4 ms·

Might it be time for the US government to step in using eminent domain, seize the company and merge it into a different provider? Are other providers more secu

Might it be time for the US government to step in using eminent domain, seize the company and merge it into a different provider? Are other providers more secure or do we just hear about T-Mobile the most? Who should take over T-Mobile? [Edit] The more I think about this, perhaps another path to resolution would be to remove limited liability protections from companies that repeatedly put their customers at risk, especially given that phones are used as financial transaction authenticators. Perhaps some bank regulations need to find their way onto cellular providers.

usefulcat 4y ago
And then we'd be down to what, two wireless carries in the US? AT&T already tried to acquire/merge with T-Mobile some years ago but it didn't go through. I forget why, but probably due to antitrust issues. And wasn't Sprint just acquired/merged with not long ago, by T-Mobile IIRC?
- LinuxBender 4y ago
  And then we'd be down to what, two wireless carries in the US? I think you are correct. I don't like the idea of making a giant-bell yet once again but I also don't see a way to correct T-Mobiles obvious cavalier and brazen incompetence. Fines? Companies just factor that into the cost of doing business. Threat of losing their FCC license? I think collusion between business and government would drag that fight out for decades and probably even exacerbate the problem. March their leaders through town with a shame-nun? I don't know what would get real results quickly. Tack on some bigger fiduciary liabilities since phones are used to authenticate bank transactions? Perhaps if some powerful political leaders had nasty secrets revealed or lost money as a result of these hacks there might be action but that is a big if. That might never happen and that also assumes there is proper attribution.
- SkyMarshal 4y ago
  > I forget why, but probably due to antitrust issues. And wasn't Sprint just acquired/merged with not long ago, by T-Mobile IIRC? Yes and yes. We're down to three big mobile telecoms now, ATT, Verizon, T-mobile/Sprint. At least MVNO's are allowed though, plenty of those.
wankle 4y ago
What should not have happened is the Sprint T-Mobile merger. Like when Wells Fargo bought the failed bank (forget which one) after 2008, Wells Fargo went from a reliable company to all kinds of suspect things going on with our account. So far T-Mobile has been fine for us but we are seeing some marketing things floating around suggesting the Sprint influence might be having a negative impact on T-Mobile. I miss John Legere as the CEO, he had it going on.
- twodave 4y ago
  Wachovia[0], perhaps? [0] https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/testimony/alvarez20100901a.htm https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/testimony/alvarez2...
- LinuxBender 4y ago
  Those were awful mergers. Supposedly the US government has reduced the amount of rubber-stamping of these mergers and are said to be scrutinizing them more now. I suppose time will tell. I don't know how else to get real results on fixing poor security practices other than to remove all immunity and limited liability protections from businesses that repeatedly put their customers in harms way and that would have other incredibly bad ramifications.
- inferiorhuman 4y ago
  Washington Mutual maybe? Bank of America is in a similar situation, they're just NationsBank with a friendlier name on them now. NationsBank acquired BOFA in 1998 after BOFA lost a bundle on Russian bonds. The speed run on becoming one of the shittiest banks around continued in 2005 when they (NB/BOFA) acquired MBNA.

usefulcat 4y ago

And then we'd be down to what, two wireless carries in the US? AT&T already tried to acquire/merge with T-Mobile some years ago but it didn't go through. I forget why, but probably due to antitrust issues. And wasn't Sprint just acquired/merged with not long ago, by T-Mobile IIRC?

LinuxBender 4y ago
And then we'd be down to what, two wireless carries in the US? I think you are correct. I don't like the idea of making a giant-bell yet once again but I also don't see a way to correct T-Mobiles obvious cavalier and brazen incompetence. Fines? Companies just factor that into the cost of doing business. Threat of losing their FCC license? I think collusion between business and government would drag that fight out for decades and probably even exacerbate the problem. March their leaders through town with a shame-nun? I don't know what would get real results quickly. Tack on some bigger fiduciary liabilities since phones are used to authenticate bank transactions? Perhaps if some powerful political leaders had nasty secrets revealed or lost money as a result of these hacks there might be action but that is a big if. That might never happen and that also assumes there is proper attribution.
SkyMarshal 4y ago
> I forget why, but probably due to antitrust issues. And wasn't Sprint just acquired/merged with not long ago, by T-Mobile IIRC? Yes and yes. We're down to three big mobile telecoms now, ATT, Verizon, T-mobile/Sprint. At least MVNO's are allowed though, plenty of those.

wankle 4y ago

What should not have happened is the Sprint T-Mobile merger. Like when Wells Fargo bought the failed bank (forget which one) after 2008, Wells Fargo went from a reliable company to all kinds of suspect things going on with our account. So far T-Mobile has been fine for us but we are seeing some marketing things floating around suggesting the Sprint influence might be having a negative impact on T-Mobile. I miss John Legere as the CEO, he had it going on.

twodave 4y ago
Wachovia[0], perhaps? [0] https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/testimony/alvarez20100901a.htm https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/testimony/alvarez2...
LinuxBender 4y ago
Those were awful mergers. Supposedly the US government has reduced the amount of rubber-stamping of these mergers and are said to be scrutinizing them more now. I suppose time will tell. I don't know how else to get real results on fixing poor security practices other than to remove all immunity and limited liability protections from businesses that repeatedly put their customers in harms way and that would have other incredibly bad ramifications.
inferiorhuman 4y ago
Washington Mutual maybe? Bank of America is in a similar situation, they're just NationsBank with a friendlier name on them now. NationsBank acquired BOFA in 1998 after BOFA lost a bundle on Russian bonds. The speed run on becoming one of the shittiest banks around continued in 2005 when they (NB/BOFA) acquired MBNA.