Metro Pcs makes Bid for Leap Wireless(Cricket)

[guy2]

MetroPCS Offers $5.12 Billion for Leap - Forbes.com

[larry]

This is one merger I would like to see happen!

[Mobile Mike]

So it looks like this is really going to happen this time. No more speculation. I think this is a smart move for both of them.

[danny boi]

Say hello to our nation's newest national wireless carrier.

MetroPCS proposes $5.1B merger with Leap - RCR Wireless News

We believe that the combination of MetroPCS and Leap is extremely compelling and will create significant value for the stakeholders of both companies," said Linquist. "The combined company will create a new national wireless carrier with licenses covering nearly all of the top 200 markets in the United States. … We are excited about the prospects this opportunity creates and plan to work diligently to enter into a transaction quickly."

[Mobile Mike]

So how many customers are part of this "new national wireless carrier"???

MetroPCS has over 3 million, but trying to get customer figures for Leap was like trying to find a needle in a haystack...

[danny boi]

Originally Posted by Mobile Mike

So how many customers are part of this "new national wireless carrier"???

MetroPCS has over 3 million, but trying to get customer figures for Leap was like trying to find a needle in a haystack...

Leap had 2.7 million subscribers @ the end of Q2 2007.


Leap's costs soar: Servicing costs rise 49% - FierceWireless - Wireless Industry, Wireless Technology News, Wireless Security News

[danny boi]

Originally Posted by larry

This is one merger I would like to see happen!

You better tell your boyz @ Sprint-Boost to buckle up. Metro's coming to a town near you and they'll spread their local unlimited plan philosophy all over the place.

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by YourDaddy

Leap had 2.7 million subscribers @ the end of Q2 2007.


Leap's costs soar: Servicing costs rise 49% - FierceWireless - Wireless Industry, Wireless Technology News, Wireless Security News

So the combined company will have around 6 million subs.

[PCSuser]

Originally Posted by YourDaddy

You better tell your boyz @ Sprint-Boost to buckle up. Metro's coming to a town near you and they'll spread their local unlimited plan philosophy all over the place.

Good Bye AT&T landline...

Hello Leap PCS!

Now if I can get it to where I have a plan which I can make unlimited local/LD calls, unlimited web, unlimited texts from Leap PCS -- and use it accross there WHOLE national network that'd be sweet!

I would do that and then pickup a T-Mo prepaid for anywhere they don't offer service.

I would surely drop Sprint in this case!

Now if they can only buy out ClearTalk -- because these guys are in Jacksonville, Florida and other large vital cities that Leap PCS would need.

Cricket already has an agreement with them though so who knows...

[Andy]

This is good news, although it would have been nice for ALLTEL to buy either Metro or Leap and expand.

A combined Metro and Leap will be a stronger company and hopefully slow down any of the larger riveral's ideas to gobble up the new entity.

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by Andy

This is good news, although it would have been nice for ALLTEL to buy either Metro or Leap and expand.

A combined Metro and Leap will be a stronger company and hopefully slow down any of the larger riveral's ideas to gobble up the new entity.

If any of them try, they'll have a much bigger piece to gobble up.

[larry]

I think this Metro/Leap deal will eliminate or at least delay any other attempt by anyone else to try to gobble them up. We still have US Cellular left and it will be interesting to see what happens to them.

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by larry

I think this Metro/Leap deal will eliminate or at least delay any other attempt by anyone else to try to gobble them up. We still have US Cellular left and it will be interesting to see what happens to them.

Larry, do you think this will help MetroPCS when they enter L.A.???

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Mobile Mike

If any of them try, they'll have a much bigger piece to gobble up.

And it will be much harder to get through I would hope.
I would have liked to see either ALLTEL or U.S. Cellular use either Metro or Leap to expand some of their licensed areas, but somehow I don't think they're interested, which brings up an interesting point about how they think they can survive against the big carriers.

[larry]

Originally Posted by Mobile Mike

Larry, do you think this will help MetroPCS when they enter L.A.???

Well Metro PCS is supposed to enter LA this month. They're already selling phones and service in Orange County and I think a few stores have opened in LA County as well. So this future merger with Leap will have no bearing on it for now. But it will enable them to connect LA with San Diego and have a much larger coverage area in So. Cal.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by larry

Well Metro PCS is supposed to enter LA this month. They're already selling phones and service in Orange County and I think a few stores have opened in LA County as well. So this future merger with Leap will have no bearing on it for now. But it will enable them to connect LA with San Diego and have a much larger coverage area in So. Cal.

You are right- it will enable them to connect their LA and San Diego markets, which may make the product a lot more appealing to some people. Native coverage in both, LA and San Diego is going to be huge I think for them.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by larry

I think this Metro/Leap deal will eliminate or at least delay any other attempt by anyone else to try to gobble them up. We still have US Cellular left and it will be interesting to see what happens to them.

Well, IF U.S. Cellular, ALLTEL and the new Metro/Leap combined (of course they would have to divest a little here and there) they would make a very nice alternative to the big cellular companies...but that will never happen.

[larry]

No, because Alltel was just bought by private investors (deal not even completed yet) and I doubt that they would be able to take on another merger any time soon.

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by larry

Well Metro PCS is supposed to enter LA this month. They're already selling phones and service in Orange County and I think a few stores have opened in LA County as well. So this future merger with Leap will have no bearing on it for now. But it will enable them to connect LA with San Diego and have a much larger coverage area in So. Cal.

This is what I was thinking too.

[RJB]

This is good great news

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by Andy

You are right- it will enable them to connect their LA and San Diego markets, which may make the product a lot more appealing to some people. Native coverage in both, LA and San Diego is going to be huge I think for them.

I'm sure this very idea crossed the minds of the head honchos of both companies. Ironic timing of this merger, I say...