5 ms·

IIRC, wasn't the low-cost carrier MetroPCS also acquired by T-Mobile? Seems like oligopoly and higher prices are on the horizon. Americans pay way, way more th

IIRC, wasn't the low-cost carrier MetroPCS also acquired by T-Mobile? Seems like oligopoly and higher prices are on the horizon. Americans pay way, way more than European consumers do for the same/worse service.

whitemary 3y ago
[flagged]
- thebigjewbowski 3y ago
  Maybe tongue in cheek but that’s not exactly accurate — the government auctions off operating bands and the FCC enforces it. Not like we could enter into the space today by buying antennas, mounting them to your garage and setting up some services.
galleywest200 3y ago
Mint Mobile as well.
lockhouse 3y ago
It’s not an apples to apples comparison. Europe is much more population dense than North America so I suspect being a cell phone carrier in Europe is a less costly venture.
- LordShredda 3y ago
  It's not the customer's fault these monopolies own more than what they can financially manage.
- nerdbert 3y ago
  Except that prices are also lower (and service is much better) in huge, sparsely populated countries with far-flung rural communities like Norway, which has fewer than half as many people per km2.
  - worklaptopacct 3y ago
    Also in heavily NIMBY countries like Germany, where it's difficult to place new transmitters and the existing ones are rarely upgraded. We have poor mobile service and higher prices compared to most of Europe here, but it's still pennies compared to the US.
    - SOLAR_FIELDS 3y ago
      Just look at Canada if you want to see the end state USA is moving towards. Surprisingly, their cell prices are somehow even more insane than ours
  - usernew 3y ago
    Prices are not lower in Europe. I've lived in 5 countries in Europe. I paid about 10EUR in France for the same plan I have in the US on Tello for $7. What we do have, is the availability of more expensive plans and companies. It's the same argument I keep hearing people make about "dur dur college is expensive in the states." It's not. 2 years of community college for gen-eds, 2 years state school, BS costs $25k over 4 years, and if you finish in 3, it costs less. You can also take college courses or get a full year of college credits in high school if you study. You can get a bachelor's for under $20k total from a good state school. But yes, my little brother spent 40k/year and has 6-figure debt and a 5-figure salary. Stupid people, make stupid choices. In the land of the free, we make the guidance and information available, and let them fail. Good. Norway is sparely populated? That country the size of Montana (one of many states), with five times the population? Dare I say, have you ever Driven across the US?
    - nerdbert 3y ago
      > Prices are not lower in Europe. I've lived in 5 countries in Europe. I paid about 10EUR in France for the same plan I have in the US on Tello for $7. I don't believe you. Find me any plan in the USA that is cheaper than what can be had in France. And I won't even bring up how terrible mobile coverage is in the USA, even in big cities. > Dare I say, have you ever Driven across the US? Yep, the long way (four days virtually nonstop) and the slow way (a couple months).
- ffgjgf1 3y ago
  When I last was in the US reception (especially TM-Mobile) was pretty terrible outside of urban areas and we were mainly visiting national parks in California that were full of people… I generally found reception to be better in the very sparsely populated areas in the Alps etc. Also at least in some of Europe roaming between operators (for domestic users) is not really a thing and generally companies have independent subsidiaries in every country. Surely that would lead to higher operating costs to some extent?
ab_testing 3y ago
MetroPCS was just a MNVO that ran off of T-Mobile towers. It never had its own towers. It still exists as a separate pre-paid service provider even after the T-Mobile buyout. [1] There are also hundreds of other low cost MNVO's in the US depending on which of Big-3 coverage do you prefer. A lot of times, the MNVO's as much cheaper than going with Big-3(AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon) but can get deprioritized during high traffic situations. [2] [1] https://www.metrobyt-mobile.com/ https://www.metrobyt-mobile.com/ [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_v...
jonathantf2 3y ago
My experience roaming on 4G in the US was much better than anything I've used in the UK - I understand if it costs more because the signal actually worked, you could use the internet in a moving vehicle, etc
gymbeaux 3y ago
Canadians have it even worse from what I hear.
- gymbeaux 3y ago
  I mean, I'm not making it up... Cost: Canadian Cell Phone Providers: Generally, Canadian cell phone plans tend to be more expensive compared to their US counterparts. This is often attributed to factors such as the smaller population, vast geography, and limited competition in the Canadian market. However, the exact cost can vary depending on the plan, provider, and region. US Cell Phone Providers: The cost of cell phone plans in the US can vary widely depending on the provider and the specific plan you choose. Generally, there is more competition among US providers, leading to a wider range of plan options and potentially more affordable prices compared to Canada. Quality of Service: Canadian Cell Phone Providers: Canada has a vast geographical area, which poses challenges for cell phone coverage, especially in rural and remote areas. The quality of service can vary based on the provider and location. Some major Canadian providers include Rogers, Bell, and Telus, which offer extensive coverage in urban areas but may have limitations in more remote regions. US Cell Phone Providers: Due to the larger population and market size, US cell phone providers generally offer better coverage across the country. Major US providers such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint (now merged with T-Mobile) have extensive networks and often provide better coverage in rural areas compared to Canadian providers. Overall, US cell phone providers tend to offer more competitive pricing and better coverage due to the larger market size and increased competition.

whitemary 3y ago

[flagged]

thebigjewbowski 3y ago
Maybe tongue in cheek but that’s not exactly accurate — the government auctions off operating bands and the FCC enforces it. Not like we could enter into the space today by buying antennas, mounting them to your garage and setting up some services.

galleywest200 3y ago

Mint Mobile as well.

lockhouse 3y ago

It’s not an apples to apples comparison. Europe is much more population dense than North America so I suspect being a cell phone carrier in Europe is a less costly venture.

