T-Mobile Hopes to Catch-up with American Wireless Giants

Deutsche Telekom-owned T-Mobile has expressed confidence that it can upgrade its mobile phone network in the US, to improve its market share in comparison to Cingular, Verizon, and Sprint Nextel.The three larger competitors have all secured additional spectrum to provide 3G wireless services, something that T-Mobile will have to do if it wants to keep up with the rapidly changing mobile phone industry. The German company claims that its up for the challenge, however, and has what it takes to become a strong player in the 3G market."We now want to offer real high-speed mobile internet services," said T-Mobile CEO, René Obermann. "The US market is very big and offers significant growth potential. It's big enough for four players."With just 21.7 million subscribers at the end of 2005, T-Mobile will need to make big gains to catch up to the "big three" wireless carriers, which each boast over 50 million customers. And market leader, Cingular Wireless, is expected to become a lot stronger with the pending merger of its two parent companies.Obermann, however, remains unfazed by AT&T's acquisition of BellSouth. "We've emerged from all the mergers around us in the US as a successful, independent service-provider," he commented on the matter. "I don't think the latest transaction will have any adverse effect on us."(Originally published by TeleClick.ca on March 13, 2006)