the pressure to focus on it now. http://getpocket.com/


 

Sleep pillow:  Experts show that the key to being more productive is to get a good night sleep. This sleep machine app plays sounds that make it easy to fall asleep. (especially when in a noisy hotel room). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2268fVUoyc

 

Text Web:  This app lets you download only the text part of the website. A real time and battery saver! http://textweb.fabapps.com/

 

Cam Card:  Put all those business cards to good use. Take them out of your pocket, scan them with your phone and either add them to your contact list or export them to your favorite CRM program. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM9mSpG224c


 

Ego:  Stop wondering. Find all the stats for your website and social media feeds right on your phone. http://ego-app.com/


 

Flightview:  This is a favorite app for frequent business travelers. It tells the user where a flight is originating from.  Many times the airline does not update departures based on when the inbound flight gets to a departure location. http://www.flightview.com/corporate/products/flightview-mobile-apps.aspx

 

MR: You talk a lot about the importance of customer service in your book, BAM! Delivering Customer Service in a Self-Service World. How can mobile help small businesses maintain, even grow, their customer base in 2013?

BM: Think there are some key tenets small businesses should embrace to grow their business and turn customers into raving fans:

1. Provide your customers with multiple ways to connect with your business – including phone, text, email, a mobile website or app, and social media – and assign employees to closely monitor each one of these channels.
2. When talking and engaging with customers, keep it simple, be transparent, and provide value. Avoid the trap of constantly trying to “sell” your service or product.
3. Respond to customers quickly (in real time, when possible). Hint: mobile devices allow you to do so.

MR: Thanks for your time and insight, Barry.

Note: The opinions expressed above are not necessarily the opinions of T-Mobile. Listed apps have not been reviewed by and are not endorsed by T-Mobile.

The stakes are high as the Federal Communications Commission makes plans to conduct its first ever “incentive” auction of spectrum licenses with frequencies coming from broadcasters to be re-purposed for mobile broadband services.  If all goes well, the auction can serve as a model for competition and getting encumbered spectrum efficiently redeployed for wireless broadband use.  A misstep, however, could undermine the outcome most desired – namely, stimulating investment and encouraging the rapid expansion of the mobile broadband services consumers so crave.

Conducting a successful auction of low-band spectrum that enables a diverse makeup of winners is not only important for competition, but also will generate significant revenue for the US Treasury.  We urge the FCC to move ahead quickly to make this crucial spectrum available as soon as possible.

We are working with the FCC and other stakeholders to ensure that the 600 MHz band plan, the “forward” auction, and the “reverse” auction all work in concert to reallocate and reassign spectrum from broadcast television to mobile broadband uses.  T-Mobile’s proposals call for some tweaks to the FCC’s already well-conceived plan. 

First, with regard to the band plan, the Commission should work to maximize the amount of paired spectrum made available through the clearing process, avoid interference to and from licensed wireless and broadcasting services, and enable device performance and size consistent with existing smart phones and tablets.  With such principles in mind and subject to continuing evaluation, a group of wireless carriers, broadcasters, and manufacturers recently suggested locating all paired spectrum above TV Channel 37.  While we are open to further study with the FCC on the best plan to maximize paired spectrum in the auction, this approach has the benefit of avoiding certain potential interference issues that exist with the FCC’s lead plan and would encourage rapid development of devices that meet consumer expectations for cost and size.

Second, in designing the forward auction, the FCC should adopt policies that accelerate the auction, thereby lowering the costs of, and encouraging participation in, both the forward and reverse auctions.  Offering “generic,” fungible spectrum licenses that are not frequency-specific within each geographic area and separating the licenses by Major Economic Areas rather than the smaller Economic Areas would help increase auction efficiency.  In addition, the FCC should promote interoperability across all paired 600 MHz band channels by adopting an express interoperability requirement and by using a quasi-random assignment process to assign generic 600 MHz blocks.