LordShredda 3y ago
It's not the customer's fault these monopolies own more than what they can financially manage.
nerdbert 3y ago
Except that prices are also lower (and service is much better) in huge, sparsely populated countries with far-flung rural communities like Norway, which has fewer than half as many people per km2.
- worklaptopacct 3y ago
  Also in heavily NIMBY countries like Germany, where it's difficult to place new transmitters and the existing ones are rarely upgraded. We have poor mobile service and higher prices compared to most of Europe here, but it's still pennies compared to the US.
  - SOLAR_FIELDS 3y ago
    Just look at Canada if you want to see the end state USA is moving towards. Surprisingly, their cell prices are somehow even more insane than ours
- usernew 3y ago
  Prices are not lower in Europe. I've lived in 5 countries in Europe. I paid about 10EUR in France for the same plan I have in the US on Tello for $7. What we do have, is the availability of more expensive plans and companies. It's the same argument I keep hearing people make about "dur dur college is expensive in the states." It's not. 2 years of community college for gen-eds, 2 years state school, BS costs $25k over 4 years, and if you finish in 3, it costs less. You can also take college courses or get a full year of college credits in high school if you study. You can get a bachelor's for under $20k total from a good state school. But yes, my little brother spent 40k/year and has 6-figure debt and a 5-figure salary. Stupid people, make stupid choices. In the land of the free, we make the guidance and information available, and let them fail. Good. Norway is sparely populated? That country the size of Montana (one of many states), with five times the population? Dare I say, have you ever Driven across the US?
  - nerdbert 3y ago
    > Prices are not lower in Europe. I've lived in 5 countries in Europe. I paid about 10EUR in France for the same plan I have in the US on Tello for $7. I don't believe you. Find me any plan in the USA that is cheaper than what can be had in France. And I won't even bring up how terrible mobile coverage is in the USA, even in big cities. > Dare I say, have you ever Driven across the US? Yep, the long way (four days virtually nonstop) and the slow way (a couple months).
ffgjgf1 3y ago
When I last was in the US reception (especially TM-Mobile) was pretty terrible outside of urban areas and we were mainly visiting national parks in California that were full of people… I generally found reception to be better in the very sparsely populated areas in the Alps etc. Also at least in some of Europe roaming between operators (for domestic users) is not really a thing and generally companies have independent subsidiaries in every country. Surely that would lead to higher operating costs to some extent?

ab_testing 3y ago

MetroPCS was just a MNVO that ran off of T-Mobile towers. It never had its own towers. It still exists as a separate pre-paid service provider even after the T-Mobile buyout. [1] There are also hundreds of other low cost MNVO's in the US depending on which of Big-3 coverage do you prefer. A lot of times, the MNVO's as much cheaper than going with Big-3(AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon) but can get deprioritized during high traffic situations. [2] [1] https://www.metrobyt-mobile.com/ https://www.metrobyt-mobile.com/ [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_v...

jonathantf2 3y ago

My experience roaming on 4G in the US was much better than anything I've used in the UK - I understand if it costs more because the signal actually worked, you could use the internet in a moving vehicle, etc

gymbeaux 3y ago

Canadians have it even worse from what I hear.

gymbeaux 3y ago
I mean, I'm not making it up... Cost: Canadian Cell Phone Providers: Generally, Canadian cell phone plans tend to be more expensive compared to their US counterparts. This is often attributed to factors such as the smaller population, vast geography, and limited competition in the Canadian market. However, the exact cost can vary depending on the plan, provider, and region. US Cell Phone Providers: The cost of cell phone plans in the US can vary widely depending on the provider and the specific plan you choose. Generally, there is more competition among US providers, leading to a wider range of plan options and potentially more affordable prices compared to Canada. Quality of Service: Canadian Cell Phone Providers: Canada has a vast geographical area, which poses challenges for cell phone coverage, especially in rural and remote areas. The quality of service can vary based on the provider and location. Some major Canadian providers include Rogers, Bell, and Telus, which offer extensive coverage in urban areas but may have limitations in more remote regions. US Cell Phone Providers: Due to the larger population and market size, US cell phone providers generally offer better coverage across the country. Major US providers such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint (now merged with T-Mobile) have extensive networks and often provide better coverage in rural areas compared to Canadian providers. Overall, US cell phone providers tend to offer more competitive pricing and better coverage due to the larger market size and increased competition.