And the market shrinks again... soon we'll be back where we started, with one telecom company.
this post was submitted on 28 May 2024
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I've said it before, and I will say it again: the endgame of a capitalist system are monopolies or cartels.
Usually it takes the following steps:
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Bunch of little start-up - everyone wants a piece of the pie
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Some start-ups can't hack it and either go under or are absorbed by other start-ups
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Surviving start-ups grow to mid-size of major sized ventures depending on how many competitors or competitor market shares they absorbed
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Repeat step 2 with remainder of companies until a few are left
Presto changeo you got yourself a cartel or monopoly. Consumer power is nil.
Example sectors to look at for this: food production industry, mining, computing/silicon Valley
Silicon Valley. Silicone Valley would be something... different. You might find that in Nevada someplace, around Las Vegas.
While I am roasting you in this meme, you legit had a good catch. Thanks for that. Autocorrect, I guess.
I'm just pointing out Cunningham's law lol. Never fails
eli5:
Multiplayer Katamari Damacy. Last one standing wins.
100% true. Capitalist firms will always be motivated to get the most people possible, to pay as much as possible, for as little as possible.
checks
U.S. Cellular is tiny, and of the Big Three, T-Mobile is the smallest. AT&T is about the size of T-Mobile and Verizon combined.
My third point covers this
if att is so big why do they seem to suck so much?
Because they can?
I wonder if there's an inverse relationship between an institution's size versus its competency.
AT&T is about the size of T-Mobile and Verizon
So, AT&T, the Deutsche tel / pacNWBell fka AT&T Frankenstein, and Bell Atlantic fka AT&T
They're all AT&T except for the part of Pac NW Bell AT&T that got bought by, essentially, German AT&T.
I want to believe they don't collude and perform, but I've lived in Canada and seen the decades-long dance between Rogers(fka Shaw fka AGTel + BCTel) and Rogers(Rogers) before they became just Rogers.
And now I'm sure that was all founded on a sugar empire.
But our major players have been dancing around each other for a long time before one bought the other -- and I'm sure it's just to save on Green Fees at the club because it's not one corporate rate.
In 2, there's generally no difference whether they go under or not. If they had anything valuable when they went under, it's absorbed by a competitor. Machines, labor, etc.
Once the ladder's pulled then it's the Purge
The challenge is the startup costs and retaining skilled help. The only folks with the resources to cover these costs do so with the expectation of selling the company for more money, a long term investment for the investor. Gathering these resources without the expectation of selling or being the one buying others is probably untried and hugely difficult.
Good thing T-Mobile just upped my bill, so they can afford to buy up their competitors!
Can’t wait until it’s only 3 companies that just charge the most they can possibly charge.
Have you MET Canada?
Hey, this is America. Why stop at 3? With Verizon purposely not spending the capex to build out their 4G/5G networks to match what their old 3G network could do, they and T-Mobile can merge to "compete against AT&T (now the largest network by square miles in the US thanks to the FirstNet spend) on some made up reason" before you know it.
Why not one carrier? For national security or some other flim flam excuse.
Same, since when is it ok for phone carriers to just raise the mobile bills? Oh wait it's 2024, and now it's normal for this shit. Seriously going to start looking at another carrier now. Don't want their Go5G bs plan, so they will now jack my rates to force me to move to it? Fucking leaches
T mobiles service has been degrading since they acquired Sprint. I imagine this will only make it worse.
As a Google Fi customer, I have noticed this. I bought into Fi because in my neck of the woods, T-Mo tended to cover Sprint's gaps, and vice versa, and Fi used both. So while the process of switching between them was sometimes glitchy, I could get coverage anywhere in town. Now, it seems they might have turned off Sprint's towers here, believing that T-Mo has them covered, so I am out of signal in some places.
I also bought into Fi for the free international roaming, and it's still the cheapest plan for that if you don't mind being billed by the Gb. But I don't travel as much internationally now as before the Pandemic. But if Fi continues to not work in many places they might force me out.
T-Mobile never intended to use Sprints infrastructure. They wanted the rights to their 5g midrange spectrum. As a previous sprint user, post acquisition I lost signal everywhere in my county because t mobile isn’t there. Had to switch to Verizon as AT&T had zero coverage too.
The coverage maps say there is coverage, but there isn’t. Hell, even Verizon is spotty there but it’s better than it was on the other two.
I've had issues with fi, like having strong 5G signal but extremely slow data rates. Only thing that keeps me from switching is the $50 month for 2 lines.
I'm also concerned that dialing 911 may not work. Once I tried calling the state patrol hotline (*CSP in Colorado)to report an aggressive driver and the call would not connect. I contacted Fi support and they were not helpful and suggested I try "testing" a call to 911.
Currently 3 lines @ $120 monthly family plan. Called to switch to two lines but it would be more expensive. Fuck T-Mobile
tmobile (and sprint when it existed) and att suck around here. they are only built-up along the interstate. verizon (through acquisitions) and uscc were the legacy cellular providers. towers everywhere, in every small town and every other farm field in between. it'll make tmobile better here, but at the expense of higher prices across-the-board with one less player in a game with far too few left.
Another monopoly. Celebrate everyone
att still exists, duopoly not monopoly
Give them time, they'll merge.
Why merge when they can pretend to compete and work together to raise their prices?
Well we have to give off the appearance so the ilk wont come after us.
I’m not sad to see US Cellular dissolve. Their assets will be put to better use by an actual national carrier with an actual national footprint. I was always hoping Sprint and US Cellular would merge for a 4th national carrier but obviously that ship has sailed with T-Mobile acquiring Sprint a few years ago.
I don't love the consolidation in this industry, but I know the big draw was the spectrum US Cellular holds.
They just bought Mint Mobile as well. They need to be broken up!
What the fuck! I am a US Cellular customer and hate T mobile after they fucked me over years ago. This bullshit. Us Cellular great for those who can't always pay on the due date. They will give you extensions..T mobile does not fuck them.
Just hoping the white Sox don't rename to t mobile like how every Canadian arena is called rogers