[trsbbs]

T-Mobile’s Legere Said Likely CEO After Sprint Merger - Bloomberg

"John Legere, the chief executive officer of T-Mobile who�s known for wearing company-branded shirts and taunting his competitors on Twitter, is likely to run the combined company, according to two people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because the plans are private."

Does this mean JC will get BB tossed off Sprint as well?

[LoneStarRed]

Doubt it.

[anon(5818411)]

he better not, he's a child

[grover5]

I like him. He's changing the US mobile landscape for the better.

Posted via CB10

[raino]

I like him. He's changing the US mobile landscape for the better.

IMO, he was bought in for exactly one reason: to make TMO an attractive target for a sale. They sure added a bunch of customers, but not one quarter under him did they post a profit. Heck, the losses didn't even stabilize in the right direction under him.

[donmateo]

T-Mobile CEO John Legere Has A $24 Million Payment In Sprint Buyout - Business Insider

This is no surprise. Guys a weasel and a child.

[cbvinh]

IMO, he was bought in for exactly one reason: to make TMO an attractive target for a sale. They sure added a bunch of customers, but not one quarter under him did they post a profit. Heck, the losses didn't even stabilize in the right direction under him.

If the sale happens, then he did his job... and shaking up the U.S. mobile market was a fringe benefit to us all.

I can't see Hess staying. Money losses and losing customers... and $15 billion deal with Apple.

[raino]

If the sale happens, then he did his job... and shaking up the U.S. mobile market was a fringe benefit to us all.

If the sale happens, it would have been exactly that--a shaking up of the market, not something permanent. That does not happen when 4 becomes 3.

[tchocky77]

If the sale happens, it would have been exactly that--a shaking up of the market, not something permanent. That does not happen when 4 becomes 3.

For once I agree with you. I like Legere. And I like TMobile. Bit I want them to remain disruptive.

Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!

[Rello]

I like it. He's a very different CEO and i like it. Call stuff like it is. Hope he continues to shake up the wireless industry

Posted via CB10

[raino]

For once I agree with you. I like Legere. And I like TMobile.

My wallet likes TMO too, but I don't like Legere. So don't get used to it.

[lnichols]

Hesse is a horrible CEO so of the two of them, I'm sure they would go with Legere. I just hope they migrate that sh1t *** CDMA network of Sprint over to HSPA/LTE and bury it in the tech graveyard. The only thing of value of Sprint to T-Mobile network is towers and user base, the network technology is inferior! And I was a Sprint customer for 10 years and watch the CF that was their 4G rollout(s). It was a Circus. T-Mobile's rollout has been amazing and well though out in comparison.

Posted with a BlackBerry Z10

[TGR1]

If the sale happens, it would have been exactly that--a shaking up of the market, not something permanent. That does not happen when 4 becomes 3.

It could truly be disruptive if either Sprint or TMo were actually competitive with the top two carriers in the most important areas such as coverage. As it is, they did cause some small responses in plans at the big two even with their relatively weak positions.

I really like TMo's features but their coverage is so bad for me at work that I am almost certainly going to switch to Verizon soon. Even AT&T struggles in my office area.

[Troy Tiscareno]

IMO, he was bought in for exactly one reason: to make TMO an attractive target for a sale. They sure added a bunch of customers, but not one quarter under him did they post a profit. Heck, the losses didn't even stabilize in the right direction under him.

You don't seem to understand how the mobile business works. Acquiring customers is expensive, because the company has to buy the phones outright up-front, and provide financing for most customers, plus, in some cases, they are paying off customers' ETFs. In a quarter where you acquire a lot of customers, as T-Mo has done, your acquisition costs go way up. BUT... down the road, all of those customers are generating revenue, and the following quarters you make a bunch of money.

T-Mo's problem was that it lacked customers, and Legere solved that problem - T-Mo has grown like it has never grown before, at a HUGE rate considering it was in 4th Place with a fairly small customer base. That growth is going to mean a lot of profits for T-Mo next year.

