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I’m curious why the US and EU have taken on big tech but have never really gone after these carriers for much of anything. Meta or X can’t breathe in the direc

I’m curious why the US and EU have taken on big tech but have never really gone after these carriers for much of anything. Meta or X can’t breathe in the direction of another social media company without an antitrust suit.

lotsofpulp 2y ago
How many different businesses can put up cellular towers all over the country? The US has 3, and had 4. Seems like a pretty big cost to add more redundancy.
scarface_74 2y ago
You realize that Mint Mobile is already using T-Mobile’s network? How much competition would Mint Mobile actually be for T-mobile?
- neverokay 2y ago
  Once they own Mint, Mint just becomes their lowest tier plan. You can keep moving the lowest tier price up to the point the standard T-mobile package becomes attractive. Mint no longer works independently in applying pricing pressure. The pressure that made T-mobile even buy Mint (however little pressure) is now gone.
  - mgiampapa 2y ago
    Mint as an MVNO never worked independently in applying pricing pressure. It was always beholden to the minimum cost of one of the big 3. New MVNOs will launch, others will fail. The only thing I've learned from this is to try and invest in anything Ryan Reynolds is selling.
  - gowld 2y ago
    Mint paid T-Mobile for spectrum. T-Mobile could have raised prices that Mint pays, even if Mint is a competitor.
    - ssl-3 2y ago
      They didn't pay for spectrum -- MVNOs (such as Mint) don't operate at that level. MVNOs mostly just exist to re-sell existing services that are provided by existing cellular networks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_virtual_network_operator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_virtual_network_operato...
  - ssl-3 2y ago
    > You can keep moving the lowest tier price up to the point the standard T-mobile package becomes attractive. That only works in the real world if there is zero competition. But there is competition. There are over 100 MVNOs operating in the US -- with dozens of them using T-Mobile's network.
    - neverokay 2y ago
      That only works in the real world if there is zero competition. This becomes virtually true regionally I think. I believe you that there are 100s of MVNOs, but I only saw Boost and Mint within my area physically. Now one is gone. I’m still in an area where I have two options for Internet, one of which is on top of the other’s infrastructure. There are hundreds of ISPs nationwide, I’m sure, but not in my area. Buying out under-cutters and re-listing the service at the price you prefer is a crude and simple strategy and can only really be done by the largest players.
      - ssl-3 2y ago
        In the US, MVNOs are happy to sell you service nationwide. All of them resell services that are ultimately provided by one (or more) of the big 3 carriers. It is completely dissimilar from the hardwired ISP market, wherein: With MVNOs, choice absolutely abounds, and there is competition a'plenty. It isn't regional.

lotsofpulp 2y ago

How many different businesses can put up cellular towers all over the country? The US has 3, and had 4. Seems like a pretty big cost to add more redundancy.

scarface_74 2y ago

You realize that Mint Mobile is already using T-Mobile’s network? How much competition would Mint Mobile actually be for T-mobile?

neverokay 2y ago
Once they own Mint, Mint just becomes their lowest tier plan. You can keep moving the lowest tier price up to the point the standard T-mobile package becomes attractive. Mint no longer works independently in applying pricing pressure. The pressure that made T-mobile even buy Mint (however little pressure) is now gone.
- mgiampapa 2y ago
  Mint as an MVNO never worked independently in applying pricing pressure. It was always beholden to the minimum cost of one of the big 3. New MVNOs will launch, others will fail. The only thing I've learned from this is to try and invest in anything Ryan Reynolds is selling.
- gowld 2y ago
  Mint paid T-Mobile for spectrum. T-Mobile could have raised prices that Mint pays, even if Mint is a competitor.
  - ssl-3 2y ago
    They didn't pay for spectrum -- MVNOs (such as Mint) don't operate at that level. MVNOs mostly just exist to re-sell existing services that are provided by existing cellular networks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_virtual_network_operator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_virtual_network_operato...
- ssl-3 2y ago
  > You can keep moving the lowest tier price up to the point the standard T-mobile package becomes attractive. That only works in the real world if there is zero competition. But there is competition. There are over 100 MVNOs operating in the US -- with dozens of them using T-Mobile's network.
  - neverokay 2y ago
    That only works in the real world if there is zero competition. This becomes virtually true regionally I think. I believe you that there are 100s of MVNOs, but I only saw Boost and Mint within my area physically. Now one is gone. I’m still in an area where I have two options for Internet, one of which is on top of the other’s infrastructure. There are hundreds of ISPs nationwide, I’m sure, but not in my area. Buying out under-cutters and re-listing the service at the price you prefer is a crude and simple strategy and can only really be done by the largest players.
    - ssl-3 2y ago
      In the US, MVNOs are happy to sell you service nationwide. All of them resell services that are ultimately provided by one (or more) of the big 3 carriers. It is completely dissimilar from the hardwired ISP market, wherein: With MVNOs, choice absolutely abounds, and there is competition a'plenty. It isn't regional.