AT&T CEO: T-Mobile Acquisition Is Good For Current AT&T Customers

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We know that T-Mobile US customers aren’t happy with big bad AT&T acquiring their mobile carrier, but what are current AT&T customers supposed to think about the deal? They seem to be mostly quiet on the issue, aside from a few that are concerned about T-Mobile customers adding to the already horrible AT&T networks in some cities. Don’t worry about that, says AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson. Stephenson says that the combined AT&T and T-Mobile networks will generate better network reliability, even for current AT&T customers.

Speaking to the “Council on Foreign Relations” think tank, Stephenson explained that the combined network would give AT&T’s network 30% more capacity across th board. PC Magazine also reports that he went on to repeat the line that we’ve heard before in connection to the acquisition - it’ll make 4G available to 95% of Americans.

Stephenson rejected the idea that the mobile industry in America was heading for a duopoly, saying that in each market there were five or six choices for mobile carriers. On their website MobilizeEverything.com, which provides information about the acquisition, AT&T says that smaller carriers in each market, like US Cellular, MetroPCS, Cellular South and Leap Wireless are providing strong competition, especially in prices, to the “major” carriers.

Stephenson didn’t seem to talk about the possibility of any more acquisitions by AT&T. The Wall Street Journal seems to believe that Stephenson will be trying to acquire more companies, just like his predecessor (and later Chairman of General Motors) Ed Whitacre. Whitacre is credited with transforming AT&T from the ancient landline phone company into the modern, massive mobile phone empire that it is today. Stephenson is surely continuing that campaign with the purchase of T-Mobile from Deutsche Telekom.

So, AT&T customers, what do you think about the deal? Do you welcome your future T-Mobile brothers? Tell us what you think in the comments section.