What Should You Expect From The AT&T T-Mobile Merger?

-If you are a T-Mobile customer, don’t get excited about the possibility of having an iPhone soon.

“T-Mobile USA remains an independent company, as the acquisition is expected to be completed in approximately 12 months. We’ll continue to offer cutting-edge 4G devices like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G, as well as the new Sidekick 4G, the T-Mobile G2x and the G-Slate tablet coming later this spring.” (Source)

-Your billing cycle may be subject to change. AT&T uses a system of charging their customers ahead of time for services which will be used in the coming month, excluding overage charges. This will more than likely be adopted by T-Mobile now.

-Say goodbye to unlocking. Up until now, T-Mobile subscribers have been able to unlock their devices with provided codes. AT&T does not provide these liberties with their SIM cards. Instead, they charge roaming.

-It is very likely that T-Mobile will follow in the footsteps of the AT&T. This means the unlimited data plan will likely be dissolved. That way they can get more money when subscribers go over the 2GB limit.

-Rollover minutes will be welcomed. AT&T lets customers keep unused minutes for 12 months, T-Mobile’s “expire if unused” plans will probably be a thing of the past.

It seems that the industry has grown to where mergers and partnerships like this and the Microsoft/Nokia one are the only ways these companies can continue to grab marketshare or remain dynamic.