| Cult of Mac

T-Mobile makes 5G just $15 a month. Maybe.

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T-Mobile 5G service
T-Mobile 5G hits the airwaves next month, for way less that most people probably expected.
Photo: T-Mobile

When the 5G iPhone launches next year, it’ll be able to connect to the T-Mobile 5G network for as little as $15 a month. That’s half what the carrier currently charges for 4G service.

Dropping prices seems to part of T-Mobile working to convince skeptics that its merger with Sprint will be a big win for consumers. And that’s the ringer here: its new ultra-low cost plan is available only if the merger goes through.

FCC approval makes T-Mobile/Sprint merger almost a done deal

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FCC chairman Ajit Pai isn’t down with China Mobile coming to the United States.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai openly supports the big T-Mobile/Sprint merger.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

The Federal Communications Commission reportedly will grant approval for the multibillion-dollar merger of T-Mobile and Sprint. This is one of the last hurdles before the third- and fourth-largest U.S. carriers can blend into a single entity almost as large as AT&T and Verizon.

Say goodbye to Sprint! T-Mobile merger gets green light

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sprint-will-stop-offering-two-year-contracts-to-smartphone-customers-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads20150814890791433_1f9247f163_h-jpg
You won’t be seeing these signs for much longer.
Photo: Sprint

The US Department of Justice just signed off on the biggest telecommunications deal in many years. This was the last real hurdle in the $26 billion merger of Sprint into T-Mobile.

The carriers had to agree to sell off some assets to win this approval. Still, every iPhone owner who’s a Sprint customer will soon be hearing from T-Mobile.

T-Mobile and Sprint’s merger could earn DoJ approval this week

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T-Mobile CEO John Legere with the Phone BoothE.
Sprint and T-Mobile are 'all-in' on their merger.
Photo: T-Mobile

The long-awaited merger between T-Mobile and Sprint could finally be approved by the Department of Justice this week. The deal requires the agreement of the DoJ in order to proceed.

Provided that it goes through, the merger will create a company valued at $160 billion. The merged companies will also have to help establish a new fourth wireless competitor to replace the one being taken away.

Most Americans are excited about 5G

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2020 could be Apple's greatest year so far
There’s pent-up demand for a 5G iPhone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A large percentage of Americans are happy that 4G wireless networks are being supplanted by faster 5G ones, according to a recent survey by a respected market-research firm. And a majority of US consumers are very interested in getting a phone that supports these speedier networks.

T-Mobile and Sprint may have to create a new wireless carrier in U.S.

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T-Mobile CEO John Legere with the Phone BoothE.
Deal between T-Mobile and would be worth $26.5 billion.
Photo: T-Mobile

The Department of Justice are happy to let T-Mobile and Sprint’s merger complete — on one condition. In order for the $26.5 billion merger to proceed, the DOJ wants the companies to help with the creation of a new wireless carrier.

This would address the concern about a merger stifling competition by reducing the number of major U.S. carriers. But as Bloomberg points out, “spinning off a full-fledged national competitor would be a high bar for T-Mobile and Sprint to meet.”

Department of Justice could still block T-Mobile and Sprint merger

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T-Mobile CEO John Legere with the Phone BoothE.
T-Mobile CEO John Legere shows off the iPhone.
Photo: T-Mobile

The U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust division staff has reportedly asked the agency to squash the giant merger between T-Mobile and Sprint.

The massive deal would see the third and fourth largest U.S. carriers combine. It was previously signed off by the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

Sprint and T-Mobile merger takes giant step toward approval [Updated]

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FCC chairman Ajit Pai isn’t down with China Mobile coming to the United States.
FCC chairman Ajit Pai says its OK for there to be three nationwide carriers instead of four.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

Your iPhone may soon have one less option for wireless service. The Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has signed off on the merger of Sprint and T-Mobile. This is a significant step toward the third and fourth largest U.S. carriers becoming one.

Update: An unconfirmed report indicates that the Justice Department might nix this merger.

U.S. carriers are no longer sharing customer location data

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Significant Locations
Your location data is no longer up for grabs.
Photo: Cult of Mac

U.S. carriers have (mostly) put an end to the practice of selling customer location data to third-parties, a new report reveals.

This dodgy practice was previously carried out by giants including T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. They passed on this data to middlemen, which then sold the information to other companies without getting the necessary permission from users.

FCC tries to confirm carriers stopped selling phone location data

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Apple Maps reservation OpenTable
You can’t escape your phone company tracking you, but the FCC can make them stop selling the information.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The CEOs of the big four US wireless carriers were asked by an FCC commissioner whether they’ve stopped selling their customers’ real-time location data, as they had promised to do.

Published reports in recent months indicated that the locations of Americans were being sold without their permission of even knowledge.