mobile

Why is satellite TV provider Dish Network prepared to take on an enormous amount of debt and a potential bidding war with Japanese company SoftBank for Sprint Nextel? It's all about the spectrum.

Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen is known for being bold and taking risks. But no one in the wireless industry ever thought that he'd be gutsy enough to become the fifth national competitor in the wireless market.

Indeed, it seems that Ergen, who co-founded Dish, has no plans to go it alone in wireless. His plan to team up with Sprint and fortify the position … Read more

MetroPCS is asking its stockholders to give the thumbs-up to the latest buyout bid from T-Mobile USA parent Deutsche Telekom.

Following months of talks with MetroPCS, Deutsche Telekom finally sweetened its buyout offer Thursday, prompting the board of MetroPCS to amend its terms for the proposed merger.

Amid some concerns over the deal, Deutsche Telekom reduced the amount of debt the combined company would take on from $15 billion to $11.2 billion. The interest on the debt will also be lowered by 50 basis points, allowing the combined company to more easily pay it back.

To address fears that … Read more

It takes a revolution to effect a revolution.

This is the modest hope of T-Mobile, as it attempts to wean the American public off two-year plans.

In order to introduce the iPhone 5 to its mold-breaking community, the company has decided to keep it fairly simple.

Yes, it's co-opting the revolution for its own purposes.… Read more

T-Mobile and Dish Network may be the next two companies to walk down the aisle.

Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen informally talked to T-Mobile's parent, Deutsche Telekom, about a potential deal, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Deutsche Telekom, in turn, is considering a deal with Sprint Nextel, but may look to Dish if that merger falls through, the report said.

A deal would give Dish what it has badly coveted for a while: access to an actual wireless network that it can pair with its own satellite-TV service. With the satellite-TV business stagnating, Dish could lean on the faster-growing … Read more

NEW YORK--There are bright summer mornings in midtown Manhattan when tech enthusiasts happily line the streets around the famous Apple "cube" on Fifth Avenue or sneak to nearby carrier stories to land a new iPhone or iPad.

This was not one of those days. It was gray and soggy outside T-Mobile's flagship store in midtown Manhattan this morning, a wet reminder that winter isn't quite over despite what the calendar says. Similarly, T-Mobile hasn't yet succeeded in attempts to move past its own dark season.

But T-Mobile, for once, had a reason to celebrate. Today … Read more

Don't want to wait for the Samsung Galaxy S4 to hit stores? Then perhaps you'll be tempted by a new purple-hued version of Samsung's hit handset from last year, the Galaxy S3. Sprint announced it will sell a special Amethyst Purple GS3, as well as the older Pebble Blue and Marble White models, for $99.99.

Of course that discount applies only to customers who bring their service and phone number from other carriers, or existing subscribers who add another line. That lops $99.99 off the Galaxy S3's unsubsidized $549.99 price. You also have … Read more

The lines may not be as long as they typically are for the launch of a new iPhone, but T-Mobile customers and those looking to jump ship to the maverick wireless carrier are excited that the iPhone is finally coming to T-Mobile.

The company began selling the iPhone 5 in retail stores and online today. The carrier is selling the device at a discount compared to Apple and its other carrier rivals. The full price of the device from T-Mobile is $580, compared to the full price of $650 from Apple and other carriers. T-Mobile is also letting people finance … Read more

At long last, T-Mobile announced that it will carry its own iPhone 5, in addition to letting you bring over an unlocked iPhone 5 from another carrier, like from AT&T.

Yet, when T-Mobile's own iPhone hits stores on April 12, it'll be a slightly different model and experience compared with other carriers. Here's what's altered.

Unlimited 4G FaceTime Since T-Mobile has now switched over to a prepaid, no-contract model, anyone who has an unlimited plan ($70 per month for individuals) will be able to use the iPhone 5's FaceTime calling feature over both … Read more

For Facebook, all signs point to mobile. Hot on the heels of the social network launching its new Android skin, Facebook Home, the company confirmed to CNET that it has acquired mobile software startup Osmeta.

While Facebook is declining to comment further on the acquisition, TechCrunch reports that the buyout happened sometime in the month before last week's launch of Facebook Home.

Not a lot is known about Osmeta because it hadn't yet launched a commercial product, but its Web site says that it was "working on really, really interesting software technology."