2018 US Mobile Carrier Observations
Well the competition between the major carriers continues to move at a frenetic pace fueled by the race to standardize and test 5G, varying carrier strategies regarding the use of newly acquired spectrum and a resurgence of interest in unlimited data plans in both the consumer and enterprise markets.
The on-again, off-again merger talks between T-Mobile and Sprint seem to have hit a dead end in the closing weeks of 2017, disappointing customers and investors who were hoping to see a legitimate challenge to AT&T’s and Verizon’s market dominance put forth by the combination of the two smaller but complimentary carriers. In the wake of the failed merger talks, G2 has seen T-Mobile making a concerted effort to change its image in the enterprise arena by providing competitive proposals and displaying a renewed focus on technology and support for enterprise clients. Meanwhile, Sprint is hoping that continued support and investment from its parent company, Softbank, will allow it to continue to invest in network upgrades and grow its market share, but concerns remain regarding Sprint’s long term financial viability. Both AT&T and Verizon are continuing to expand and diversify their portfolios with various acquisitions including AT&T’s ongoing fight to acquire Time Warner. Cable operators like Comcast and Charter also continue to ramp up their efforts to become more significant players in the US wireless service market heading into 2018 but remain marginal players for most corporate environments .