[raino]

You don't seem to understand how the mobile business works. Acquiring customers is expensive, because the company has to buy the phones outright up-front, and provide financing for most customers, plus, in some cases, they are paying off customers' ETFs. In a quarter where you acquire a lot of customers, as T-Mo has done, your acquisition costs go way up. BUT... down the road, all of those customers are generating revenue, and the following quarters you make a bunch of money.

T-Mo's problem was that it lacked customers, and Legere solved that problem - T-Mo has grown like it has never grown before, at a HUGE rate considering it was in 4th Place with a fairly small customer base. That growth is going to mean a lot of profits for T-Mo next year.

That's all well and good Troy, but do you realize it's already been a year since Simple Choice was launched? So where are the profits? Hell, where was the minimal (compared to previous quarters) loss in Q1 2014? Losses last quarter grew by 7.5x over Q4 2013. Losses have also been increasing starting Q3 2013 to Q1 2014. By its own estimates, TMO doesn't expect rapidly declining ARPU to stabilize until the end of this month--Q2 2014. And it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the customers are flocking because of the low prices, not because they have a warm and fuzzy feeling about TMO. How long will TMO be able to pay off ETFs and come up with one gimmick after another, refarm its EDGE network to LTE (the largest EDGE network in the nation, IIRC,) compete on prices (which AT&T/Cricket and Verizon are giving it a tough fight over, with matched or reasonably priced tiers of their own?) And what strategies are in place to turn the red into black? Hell, Legere tried to cancel employer discounts and had to reverse course when too many people complained.

And then there's the auction looming.

Too bad the analysts aren't as upbeat as you are:

“Our analysis shows that neither Sprint nor TMUS have enough revenue to cover their fixed costs and it is highly unlikely that both will capture enough new revenue to do so,” the analysts wrote, pointing out that they believe Sprint and T-Mobile need to raise an additional $10 billion in the next 18 months to remain competitive, an effort that could be stymied by market conditions.

[Troy Tiscareno]

They continue to lose money up-front because they are continuing to acquire lots of new customers, and acquisition costs are high.

I owned a contracting company that installed DirecTV and Dish Network satellite TV systems, and both companies had exactly the same issue, for the same reason. They would advertise or create a good deal, and they'd get a bunch of new customers, but that process would kill their profits for a couple of quarters until the promotion/ad campaign was over and all the new customers installed. They didn't break even until the 14th month of a customer's contract on average, because the cost of the equipment, installation, and sales commission had to all be paid for up-front, and that was a lot of money. But the second year and beyond that they had that customer, they started making good money from them.

If T-Mo wants to show profits, all they have to do is stop working hard to acquire new customers - end the ETF buyouts and greatly reduce conversion advertising, then wait a quarter, and the big profits will appear, because the acquisition costs will already be spent, and without many new customers, those costs will drop massively, allowing revenue to exceed operating costs again.

I went through many cycles like this with the satellite companies over 7 years, and every time a growth cycle was created, profits crashed and investors got shook up, but the companies got stronger.

[DenverRalphy]

If I recall correctly, T-Mo had openly stated that they would be focusing on expansion and growth through 2014. Taking losses throughout the plan's execution was not only likely, it was expected and planned for. They've executed that plan very well, and would probably continue that plan through to completion even if the Sprint deal hadn't come to be or doesn't follow through. And they've got enough padding to see it comfortably through regardless what happens.

[raino]

If T-Mo wants to show profits, all they have to do is stop working hard to acquire new customers - end the ETF buyouts and greatly reduce conversion advertising, then wait a quarter, and the big profits will appear, because the acquisition costs will already be spent, and without many new customers, those costs will drop massively, allowing revenue to exceed operating costs again.