Most importantly, to promote long-term competition, encourage auction participation, and prevent the further consolidation of spectrum below 1 GHz, the Commission should adopt rules that prohibit any licensee from acquiring more than a certain percentage of spectrum below 1 GHz, applied on a market-by-market basis.  As we have noted elsewhere, adopting a spectrum-based cap equal to one-third of the available commercial mobile spectrum below 1 GHz would give bidders reasonable assurances that they can meaningfully compete for spectrum in a geographic area without the risk of only one or two of the largest carriers commandeering the entire market.  Increasing the potential for successful participation will lead to increased participation by competitive carriers and ultimately increased revenue.

Finally, to repurpose the optimum amount of broadcast spectrum for broadband use, we support the FCC’s goals of ensuring its reverse auction design promotes widespread participation by broadcast incumbents as well as efficient clearing of sold spectrum following the auction.  Maximizing broadcaster participation will require just the right mix of financial incentives as well as careful attention to mechanisms that shorten and simplify the auction.  Similarly, spectrum clearing rules must be both broad enough to satisfy minimum closing conditions for revenue, and granular enough to ensure that broadcasters who wish to exit a given market may do so.  Enhancing broadcaster participation and, when feasible, calibrating clearing rules to local or regional market conditions, will increase the amount of spectrum available for broadband use and lead to a more successful incentive auction.

Over the years, the FCC has consistently demonstrated its creativity in designing a variety of ways to repurpose and assign spectrum to keep pace with technological and market advances.  The incentive auction of television broadcast spectrum presents one more challenge to the FCC, as well as the wireless and broadcast industries.  T-Mobile has no doubt that, with diligent planning and pro-competitive rules, the broadcast incentive auction will be one of the most successful auctions to date.

[Click here to read T-Mobile’s detailed proposals to the FCC on the incentive auction.]

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By Bentley Alexander, South Region Vice President of Engineering for T-Mobile USA

Starting this week, tens of thousands of football fans will flock to New Orleans and share their game-time experiences through calls, texts, status updates, and photo and video sharing. With mobile phones making it possible to share every touchdown, field goal, and interception with the world, access to fast and reliable network coverage is crucial. In addition, New Orleans is furiously preparing for Mardi Gras season in February, when more than 40,000 people are expected to flood the streets day and night for parades and entertainment.

T-Mobile has spent the last year focused on improving our 4G network to get ready for these special events, both of which will likely draw the biggest crowds of 2013. As part of these preparations, we’ve made significant network upgrades and enhancements in the New Orleans area, including:

• Enhanced voice and data capacity on its 4G network in areas in and around New Orleans where the highest traffic is expected such as the Central Business District, downtown area and Weidenberg Park;
• Installation of infrastructure connected to a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) providing in-building support for customers at and nearby the Superdome;
• Deployment of COWs (Cells on Wheels) that will add voice and data capacity near and around Weidenberg Park to support crowds attending the concert series;
• Implementation of site specific “special event parameters” to help increase voice or data capacity based upon traffic trends;
• Establishment of a “Command Center” to ensure network quality is maintained at a high level in real-time by the T-Mobile network team.

Need a charge? Fans and festival attendees can take advantage of the T-Mobile SUV traveling around town, with TVs, video games, and device charging stations.

And it’s not just for visitors, customers living in New Orleans will be able to benefit from our network enhancements long after the game has been won and the Mardi Gras masks and costumes are put away.

T-Mobile’s nationwide 4G network reaches well over 220 million people in 229 metro areas delivering a fast and dependable wireless experience that is on par with or better than competing 4G networks. As we continue to aggressively invest billions of dollars in our network, the great news for T-Mobile customers is that the competitive experience we deliver today will get even better through network modernization, which is currently underway, and our rollout of LTE this year.

In 2012, we saw the expansion of near field communication (NFC) technology in a number of smartphones, enabling T-Mobile customers to tap or bring their phone within close proximity of another NFC-capable device or phone to exchange and share content, including paying with a tap of their phone, wirelessly charging a phone or instantly sharing pictures, videos and links.

