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Wireless Federation » archive for 'MetroPCS'

MetroPCS’ subscriber growth doubles, led by low cost tariffs (USA)

  • October 7th, 2008
  • 6:44 am

MetroPCS sees it’s a double subscriber growth in Q3′08, even at the time when the economy is facing a lag. The operator offers a low cost tariffs which has led the total subscriber base to 4.85 million, an addition of 249,265 subscribers. The low cost tariffs which MetroPCS offers are flat-rate pre-paid plans without subscriptions, largely to subscribers whose credit is in tough shape.
MetroPCS saw a fall in churn from 0.4% point from a year earlier to 4.8%.

   

MetroPCS takes Virgin Mobile to court (USA)

  • October 6th, 2008
  • 5:35 am

Metro PCS takes Virgin Mobile USA to court. Metro PCS is suing Virgin Mobile over a program launched by MetroPCS named MetroFlash, which allows phones from various other carriers to be reconfigured to work on MetroPCS network.
MetroFlash was launched on June 26 and operates on non MetroPCS CDMA phones.

   

Leap signs a roaming agreement with MetroPCS (USA)

  • October 1st, 2008
  • 5:51 am

Leap Wireless International and MetroPCS have signed a roaming agreement and have settled litigation between them, media reported. A ten-year nationwide network roaming deal will enable subscribers of each firm to use the other’s networks when out of their own coverage area. But under the spectrum exchange agreement, Leap is planning to buy spectrum from MetroPCS covering parts of California, Washington and Oregon, while MetroPCS will obtain licences from Leap in parts of Texas and Florida.

MetroPCS to switch to LTE (USA)

  • August 18th, 2008
  • 6:05 am

For the launch of its 4G data network, ‘in the not-so-distant future’, the company palns to switch to Long Term Evolution (LTE)  proclaimed Regional CDMA operator MetroPCS’s Chairman, President and CEO Roger Linquist.

MetroPCS reports net adds (USA)

  • April 8th, 2008
  • 2:38 pm

The US cellular operator MetroPCS attracted more than 451,700 net new subscribers in the first quarter of 2008, taking its total customer base to 4.4 million. Growth was boosted by its entry into the Los Angeles market in the third quarter of last year. Quarterly churn stood at 4%, unchanged on the year-ago period but down from 4.8% in the final three months of 2007. MetroPCS focuses on offering flat-rate unlimited calling plans with no long-term contracts or credit checks.

   

 

Leap and MetroPCS merger could resurface next year (USA)

  • December 19th, 2007
  • 7:23 am

A report from the Wall Street Journal is suggesting that MetroPCS’s failed move to agree a merger with rival cellco Leap Wireless International could still be on the cards with Leap’s share price having plummeted since the offer was made. MetroPCS made its USD75.05 per share offer back in September but the Leap board rejected it, claiming the price was too low; Leap shares were valued at around USD72.50 at the time but have since fallen to less than half that on the back of a disappointing set of 3Q 2007 financial results. Under FCC rules, the two cellcos are now unable to discuss the merger until after the government’s 700MHz spectrum sale has completed next year, though the Wall Street Journal says that the chances of the deal being resurrected are high.

   

 

Leap Wireless gives MetroPCS the cold shoulder (USA)

  • November 2nd, 2007
  • 10:26 am

MetroPCS, the cheapo US cell phone operator, doesn’t want to buy Leap Wireless anymore - because it can’t get its takeover target to talk turkey. In September, MetroPCS made an unsolicited bid for its smaller rival, saying the combo would become a new national wireless carrier, covering 200 local US markets. Backtracking today, the cellco noted:

While there is widespread investor and analyst enthusiasm for a merger between the two companies, MetroPCS has not been able to engage Leap in meaningful negotiations regarding MetroPCS’ merger proposal.
But not enough enthusiasm from investors, it seems, or enough stomach from MetroPCS board members, to sweeten the deal with a seller’s premium, or to mount a hostile bid.

If the combination of MetroPCS and Leap is as compelling as Metro thinks, then it can only be a matter of time before two cellcos speaks as one. In the meantime MetroPCS is talking up its standalone prospects, pointing to a recent launch in US and, new market launches pencilled for the end of ‘08 or early ‘09.

   

Sprint expands Boost offer (USA)

  • October 24th, 2007
  • 2:06 pm

Sprint Nextel says it is to expand the coverage of its Boost Mobile flat-rate unlimited mobile calling plan to an additional ten states. A trial of the scheme in California and Texas has prompted the carrier to enlarge the Boost footprint to cover Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee. A deal has been struck with the Wal-Mart retail group to sell Boost products in 900 outlets across the twelve states. ‘Our trial of Unlimited by Boost has been well-received by value-seeking wireless customers. With the expansion of additional markets and distribution outlets, we are pleased to make the service available to a much wider audience,’ commented Mark Angelino, president of sales and distribution at the cellco. The Boost tariff is real competition to firms such as MetroPCS and Leap Wireless which have based their offerings on similar flat-rate unlimited plans.

   

 

MetroPCS launches in LA (USA)

  • September 20th, 2007
  • 9:29 am

MetroPCS has expanded its coverage, launching its first services in greater Los Angeles. The Dallas-based cellco, which offers exclusively pre-paid packages, has added eleven million people to its network footprint and says it intends to be covering all 15 million people in the city by the end of next year.

MetroPCS is one of a number of US operators which targets low-end users with flat-rate unlimited calling plans, with its tariffs starting at USD30 a month for unlimited local calls, rising to USD50 a month for unlimited national calls, text and picture messaging, and mobile internet and e-mail access. The firm already covers eight metro markets, including San Francisco, Detroit, Dallas and Sacramento. It has 3.5 million subscribers, but is looking to almost double in size by acquiring rival operator Leap Wireless; the Leap board has rejected MetroPCS’ first offer.

   

 

Leap rejects MetroPCS offer (USA)

  • September 17th, 2007
  • 12:48 pm

The board of Leap Wireless International has rejected a USD5.5 billion all-stock takeover offer from rival US cellco MetroPCS. Leap says the USD69.03 per share offer is ‘inadequate’ and that it is ‘not in the best interests of Leap and our shareholders’. A statement from Leap says the MetroPCS valuation fails to take into account Leap’s ‘robust’ growth prospects. It goes on to state that Leap has in the past attempted to open talks over a possible merger or strategic collaboration with MetroPCS, but its moves were rejected. MetroPCS maintains that its offer is fair and says it has received a favourable response from some Leap shareholders.