It's not as simple as that. There are other costs--much bigger than customer acquisition costs--as well: refarming the network (especially with the self-set ambitious goal of refarming the entire PCS network to LTE by the end of 2015,) spectrum auction, phone purchases, etc. Plus, keep in mind, there are no service contracts either, so while you may get the phone paid off if the already acquired customer bolts, you may still end up eating some of the ETF credit.

[Troy Tiscareno]

You are right about there being other costs, but those re-farming costs are more-or-less fixed - it will cost what it costs no matter how many customers T-Mo has. The difference is that by acquiring a bunch more customers, they'll have that many more users helping to pay those costs. And even though there is no contract, they still have excellent lock-in due to having the best pricing on the market.

Legere may rub some people the wrong way because of his direct manner, but he is absolutely the best thing that could have happened to T-Mo, and to the whole industry for that matter.

[crazigee]

T-Mobile CEO John Legere Has A $24 Million Payment In Sprint Buyout - Business Insider

This is no surprise. Guys a weasel and a child.

Why because he doesn't like BlackBerry?

Posted using my Z10 via CB10

[crazigee]

he better not, he's a child

Why is he a child?

Posted using my Z10 via CB10

[raino]

Why because he doesn't like BlackBerry?

As Global Crossing Rebounds, Critics Question Role of CEO - Los Angeles Times

Does that clear things up re: John Legere?

[crazigee]

As Global Crossing Rebounds, Critics Question Role of CEO - Los Angeles Times

Does that clear things up re: John Legere?

No it doesn't. It's one critical article.

I very much doubt that people would be calling him that if it were not for the BlackBerry trade-in campaign he helmed.

Posted using my Z10 via CB10

[raino]

No it doesn't. It's one critical article.

...in a publication that's not the Verge, BGR, or even CrackBerry. Are you challenging the facts presented therein?

I very much doubt that people would be calling him that if it were not for the BlackBerry trade-in campaign he helmed.

Doesn't change the facts about how he's acted in the past.

[slagman5]

I like him. He's changing the US mobile landscape for the better.

Posted via CB10

LOL, well, that's the gimmick he's going for. I wonder why people who believe in that don't wonder why the only people advertising it that way is T-mobile themselves? Have you read any articles written by independent companies talking about T-Mobile changing the industry for the better of the consumers? No? It's only in his own speeches and their own advertisements where that is stated? Hm... I wonder why...

Wake up man, they are not trying to "help" anyone except their own pocketbooks...

Look at their "promotions." The paying off your ETF's is only if you turn in your device. Now, most ETF's are less than the worth of your device. They are taking them, and likely selling them to MAKE A PROFIT after you turn them in and they pay off your ETF. Look at their plans, $40 for unlimited everything? You wish, read the fine print. Only the first gig or something will be at 4G LTE speeds, the rest would be throttled. The plans offering truly unlimited speed and downloads is just as high as the competitors, and frankly, T-Mobile doesn't have the best network, and Sprint is even worse, so this merger will not help that...

And the whole no contract thing, how does that really help you? You're obligated to pay for the full price of the phone! The contract plans give you massive discounts on the phone and if you were planning on staying with that carrier anyway, it benefits you much more than having to buy the phone full price. You can do that yourself on any carrier, just buy a phone and then you can sign up for the carrier's service contract free. How is that unique to T-mobile? Here's how, now they don't even offer the contract to those who want it, so they never have to sell a new smartphone at a highly discounted rate. All of their phone sales are at full price. Helping the consumer? LMAO!!!

Then they get rid of the percentage discounts and replace it with a one-time little rebate. Of course, they advertise this as "helping the consumer" by avoiding the "confusing" discount system... Yah... suckers fell for that too. This is helping their profits by no longer offering discounts. You save a whole lot more by recurring discounts than a one-time rebate...

Seriously, wake up people, they are out for profit just as much as any other carrier. Don't fall for their self-proclaimed service to the consumers, seriously...

?Posted without the aid of AutoCorrect with my physical keyboard via CB10?