T-Mobile is a leader in bringing NFC technology to its customers and currently offers a wide variety of NFC capable phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S^® III, Google Nexus 4, Windows Phone 8X by HTC®, Nokia® Lumia 810™, Samsung Galaxy Note II, Samsung Galaxy S® Relay™ 4G and Samsung Galaxy S® II.

Beyond our innovative device portfolio, we also enable NFC technology with such accessories as:

• The Nokia Wireless Charging Stand uses NFC to charge the Nokia Lumia 810 and launch apps like the alarm clock or Pandora when you place the phone on the dock.
• Samsung TecTiles is an app that lets you change settings on your phone, launch applications, check-in to places, update social status, or even make phone calls or send text messages automatically.
• The Samsung Galaxy HM3300 Bluetooth Headset offers easy NFC pairing by simply tapping the headset to an NFC-enabled phone or Bluetooth device.
• The Samsung AllShare Media Huballows T-Mobile customers to connect their Samsung enabled device wirelessly to any HDTV or HDMI display.

This year, T-Mobile is bringing even more NFC capabilities to life. One of the most talked-about NFC advances in 2012 was the launch of Isis, the exciting, new mobile commerce platform. Isis allows T-Mobile customers a convenient way to shop, pay and save, all with the tap of a phone. The service launched citywide test programs in Austin and Salt Lake City this year with eyes on expansion in 2013 – giving additional T-Mobile customers the chance to experience safe, secure mobile payments.

Beyond our current NFC offerings, T-Mobile is working with a number of partners to bring a variety of NFC technologies to market, including Chase, one of the first banks to sign onto the Isis program, which allows select Chase credit cards, such as Chase Freedom®, to function within the Isis Mobile Wallet™.

T-Mobile is actively working to make NFC a reality – today, tomorrow and down the road.

By Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer for T-Mobile USA

Today, we’re announcing technology advancements in 14 new metro areas to close out 2012, underscoring our rapid enhancements to the already powerful 4G experience we offer. This has been a busy year for T-Mobile’s network — we announced a $4 billion plan to advance the network, secured vendors and quickly got to work installing new equipment across the country. Only 10 months after announcing our plans, we’ve already enhanced coverage for more than 100 million people!

These upgrades will now provide voice and data enhancements, improved signal strength and in-building coverage for customers who live in or are planning holiday visits to:

• New York, including The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island
• Newark, N.J., including the surrounding cities of East Orange, Elizabeth, Jersey City, North Bergen, Paterson and Union City
• Boston and Cambridge, Mass., including the surrounding cities of Amherst, Andover, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Billerica, Braintree, Brockton, Brookline, Burlington, Canton, Chelmsford, Chelsea, Chicopee, Dedham, Everett, Framingham, Hadley, Holbrook, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lexington, Lowell, Ludlow, Lynn, Malden, Marblehead, Medford, Melrose, Metheun, Milton, Nahant, Natick, Needham, Newton, Quincy, Reading, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Sommerville, Stoneham, Swampscott, Tewksbury, Wakefield, Walpole, Waltham, Watertown, Weston, Westwood, Weymouth, Wilmington, Winchester, Winthrop and Woburn
• Springfield, Mass.
• Providence, R.I., including the surrounding cities of Cranston, North Providence, Pawtucket and Warren
• Philadelphia
• Detroit and Warren, Mich., including the surrounding cities of Dearborn, Romulus, Royal Oak, Sterling Heights and Troy
• Dallas, including the surrounding cities of Arlington, Carrolton, The Colony, Denton, Farmers Branch, Flower Mound, Frisco, Garland, Grand Prairie, Irving, Lancaster, Lewisville, McKinney, Mesquite, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett and Southlake
• Fort Worth, Texas, including the surrounding cities of Keller and Mansfield
• Austin, Texas including the surrounding city of Round Rock
• San Antonio
• Tampa, Fla., including the surrounding cities of Clearwater, Largo, Safety Harbor, St. Petersburg and Vinoy Park

Customers in these metro areas can also bring their unlocked AT&T smartphones to T-Mobile and experience a significant speed boost on our network with most devices, while also saving up to $50/month compared to AT&T.*

T-Mobile will continue to expand the network advancements in these metro areas and has begun coverage enhancements in additional areas, including parts of Los Angeles and San Diego, where customers are already experiencing improved coverage and unlocked iPhone “speed sightings” on T-Mobile’s 4G network.

*Internal tests of unlocked iPhone 4S devices running over 4G (HSPA+) on our 1900 network recorded on average 70% faster download speeds than iPhone 4S devices on AT&T’s network. Savings based on comparison of T-Mobile $69.99/month Unlimited Talk, Text and Data plan against AT&T Unlimited Talk, Text, and 3GB Smartphone Data plan. Does not include taxes, fees or promotional offers. Plan features and limitations vary.

Neville Ray is chief technology officer for T-Mobile USA. He is responsible for the management and development of T-Mobile USA’s network, as well as the company’s IT services and operations.

HayesPisciotti

By Terry Hayes, Vice President and General Manager Northeast  Region and Marty Pisciotti, Vice President and General Manager Great Valley Region

In late October, “Superstorm Sandy,” crashed into the Northeast with shocking and ferocious force. As leaders of T-Mobile’s Northeast and Great Valley Regions, which encompass all of the areas that were most hard-hit by the storm, we were stunned by the unprecedented flooding and wind damage that had such a devastating effect on so many people.

At T-Mobile, we saw it firsthand as many of our own employees in the area were severely impacted by the storm.

In recent weeks, we’ve been very proud of some of the things we’ve been able to do to assist in Superstorm Sandy relief efforts. Here are a few stories.

Partnering With Community FoodBank of New Jersey

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey distributes 39 million pounds of food and groceries each year, helping to support approximately 900,000 people in 18 New Jersey counties. But the FoodBank has been challenged to keep up with the incredible need throughout New Jersey. T-Mobile employee Angela Porter-Williams had a vision to help. In less than two weeks, she worked together with her colleagues and the food bank to provide food, clothing, and cleaning supplies to thousands of New Jersey residents.

T-Mobile’s donations included 14,000 pounds of food contained in 500 boxes, 1,700 cleaning supply items, almost 100 winter coats for school children, and about 250 pairs of gloves given directly to eleven school principals for distribution within area schools. In addition, T-Mobile provided a cash donation for another $10,000 to the FoodBank. Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford declared that day “T-Mobile Day.”  While we thank the Mayor for that, we think it should have been declared “Neighbors’ Day.” To be sure, these were T-Mobile employees who helped. But many are also New Jersey residents, friends, and neighbors.

Charging Phones in the Rockaways

A peninsula extending from the Southwestern end of Long Island, the Rockaways, was hit harder than most by Superstorm Sandy. With power still out weeks after the storm and a curfew that forbade many people from staying in their own homes overnight, there was no question that people needed help in the Rockaways. One thing they needed desperately was a way to charge their phones so they could stay in touch with loved ones, friends, and emergency assistance services.

T-Mobile brought in 2 coach buses and a T-Mobile Branded RV each capable of charging 50 phones at a time, and we quickly discovered that “community” can be found in the most unusual of circumstances. Rather than just letting people charge their phones and stand in the cold, we invited them into our RV. We hooked up televisions and played movies while phones were being charged.

Staying in Touch in New Jersey Red Cross Shelters

Shortly after the storm hit, T-Mobile reached out to the American Red Cross to see what we could do to help in shelters they had established throughout the state of New Jersey. We provided hundreds of cell phones, pre-loaded with wireless service, to every single shelter in the state. Additionally, T-Mobile donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross’s storm relief efforts. We also opened up text-to-give opportunities, enabling T-Mobile customers to donate as well. To help spur even more giving via text messages, we said we would match the next $100,000 donated by our customers. Guess what? It took our customers only two days to donate that amount, triggering another $100,000 donation from T-Mobile. And our customers are still donating. All told, T-Mobile and our customers have now donated more than $850,000 to Red Cross relief efforts.

We couldn’t be more proud of the way T-Mobile employees and customers continue to help communities in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.

By Flavio Rossi, Senior Vice President of Procurement and Supply Chain Operations for T-Mobile USA

The EPA estimates about 90 percent of cell phones end up in landfills or are disposed of improperly, posing potential harm to the environment.

Since 2008, T-Mobile has been bringing customers together to take positive action and help the environment with our handset and accessory recycling program. Anyone can drop off a cell phone (any make, model or carrier), batteries, accessories or netbooks at any T-Mobile retail location in the U.S and have it recycled free of charge. Also, cell phone collection bins have been placed at Bellevue, Wash., colleges, city offices and T-Mobile’s corporate campus for convenient drop-off.

Since the program began, we have recycled more than 950,000 cell phones, and the benefits are substantial. Because cell phones contain precious metals, recycling not only conserves these materials, but also helps prevent pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that for every 1 million cell phones recycled, 35,284 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered. In addition, T-Mobile has saved enough energy to power more than 185 U.S. households with electricity for a year. By 2014, T-Mobile’s goal is to recycle at least 1 million cell phones per year.

Today, we’re excited to share that earlier this week, T-Mobile was selected as the winner of a Supply Chain Distinction Award, in the Green Supply Chain category, from Supply Chain Logistics 2012 North America. The award recognizes companies whose supply chain and logistics strategies have produced return on investment through reduced energy and fuel consumption, water usage, waste output, and/or carbon footprint.

In addition, T-Mobile was a 2012 Green Award recipient from Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine, which recognized companies that make green or sustainability a core part of their supply chain strategy and work to achieve measurable sustainability goals within their own operations and supply chains, in the areas of Sourcing/Procurement, Fulfillment/Logistics, Operations and Product Lifecycle Management, among others.

Flavio Rossi is responsible for all aspects of T-Mobile USA’s indirect and device procurement, planning, fulfillment, forward and reverse logistics, repair, product management for device insurance and equipment financing plans, procurement policy and compliance.

By Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer for T-Mobile USA

Continuing T-Mobile’s fast-paced work to enhance our powerful 4G experience across the country, we’re announcing today technology advancements in five metro areas, including the windy city of Chicago; Reno, Nev.; and Fresno, Sacramento and Southern Calif.

T-Mobile has now enhanced the network in 23 metro areas, and we have already reached 100 million people with this improved network experience.

These upgrades will now provide voice and data enhancements, improved signal strength and in-building coverage for customers who live in or are planning holiday visits to:

• Chicago, including the surrounding areas of: Aurora, Berwyn, Chicago Heights, Cicero, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Evanston, Evergreen Park, Naperville, Oak Park, Schaumburg, Wilmette and Winnetka.

• Reno, Nev.

• Sacramento, Calif., including the surrounding areas of: Antelope, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Loomis, North Highlands, Rancho Cordova, Rio Linda, Rocklin, Roseville, Vacaville and West Sacramento.

• Fresno, Calif.

• Southern Calif., including: Alhambra, Anaheim, Claremont, Culver City, El Monte, Encino, Garden Grove, Granada Hills, Inglewood, Irvine, La Crescenta, Laguna Niguel, Monrovia, Monterey Park, Newport Beach, North Hills, North Hollywood, Paramount, Pasadena, Redlands, Reseda, Rosemead, Santa Ana, San Fernando, San Gabriel, Santa Monica, South El Monte, Temple City, Torrance, Upland, Valley Village, Van Nuys, Westminster and Wilmington.

Customers in these metro areas can also bring their unlocked AT&T smartphones to T-Mobile, and experience a significant speed boost on our network, while also saving up to $50/month compared to AT&T*.

T-Mobile network advancements also continue in additional areas including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, the New York metro area, Philadelphia, and San Diego. Customers in parts of these metro areas are already experiencing improved coverage and unlocked iPhone “speed sightings” on T-Mobile’s 4G network.

Neville Ray is chief technology officer for T-Mobile USA. He is responsible for the management and development of T-Mobile USA’s network, as well as the company’s IT services and operations.

* Internal tests of unlocked iPhone 4S devices running over 4G (HSPA+) on our 1900 MHz network recorded on average 70% faster download speeds than iPhone 4S devices on AT&T’s network. Savings based on comparison of T-Mobile $69.99/month Unlimited Talk, Text and Data plan against AT&T Unlimited Talk, Text, and 3GB Smartphone Data plan. Does not include taxes, fees or promotional offers. Plan features and limitations vary.

Kathleen Ham, Vice President, Federal Regulatory Affairs, T-Mobile USA

Spectrum is the lifeblood of a competitive wireless industry. There are a dozen more ways to say it, but the simple fact is that all wireless operators must have a meaningful opportunity to acquire additional spectrum if they want to continue participating in the U.S. mobile broadband marketplace. At the same time that consumer demand for mobile broadband services is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, the pool of potential sources of additional suitable spectrum has diminished considerably. This means that the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) current review of its mobile spectrum holdings policies is more critical than ever.

The FCC has always had rules to promote a pro-competitive distribution of spectrum among multiple carriers. Originally, it used hard “caps” that prohibited operators from obtaining more than a specified amount of spectrum in their service areas, but in 2001, it instituted a more flexible spectrum screen approach that relies on a case-by-case review of individual transactions.

The substitution of a soft screen for a cap made perfect sense a decade ago when the wireless market was still developing and spectrum was more plentiful. But, the world has changed dramatically since that time, and today there is significant risk that the most dominant carriers will obtain a lock on the spectrum market, particularly the valuable lower band frequencies. Absent a change in the rules to reflect the growing demand for spectrum and the different values of the wide array of bands that can meet that demand, the future vibrancy of the U.S. wireless marketplace is far from certain.

T-Mobile has proposed a sensible compromise between the “anything-goes” and the “bring-back-the-old-days” camps.  For spectrum up for auction, the FCC should re-adopt a cap on an entity’s overall spectrum holdings in a market, as well as determine whether a market and band-specific cap is appropriate for each new auction. For secondary market transactions, however, the Commission should continue to apply a case-by-case approach, including the use of a spectrum screen, which allows it to undertake a more particularized analysis of the acquirer’s spectrum holdings.  And, in both cases, the FCC’s policies should recognize that spectrum below 1 GHz is especially vital for mobile broadband services, and evaluate it accordingly through a separate cap in the auction context and a separate screen in transactions.

A bright-line limit on auction-acquired spectrum would remove much of the uncertainty that exists today. Conducting an auction and then, only when it is over, determining on a case-by-case basis whether winning bidders must divest spectrum introduces significant inefficiency and unfairness into the auction process itself.  It also potentially disadvantages other bidders in an auction who have to compete against entities that may be willing, for strategic reasons, to bid aggressively for licenses in excess of a screen.  In addition, pre-2001 auction history demonstrates that spectrum caps do not deter participation in, or the proceeds gained from, the auction. When the FCC imposed an auction-specific cap on personal communications service (PCS) spectrum, there was just as much bidding activity (adjusted for the number of licenses available) as there was with no auction-specific cap in the auction of advanced wireless service (AWS) spectrum, and the prices for which the spectrum sold, on MHz/pop basis, were the same for both auctions.

The considerations militating in favor of caps for auctions generally are not present in transactions.  In auctions, the inability to assess whether the FCC would permit spectrum aggregation beyond the screen affects other bidders, while in a transaction review, only the parties to the contract are directly affected by the FCC’s evaluation of spectrum holdings.  And, while post-auction divestitures are almost always messy, the FCC routinely approves mergers and acquisitions requiring post-transaction divestitures.  Indeed, if properly designed, such divestitures can be an effective remedy for anti-competitive spectrum accumulation by the acquiring party.

The FCC now has the perfect opportunity to better align its policies to reflect the current wireless landscape. T-Mobile’s proposed hybrid solution will give all carriers more equitable access to critical spectrum resources, with the added benefit of providing more efficiency and fairness in the FCC’s auction processes.  These modest rule changes will promote competition, helping to ensure continued strength and innovation in the U.S. wireless marketplace.